The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-02-26
his dress and scrutinizing his features.

MS QI6SS ana SCruIlnlZlug MS IeatuIcs.
He appeared false and perfdious.
I" ask but one thing" said he, the
| permission to put in motion this clock. :"
1t was granted. Then mounting a
chair he put in motion the pendulum.
At the fourth stroke the niche opened
and the cuckoo appeared on the thres-
hold, and singing three times announced
the hour. Hardly had it finished when
music hidden in the body of the clock
played the GRdaz des Voches," but in a
manner 30 piercing and wierd that it
awed everyone.
At the moment when the cuckoo rang,
Jean raised himself like one awkened
from dream; he gazed at the clock
with arm outstretched, and his mouth
open, expressing an awful fear.
"OhP' said he, trying to cover his
face with his hands.
The clock had resumed its monoton-
GUS tic-tac and the hands moved mechan-
ically around its face.
When the music ceased Jean stood
erect, and said with steady voice, look
ing at the judges, "What do you wish
Why have you arrested me? lam in
nocent. I will swear it. My master
killed himself. am saying nothing
but the truth; have come to myself
The night of the murder was a fear
full one, as you all know" said the young
man "a storm mixed with rain, hail ard
thunder, so that nothing which trans
pired at my masters could be heard in
the neighborhoad. Samuel Stauffer en-
tered the house at nine o'clock in the
evening CARRYING this clock under lis
arm, and it was | 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 l 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 if something had struck him.
"'Do you not think that music
strange? said he.
"I told him effectually that it had
shaken my nerves a little, at which he
laughed heartily.
'Well, well!' he explained, go to
bed; that will calm you.'
81 left him then alone and ascended
into my room just above his, where,
owing to the age of the house, piece of
displaced plastering enabled me to see
all that passed in my MASTER room. l
was preparing for bed when IL o'clock
struck and the music began again. 1
heard my master turn in his bed, and it
disturbed me so that cast glance into
his room. He was standing in front of
the clock, a candle in his hand, gazing
at it with an anxious air rs if the sound
irritated him. l went to bed and in ten
minutes slept profoundly.
The time flew by, and o'clock had
just struck when l heard an explosion
of furious cries beneath me. Then it
was that witnessed horrible spectacle
Samuel Stauffer, foaming at the
mouth, his eyes starting from their sock
cts, shook his fist at the clock, crying,
you will cause my death, but you will
not ring any more!'
In an instant he leaped upon chair,
and passing one of the chains around
his neck, pushed the seat from under
him and remained hanging. The clock
stopped instantly at o'clock.
Pale with horror, | looked at him,
unable to help him. had frightful
gone below it would have been certain
L
more until to-day.
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 verdict
was received with applause.
The Jew, Wolfmann, was brought be-
fore the bar. "You will 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 re-
funded, and this internal clock shall be
publicly burned"
The hour was about to strike but the
movement was arrested.
Conducted outside the walls, the Jew
Wolfmann never reappeared, and the
cuckoo was burned on the place before
the prison.
The grocer Block is certain that the
devil constructed the cock, and his
neighbor Herman, more credulous now,
dared not contradict him.
The little house of Samuel Stauffer
was given to Jean Muller, who let it fall
in ruins. He replaced it by a 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,