Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-02-12
nothing but the truth; l have come to

AADoAAilS Duu olO tlubu L nave cOIne TO
myself
The night of the murder was fear
ful one, as you all know" said the
young man; a storm mixed with rain,
hail and thunder, so that nothing which
transpired at my masters could be heard
in the neighborhood Samuel Stauffer
entered the house at nine o'clock in the
evening carrying this clock under his
arm, and it was l who hung it solidly
to the wall of his own room, opposite
his bed He seemed enchanted with
his bargain and talked of it necessarily.
At ten O'Clock assisted him to regulate
the cuckoo and to put'it in motion. At
half past ten it struck for the first time
and played the air which you have Just
heard. | was helping Samuel Stauffer
to disrobe. He turned to me abruptly
as il something had struck him.
Do you not think that music
stranger said he. &.E
Il told him that il had shaken nv
nerves little, at which he laughed
heartily. MA If
We'll, well! he exclaimed; 60 to
bed, that will calm you.'
l left him then alone and ascended
into my room just above his, where,
owing to the age of the house, a piece of
displaced plastering enabled me to see
all that passed in my masters room.
was preparing for bed when eleven
o'clock struck and the music began
again. [ heard my master turn in his
bed, and it disturbed me SO that cast a
glance into his room. He was standing
in front of the clock, candle in his
hand, gazing at it with an anxious air.
as if the sound irritated him. | went to
bed and in ten minutes slept profoundly.
"The time flew by, and three O'Clock
had just struck when 1 heard an ex-
nlosion of furious cries beneath me.
Then it was that / witnessed horrible
spectacle-Samuel Stauffer, foaming at
the mouth, his eyes starting from their
sockets, shook his fist at the clock cry
ing:' 7 ou will cause my death, but you
will not ring any more!'
6 In an instant he leaped upon chair,
and passing one of the cheins around
his neck, pushed the seat from under
him and remained hanging. The clock
stopped instantly at three o'clock.
- Pale with horror, looked at him,
unable to help him. / had a frightful
desire to initiate his example-had |
gone below it would have been certain
death. ! do not remember anything
more until to-day. r.-4-
THAT is the whole truth, gentlemen,
and you must have felt the strange i'm
preston produced by the song Of this
cuckoo ~
As he finished, the half hour struck
and held anew every one with its mex
plicable power. The members of the
Jury could thus judge by their own SEN
sations the truth of its recital made by
the accused.
The jury retired to deliberate. When
they entered, the verdict was simply
the acquittal of Jean Muller. The YER
dict was received with applause.
The jew, Wolfmann, was brought he
fore the bar.
8 You viii be conducted to the gates
OF the city, and forbidden to ever step
foot inside again. The price of the
house bought by you will be refunded,
and this internal clock shall be publicly
burned.n
The hour was about to strike but the
movement was arrested.
Como ucted outside the walls, the Jew
Wolfmann never reappeared, and the
cuckoo was burned on the place before
the prison. 1&
The grocer Bloch was certain that Satan
constructed the clock and his nelghbor
Herman, more eredulous now, dared not
contradict him.
The little house of Samuel Stauffer
was given to Jean Muller, who let ii
fall in ruins. He replaced it by new
building soon, for everybody tried to
assist him. and they go to his shop to
listen to the history of the death of the
Jew and the terrible song of the cuckoo.