Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-07-26
CaASTINE COX.
A REMARKABLE STORY.

The True Inwardness of His Crime.
Joe HOward's New York Letter to Phila'iel-
phia Times.
An elderly woman, married many years
to very weak minded and most impe-
cunious New Yorker, made her way into
the inner circle of a strong minded set of
women and adopted the worst ideas of the
EXTREMIST of them all. They confined
themselves to talk, but our elderly friend
put their prattle into practice. One thing
led to another. Poverty overlook her hus-
band, and she, like many another fool OF
woman, opened boarding house. Her
husband was sent to sleep in a small attic
room, but she, for her own purposes and
the parlor floor. Behold the scene Of the
drama.
Enter now the third of the dramatis
PERSONA in the smoky guise Of cOmely
colored waiter, who in a brief perod pass
ed through the stages of servant, friend
and admirer, until he became-I really
blush for the old lady-her secret lover.
His visits were frequent, and in her IN
fatuatiOn the mistress Of the house broke
down all social barriers, and, so far as she
and hers were concerned, he became absO-
lutte in every wish.
| Well?
| But it wasn't we'll Some months ago
the favored darkey became insOlent and
wanted money, more money, and then all
the old lady had. With his pass-key he
found always unimpeded access to the
house and madam's rooms, and with un-
parllleled effrontery combined in his indi-
viduality the suavity of lover and the
tactics of a blackmailer. The inevitable
came. After lovers quarrel resulted
violence. then a faint, then apprehension and
dread. What should he do? Obviously
divert suspicion. But how? By binding
the woman as she lay prone upon her couch
by overturning chair or two, by snatch
ing hastily the few and by no means costly
articles ofjewelry she had on her hands
and person, by throwing open window
and stealing quietly away as he had ell
tered.
In time it was discovered. The old lady
was dead. Her husband, known to be on
bad terms with her, was arrested and wa:
at the very depot to bo railroaded to th'
gallows.
Accident detected the darkey. An(
the darkey confessed. Confessed what -?
Well, he confessed-and prOved-such :
: condition of affairs as Mortified his not
Over-sensitive counsel, and in spite of hi
| earnest pfOCcSCS Luc SNlCCu "stS uoCu III
stead of the main road-and the man wa
hanged.
Now. the police justice, the counsel TO
T the prisoner and several press men knew
all these facts from the first, but moci
. sentimentality induced them, one and all
to keep them from the public. The coun
sci argued that the average person woul'
, be so shocked by the idea that his ellen
would suffer more if the t: u.h were known
What nonsense! He couldn't have ha.
, anything worse than death, in, any event
, He didn't commit murder Intentionally
: The judge gave the jury the law, which
to the effect that u man who accidental.
kills a person while in the commission of
: felony is guilty of murder. The felon
consisted in breaking into the house. Bu
if the fellow was there Oh invitation an
! had pass key in his pocket he clearly wa
, not burglar, and therefore not guilty o
i murder
Queer, isn't it?
t But it isn't any more queer than 4 thor
a sand others which lay half concealed
t social circles. Now and then some evolu
D ton, some outburst, some accident, bring
e this, that or the other to light. The worl
! obs and ah's, laughs or shuders, and roll
| nm as merrilv and busilv as ever