The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-03-23
THE SECRET CLOSET.

In the year 49,, John Smith use
flcticlous names-was indicted for the
willful murder of Henry Thompson.
The case was one of n most extraordin-
ary nature, and the interest excited by
it was almost unparalleled. The accused
was gentleman of considerable prop
erty, residing upon his own estate. "A
person. supposed to be an entire strang-
er to him, had late in "a summers day
requested and obtained shelter and hos
,itality for the night. He had, 1t was
supposed, after taking some light re-
freshinents, retired to bed in perfect
health. requesting to be awakened at an
early hour the following morning.
when the servant appointed to call him
entered the room for that purpose he
was found in his room perfectly dead,
and from the appearance of the body it
was obvious that he had been SO for
many hours. There was not the slight
est mark of violence upon his person,
and the countenance retained the same
expression it had during life.
Days and weeks passed on, and little
further was discovered. In the mean-
time rumor had not been idle. Suspicious
were vague indeed, and underlined, and
were at first whispered and afterward
boldly expressed. The precise object of
these suspicious was not clearly indicat-
ed but they all pointed to Smith, the
master of the house, as concerned in the
death of the stranger; and, in fine, the
magistrates were influenced to commit
Mr.. Smith to Jail to await his trial for
the murder of Henry Thompson. AS it
was deemed essential to the attainment
of justice to keep secret the examination
of the witness before the magistrates all
the information of which the public
were in possession before the trial took
place was that which have narrated.
Such was the state of things upon the
morning of the trial.
The counsel for the prosecution OPEN
ed his case to the jury in manner that
indicated very little expectation of a
conviction. He began by begging them
to divest their minds of all they had
heard before they came into the box; he
entreated them to attend to the evidence
and judge from that alone.
1t would be proved beyond the posi-
bility of doubt that the deceased died
of poison-poison of most subtle ma
ture, most active in its operation, and
possessing the wonderful and dreadful
quality of leaving no external mark by
which its presence could be detected
The ingredients of which it was COM
posed were of so sedative nature that,
instead of the body which it had been
used exhibiting any contortions or
marks of suffering, it left upon the fea-
lures nothing but the calm and placid
appearance of repose.
The prisoners family consisted only
of himself, housekeeper, and one man
servant. The man servant slept in an
outhouse adjoining the stable, and did
so on the night of Thompson's DEATH
The prisoner slept at one end of the
house and the housekeeper at the other
and the deceased had been put into a
room adjoining the housekeeper's.
1t would be proved by person who
happened to be passing by the house on
the night in question, about three hours
after midnight, that he had been induc-
ed to remain and watch from having his
attention excited by the circumstance,
then very unusual, of a light moving
about the house at that late hour. The
person would state most positively that
he could distinctly see figure, holding
light, go from the room in which the
prisoner slept to the housekeeper's room
and the light disappeared for minute.
Whether the two persons went into
Thompson's room he could not see, as
The window of that room looked anoth-
er way but in about minute they re-
turned, passing quietly along the house
to Smiths room again, and in about
five minutes the light was extinguished
and he saw it no more.
Such was the evidence upon which
the magistrate had committed Smith,
and singularly enough, since his COM
initial the housekeeper had disappeared,
nor could any trace of her be discovered.
Within the last week the witness who
saw thelight had been more particularly
examined, and in order to refresh his
memory had been placed at dark in the
very spot where he stood that night,
and another person placed with him.
The whole scene, as he had described it,
was acted over again, but it was utterly
impossible, from the cause above men,
toned, to assert when the light disap-
L l..