Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-09-12
Independent in all things


scene; but, to my utter surprise and nC
| little terror. Mrs. johnson had vanished
the dark cleaning pool of blood and the
| dead dog were still there, but the hud
dled-up bundle of clothes were gone
What had they done with 1t In
spite of the urgent necessity there was
| for immediate action, stood motionlesS
for q minute, hesitating to cross the
| dimly-lighted hall Suppose it should
be there.
While l stood hesitating, shadow
passed across the first window, and look.
ing I'D Quickly, to my horror, l saw three
! men in another moment pass the second
/ window.
| had no time for thought. In another
| minute they would he in the kitchen.
| turned and fed down the passages and
] across the hall, rushing into the first
open door, which happened to be the
| draving-room door. and instinctively
half closed it behind me as had found
n Then I glanced wildly round the
hare. empty room in search of shelter.
There was not a particle of furniture
! in the room, and it was quite empty ex-
eept for some apples on the floor and a
/ few empty hampers and sacks at the
| IUFInNT ElAQ- 1lOM COuANA 4 AA4lCs
l heard the footsteps crossing the hal,
and then, as they came nearer, with the
feeling of desperation 1 sped noiselessly
| across the room, laid down fiat behind
| the hampers, and, as the door opened,
| threw an empty sack over me. 1he
| men walked to the window saying, I'VE
shall see better here" and looked out
all exclaiming together, He's coming
now" and, without glancing IN my di-
rection, they hurriedly left the room
again.
I was safe, but what could do to save
the farmer7 Surely Charley must be
coming with help now, but would he be
IN time? / must try and save him, was
the conviction that impressed itself upon
me in a lightning thought, and as it
crossed my brain l sprang to the win
dow. Ali thought of self vanished then
with the urgency of what 1 had to do.
l was only eager-nervously, frantically
eageT-tO save the farmers life.
Twelve feet below me, stretching
down the slope of the hill, was the gar
den now lying in long plowed ridges,
with the frozen snow ON the top of each
Of them, and at the bottom of the garden
was a stone wall four feet high. Be
yond this, as far as the eye could reach,
extended the snoW-covered fields, and
coming along the cart road to the left
was Mr.. Johnson in his gig.
! threw open the, window making
noise enough to alarm the men if they
heard it, and sprang on to the window
ledge, and then tearing off my jacket
threw it on the ground, and, shutting
my eyes, jumped down. The high jump
hurt my wrists and uncovered feet
dreadfully, but dare not stop a mo-
ment. l rushed down the garden, tumb-
ling two or three times in my progress,
and, when came to the wall, scrambled
over it headforemost. The farmer was
Just opening the gate of the field was
in, and l made straight line toward
him. I few across the snow, dashed
through the brook, and when I rushed
up to Mr.. Johnson's side, could only
throw up my arms and shrek out, "mur-
derW
1 quickly told him of the danger, and
as did so, heard the tramp Of many
feet, and turning beheld Charley with
several neighbors fully armed. They
at once surrounded the premises, and
succeeded in capturing all three of the
murdeTeTs.
And poor Mrs. johnson. She was
dead. The men had put her under the
dresser, which explains why 1 did not
see her as I passed through the kitchen.
The poor husband went away directly
afterWard. The whole house is unin-
habited now. Nobody will live there
because it is said to be haunted. The
three men were hung.