Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-10-17

haps premediated, on the person of his
master, Samuel Stauffer, merchant and
prokel.
The domestic Suffered himself to be
led without manifesting the least emo
ton. The police surrounded him to
protect him from the insults Of the
mob.
The cuckoo t, which the unfortunate
man was hung, was carried to the prison
and disappeared behind the heavy wood
en- door and massive bolts of thejail.
On the day after they buried Samuel
| Staufer, his goods were sold at auction,
| for he left no will or heirs. But they
could not find purchaser for the house,
which was closed and passed immediate
| ~ for sinister and dangerous dwelling.
It was strictly avoided when night fell,
and often the grocer Bloch, who dwelt
opposite, would shiver with agony be-
tween his sheets, believing he heard
sounds behind the blinds of the late Sam
uel Staufer.
Two months sped away-two long
months, during which life had retaken
its habitusl course-two months in which
a thousand incidents of the act had &C
cumulated slowly on the terrible event
which took place on the night Of the
storm. The little house at last found a
purchaser, when they had almost de-
SPARED of ever finding one. 1t was all
old Jew, a peddler, who announced his
intention of taking the business of Sam
uel Stauffer But he had not opened
shop yet.
The little town of H--was IN per
feet fiutter of excitement. The people
crowded and pressed around the court
house. Jean Muller was to be tried, land
the curiosity which had been increasing
day by day had now reached its culmin-
atlng point.
Jean had not yet spoken. His lawyer
himself had not been able to draw him
from his obstinate dumbness, which
seemed almost supernatural. What could
he hope fora The law, face to face with
the horror of the crime, would be pltiless
toward such stubborness, at least unless
the insanity of the unfortunate man
could be proved, and it was this course
which had been adopted by his lawyer,
who not only saw no other way to save
him, but he had come to believe it him.
self.
The trial began: the judges and jury
men took their places. Hanging on the
wall was the fatal cuckoo. 1t had be-
come an instrument of death-a certain
proof OF the crime. There it was, 81
lent, sinister witness, marking the hour
of three. This clock was little larger
than they usually made, which explains
how it could support the weight of a
man. A sort of niche in the wood
work hid the bird, who sung the hour,
from sight. The public could not look
at it without fear. Every one felt the
influence of the mystery, and all thought
that the trial would not throw much
light on the subject. unless the accused
could be made to speak.
The prisoner was ordered to appear.
The crowd swayed like field of wheat
in the wind All heads were turned to-
ward, the same place-the little door by
which Jean Muller entered. Every
sound ceased and silence like death
weighed on this multitude so restless,
so tumu,tuous but an instant before.
Muller advanced between two guards,
tall, thin and fair, with a gentle look; his
eyes troubled and his head lowered. he
walked without knowing what he did
| Not sound escaped his Ii ps; his move
ments were those of an idiot; his glance
was fixed on the ground.
The witnesses gave their testimony-it
all tended toward crime. He was alone
In the house with his master: he was hid
den when they made the discovery; he
had neither confessed nor denied the
murder. One question alone remained
to decide his fate. Had he committed
the murder in cold blood or in fit of in
sanlty2
Jean Muller had not raised his eyes
He seemed neither to hear nor under.
stand. 1t was ike torch extingulshed
A man traversed the crowd, using his
fists and elbows to make himself free
passage, and arriving near the prisoner
he looked at him with a strange sneer
then leaping lightly over the railing that
separated the tribunal from the public
he addressed himself to the judges:
"Gentlemen, will you permit me tt
make test to recall this unfortunate
man to reason?',
81 am called Elias Wolfmann, your
honor. l sold this clock to the late Sam.
uel Stauffer, my worthy co-religionist."
A shlver ran through his hearers al
this declaration; the curiosity was re-
doubled every ear was wide open.
The Jew Wolfmann was tall, angu,
lar parsonage, with a yellow beard float
ing in two points from his chin; his nose
was sharp and his small gray eyes were
hidden beneath the bushy eybrows; q
continual sneeJ lowered around the cor.
ners of his mouth. He wore long Goa,
reaching to his ankles, gathered at the
waist with wide belt and an immense
brass buckle.
81 ask but one thing" said he, "the
permission to put in motion this clock
1t was granted. Then mounting a
chair he putin motion the pendulum.
At the fourth stroke tie niche opened,
and the cuckoo appeared On the thresh-
hold, and singing three times announced
the hour. Hardly had it finished when
music hidden in the body of the clock
played ''Rauz des Voches,'' but in a
manner SO piercing and weird that 1t
awed every one.