Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-07-26

were all in, and the last one was about
to leave the stand, the counsel for the
prosecution arose and said:
"Now, sir, remember that you are un-
der oath Do you declare that you saw
this paper signed by the HUsmg hand of
the late Arthur Fairfax %
The countenance of the man ad-
dressed visibly altered at these words.
Il saw his hand sign it," he said
after moments pause.
"Do you, dare you assert that you
heard the man, whose name is attached
to this paper, assent to its provisions p
There was a pause considerably
longer than the first Then the witness
said, speaking slowly and with some
hesitation:
Il heard the will read to him. l
also heard his nephew ask him if he un-
derstood it, and saw him bow his head
in assent.
"That will dc" said the lawyer.
Then turning to the judge, he added:
"Your honor, l can prove, to your sa-
tisfaction of every one present, that the
late Arthur Fairfax died three hours
before the will was signed"
1.-The clerk will now summon Mrs.
Rachel Barker to the stand.
Mrs. Barker, an elderly, respectable
looking woman, being duly sworn.
| said
"My name is Barker. l was house
keeper to the late Arthur Fairfax, hav-
ing been in his service nigh on to twen-
ty-6ve years. Was in his service at
the time he died, the twenty-ninth day
of August last. Have often heard him
say that when he died Miss Lucy would
have Woodlawn and all its belongings.
But, when he took to his bed, his neph
ew, Gilbert Fairfax, came and took
everything in his own hands. The doc
tor was stranger to US all. He had
his own friends and servants, and none
of US as had served him so long and
faithfully was allowed to come nigh
him.
Il was coming up the stairs the day
master died, when / see Gilbert Fairfax
an the doctor comm out of his room
an locking the door on the outside,
walk off together. Thinkin' that this
was mighty queer, an mistrusting that
there was somethin' wrong, | determin-
ed to git into the room by means of a
door that lead through a closet, an
which hadn't been opened for many a
year. The lock was old and rusty, but
after consider BILE trouble l managed to
turn the key fndin' Mr., Fairfax layin'
on the bed as cold an lifeless as he was
when | see him in his coffin the next
day.
IL hadn't moren time to make sure
of this when | heard footsteps approach
in the door. havln' jest time to git back
into the closet, when in walked Gilbert
Fairfax, the doctor, and three other
men.-The door of the closet bein' ajar
l saw the doctor prop up the dead body,
with pillows. l then heard Gilbert
Fairfax read the will that gave him the
heft of the property. At the close of il
he says:
"Uncle Arthur, do you understand
and agree to this ?''
Then the doctor, who was standin
beside my dead master, put his hand OF
his head and bowed it down.
81 then seen Gilbert Fairfax put ;
pen into the cold, stiff fingers of tht
dead, an guide it along on the paper
After which the other two men put thei
names to it.
"Then Gilbert Fairfax brought out /;
bag of money, all in gold, which he div
ided among the four, promising tina
they should each have as much NOR,
after the will was proved.
Gas | was mortal fearful of bein' dis
covered, | crept away as still as could
Bout half an hour later Gilbert Fair
fax comes to me an says:
Barker, my uncle Is dying; yo1
an the rest of the servants had bette
come in, if you want to see your oil
master alive
when we went into the room, W
see the doctor standin' by the PILLOW
where the old mans head lay, jest
little turned one side, as if he was sleep
in. The doctor had one finger on tn
wrist.
"'He's jest gone he says lookin' u
at US as We stood round the bed
who'd thought he'd have dropped o
so sudden 2
81 knew he'd been dead several hour
but l said nothin' to nobody, until Mis-
Lucy got home. l said nothin' to he
until after the funeral and L see ho'
things was goin'. Then told her jes
what I've been telling you, gentlemen
an which is the gospel truth, ever
wOrd ont"
This disclosure created profoun
sensation, spreading terror and disma
among the guilty ccnspirators, two {
whom made full confession, throw