Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-10-15
"Utter a cry or move or give the least
signal, and I'll blow your brains out, said

s'Utter a cry or move or give the leas
signal, and I'll blow your brains out, sale
n the farmer, {sf ,t'lf1asi.. ss,.. 81
The man in the rear drew Crafts hands
behind him and manacled him. The far
mer still pointed. the pistol at his head.
!, s'Make all sure, " he said, and the wag.
oner textrously slipped gag into Crafts
| mouth and tied it behind.
Nov march, - said the farmer, land
see you don't make too much noise"
The farmer pointed to the door. Tie
wagner turned his prisoner toward it and
the t armer moved along with the pistol
still ready for use. The farmer opened the
door, and the next instant the saddler was
| in the clutches of two men outside. who
| placed him in coach and drove off. An
other coach was standing by.
| Now, then,'' said the farmer, and he
and the wagner re-entered the shop.
Then the farmer. knocked loudly on the
counter. Presently the door in the rear
was opened and another man came out.
80 Come, man, said the farmer, well
steal all your money out Of the till if you
don't look QUIZ .e.,s q t. A'#
The newcomer descended the few steps
to the shop, and looked around as though
surprised at Crafts absence.
''Let me look &C those stirrups,'' the far
mer said, and while he was examining
them his companion asked to look at the
collar behind the man. Permission was
given, and IN a few moments the second
man was in the same position as Crafts
had been few minutes before. Manacled,
gagged and threatened with instant death
If he resisted or gave an alarm, he was led
out, placed in the charge of two men, and
driven off in cab.
Now" said the farmer, 1--WE can go
right for the other fellow" si
The two men entered the store and walk
ed to the rear. Each carried pistol, ready
cooked. The farmer brought his body to
bear with full force against the door and
burst it in.
A man sprang from couch at the far
end of long, badly lighted room and made
a rush for three pistols which lay on the
table.
"Hold ~ said the farmer, s'move anoth-
er foot and III shoot you like dog.
The man, nothing daunted, seized the
nearest pistol. The farmer and his COM
panion fired simultaneously. and the man
fell with his arm broken. Then the two
officers, for such they were, seized and
bound him, and he was removed as the
two others had been.
The detective had ascertained that these
three men were notorious thieves, burg
lars and murderers, who had taken every
precaution to prevent capture. In a series
of years they had operated in the midland
counties and escaped arrest. A former as
sociate had informed the authorities that
they had resolved to kill any officer who
attempted to take them, and for that pur-
pose wore concealed weapons and kept
them close at hand. The London detective
vowed he would capture them without
giving them chance to injure him, and
he devised the plan which had proved so
successful
But the most important fact was that
these three men we're proven to be the per-
petrators of the murder of Mr.. Butler.
In their possession were found documents
missing from Mr.. Buffers desk on the
night of the murder, and moreover Crafts
was easily identified as the man who de-
posted the three thousand pounds with
the slip of paper bearing Mr.. Buffers
name.
They were tried, convicted and SEN
fenced to be hanged, and the sentence was
duly executed.
Now comes the explanation of young
Carter's connection with this strange his
tory.
Miss Emily Butler had been at school at
Bristol, where she lived with an aunt.
There she made the acquaintance of one
Charles Ransom, a handsome youth few
years older than herself. They were Sc
cretly married and Immediately separated.
Soon after this Ransom quarreled with
his step-father and went to sea. After an
absence Of over year he returned, and
found means of seeing his wife. The very
last night of his stay on shore he went to
Weston and was secretly admitted by her
ahthe very window by which the burglars
and murderers subs equently entered.
Leaning against the window he left hi
stick, intending to recover it on his quit
ting the pr emises. On his leaving his wife
soon after two O'Clock on the morning of
September 10, 1881, he missed the stick.
and could not imagine where it had gone.
He returned to Bristol, went On board his
ship, and sailed, utterly ignorant of what
had happened at the Oaks while he was
under it's roof.
His wife had promised to write, but he
received no letter, greatly to his astonish-
ment. She, in turn, was horror-stricken
at her husbands supposed crime, for she
believed that.by some strange and inexpli-
cable change, Ransom had suddenly be-
come a murderer and thief, and had quit
ted the country never to return, thereupon
she never wrote to him, for how could she
hold intercourse with the man who had
slain her father, although he was her hus-
band ? Ransom had shipped under the
name OF Carter, and she hoped and prayed
his whereabouts would never be discovered.
1t is needless to say that the young couple
were happily reunited.
DOES THE WORLD MISS ANY ONE p
Not long. The best and most useful of us
will soon be forgotten. Those who to-day
are filling a large place in the worlds re-
gard will pass away from the remembrance
of men in few months, or at the farthest
in few years after the grave has closed
upon the remains. We are shedding tears
| nwor a oou mada GRAVE and wildly CRYING