Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-05-20

= ceased; he thought the design OF pene.
trating to his apartment had been aban-
, doned, as de had doube-locked the door,
} and it must have been very difficult to
open it, when, CHANGING invOluntarily to
cast his eyes down, he perceived by the
, light OF the moon, which shone brightly
| through the wlndOw.panes, hand glld.
ing into the space LETT between the floor
and room door, and striving to lift the
, latter off its hinges. He raised his weapon
above his head, and, letting it fall with
, his strength, brought it down upon the
hand inst as it was about to disappear
: A stIfed cry was heard then a fearful
blasphemy, halfarticulated, and, lastly
. light sound, as of some one retiring,
: and which gradually melted in the silence
of the night. Two bleeding fingers re-
mained on the threshold
The young man ran to the fireplace,
where few embers yet burned; his can.
die lighted, he could contemplate the
hideons trophy OF his victory. After the
FIRST moment of surprise he picked up the
two fingers, washed them carefully, and
stanched the blood with his handkerchief.
at must be confessed said he to
himself, that was very lucky to have
thought my sword" Then. attentively
examining The fingers, he added, "Ratber
a white hand for thief-and the nails
tolerably clean!"
SO saying, he wrapped the two fingers
up in a handkerchief, and returned to
bed with the utmost coolncss, as if moth
ing extraordinary had happened. An
other quarter OF an hour and he was
sleeping soundIy.
1t was not yet daylight when the land.
lord came to awaken the young man,
who was to set forth at o'clock. When
the latter, having first cast glance at
Ebrlrd's hands, related to him, half jOcu
larry, the event of the night, and showed
| the blood which had stained the thresh-
old of the door, the honest innkecper
turned pale and trembled; but, speedily
recovering, his first movement was to re-
pair to the apartment of the stranger
who had arrived last, to see if 1t were
still tenanted. He found the door open,
entered, drew the bed.Curtains, but saw
no one. Some traces of blood guided
him to the window which he found also
open; he looked out, and in the garden
beheld the heavy footmarks of some one
escaping in the direction of the high
road; so that NJ. Ebrard, notwithstand-
ing the confusion that rcigned in his
poor brain, hal still presence Of mind
,uiicicnt to enable him to draw the rca-
sonablc inference, and admit the pro-
found conviction, that the mutiated
tobber was no other than the pretended
oraveler whom he had harbOred the pre-
reeding night.
1t wuoll be difficult to paint the truly
amentabc condition OF poor Ebrard after
the fatal discovery. We need only say he
rcgained his self-pOsscsiOn sufficiently to
repair tO the Commissioner OF Police to
make his deposition and relate on his
| way to all his acquaintance and with an
air Of the most utter bewilderment, the
fearful tragedy Of which his house had
been the theatre.
The young traveller arrived at his pa
tornal mansion about noon; and, as be
was quite unexpected he was welcomed
hy an explosion Of Joy and tender exclama.
tons. His mother bestowed few soft |
tears upon him, while his sisters threw
their arms about his neck, carcssing him, |
and contemplating him with joy and salts
faction.
"But where is my fa.hcr?" said he, at |
length extricatng himself from the
stringent embrace Of his youngest sister
"You are aware" SAID his mother, |
that be is accustomed to be often absent
from home. He left here three days ago
for little town in the neighborhoOd; but
we are expecting him to-day"
"And is my good father still as tacitun
and gloomy as eycrr' he asked.
"Alas, yes!" they replied; you would
imagine him incrssanty pursued by some
dread fatality; but your arrival, so un-
loo ked for as It is, cannot fail to gladen
and cheer him.
As soon as the young man was seated,
questions of all sorts assailcd him, so
greatly was the curiosity of his family |
excited to learn every particular of his
life since he had quilted the paternal roof.
"And you met with no accident on your
journey?' asked his mother.
"NO, not exactly an accident" " he re-
piled; "but a somewhat singular event
occurred to me last night, as you shall
hear"
He then related his night OF agitation
and blood and they listened, horror
stricken, for the tone IN which he spoke !
convinced them of the truth Of his recital
"Oh! had nearly forgotten, said he,
at the termination of his tale, to mention
that | brought away lTelragable proofs {
of my victory"
As he spoke, he put his hand into his
pocket, and drew from it handkerchief
in which something seemed to be carefully
wrapped up. At the same moment the +,
door of the apartment opened, and man,
with pale and disOrdeled Countenance,
with travel stained garments and totter-
ing gait, entered.
My father! my dear father" cried the !
young man, rushing into his arms, 1--WE
are all then now reunited"
So saying, he stretched out his hand to !
his father, but no answering hand met
his in return. For the first time, he per-
ceived that it was enveloped in blood
stained cloth. f
"What do | see!' he exclaimed. SIS
it possible that you are woundedp"
"Yes-yes, "said his father. Tonight,
as was crossing a forest some leagues o
from hence, was attacked by robbers. | II
endeavored to defend myself, and in the
struggle had the mishap to lose two Of
my fingers; but do not let that distress C
you"
All at once the youngest Of the sisters, v
who had picked up the handkerchief which
his fathers arrival had caused the young t
man to drop, opened it, and, uttering a G
piercing shrek, exclaimed:
Mamma! two fingers wrapped up in e
handkerchief!
At these astounding words deep silence :,
of terror and dismay ensued. A thunder !
bolt had fallen in the midst of the family; !
all felt that there was an assassin among
them. An hour later, and the father Of y
Frederick was in the hands Of justice; for o
his children, in their despair and horror, Z
had not bethought themselves Of urging u
him to fly.
On the Goth of December the court Of v
assize at Tours was thronged with crowds
Of the curious, who n0cked from all parts, @
and were conversing eagerly on the i'm u
poltant business Of the day. Every coun II
tenance expressed joy and impatence. 1t h
was but natural; a father was about to be a
tried for having attempted to assassinate b
MS son. Poor puolic! such treat as this
30 rarely occurs!
After the reading of the accusation, s
,he Judge proceeded to the hearing OF
5he witnesses. Jean Antoine Ebrard
was called but he had died the begin.
ling of the month. Then a young girl
came forward, dressed in black, and "
concealing her features be- W