The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-05-20

from the old. black German Bible, and
offered up the usual morning prayer.
Then, just as he was ready to start, he
inquired what he should pay for his
board and lodging.
"Oh, notings-notingsl You are vel
come to the bed and the biier' said
Great, heartily
"You are very kind" said the strang-
er. ''but l feel that ought to repay You
in some way. See here''-opening his
'satchel-"if you will not let me give
money, pray do me the kindness OF &C
cepting these little tokens of gratitude.
Here, Frau Groat, are two pair of stock
ings that would just fit your busy feet,
anG here, Gretchen, Is bran new piece
OF calico, more than enough for a dress.
They are the only things / did not sell,
and do not care to lug them home
again"
The two women accepted his gifts
with much pleasure, and, with mutual
expressions of good luck, the traveller
and his kind entertainers parted. The
former wore blue checked shirt of Peter
Greats. He left his own behind him,
telling Frau Groat that she might keep
il in exchange for the one she had given
him. AS the strangers shirt was of OK
cellent material, with linen bosom and
cuffs, the worthy dame thought she had
maze good bargain
William Greyson, a farmer in the vi
cinity of Haywood, missed one of his COWS
that Friday night, and early on the fol-
lowing morning set out to make search
for her. He hunted through the mead
ow lands, followed the course of the
creek quite way. and finally entered
the pine woods. When about half way
through brown object lying on the
grass little distance from him, attract
ed his attention. He went up to it. 1t
was large piece of wrapping paper,
and lot of twlne was lying beside it.
The paper was damp with dew, and as
Greyson gracefully turned it over in his
hand. he observed some red spots on it.
He examined them more closely, They
were the bloody prints of thumb and
finger.
He looked around him keenly. He
soon noticed that the bank of ferns
bordering the path was in one place
crushed and broken. He followed these
marks, and they led him to the most
dense and most unfrequented part of the
woods, and there, in a hollow, almost
covered with underbrush, lay the body
Of Il woman. 1t was Ms. Curtis, laying
stiff and stark, with bloody cash across
her throat.
Two hours later, party of men were
hunting the leafy labyrinths of the pine
woods. They were endeavoring to find
the trail of the murderer.
An hour passed, and they had met
with no success. Some of them had
gathered together for the purpose of con-
sultatiOn, when suddenly cry from one
of their companions, who was a little
distance from them, attracted their at
tention.
''Sec what l have fOundn' he cried,
holding up spool of thread. 1t was
dirty and dIngy, and wet with dew, but
Mr.. Brown, the merchant, who was with
the party, recognized il at once, and
said:
ats one of the spools poor Mrs. Cur
tbs bought of me yesterday. It's pink,
you see. She was real particular about
the color. She was piecing a chair
cushion, and wanted the right shade.
Now, it's evident that the villain who
murdered her took this route through
the woods. See how the ferns are crush
ed this way. Hurry, we've got a clew
now!"
The trail led them out of the woods
into the meadow that opened right into
the yard of Peter Groat. They were GO
ing round TO the back door to knock,
and ask if the inmates had seen a strang-
or lurking around the premises. when
Mr.. Brown CHANGED to look in at the win
dow.
A look of extreme CONSERVATION over
spread his ruddy face.
MY Godp he cried, ''see therer'
All turned and looked in at the win
dow. The room was unoccupied. The
clock licked cheerfuliy in ono corner
A cat was costly curled upon a chair
ion Nvrfs1 u U,,f
the table, in the center of the room, lay
two pairs of stockings, and near them,
half unrOlled, was dress pattern of Ii
lac calico.
'"That ealicom said Mr.. Brown. i'm
pressively, "that calico is the identical
piece 1 sold to Mrs. Curtis yesterday
afternoon. I should know it anywhere
It's peculiar, you see, bunch of lilacs
on purpule ground. 1t was all had.
Besides l should know the piece, be-
cause on one end there is about half
yard imperfectly printed, which has
holes in it, too. l remember / let Mrs.
Curtis have it cheaper, on that account.
Now, Peter Groat knows where the
murderer is, or-solemnly and slowly
he did the deed hlmself!'
The party of men went silently and
soberly to the back door, and here they
were Mortified in finding fresh evidence
Frau Groat was engaged in washing
blood-stained shirt!
They sternly asked her to whom it be-
lo1ged, but the woman, who could not
speak English well, could only look at
them in fright tened way. Her hus-
band now came in from the garden, and
him they sternly Intercepted. while
some of the more impetuous boldly ac-
cused him of the murder of the unfOr-
70 MrS Curfic HE fri Ui,fnuaH faaa
his confusion, his incoherent utterances,
his trembling denials, were only so
much against him. Besides, he knew
scarcely any more English than his wife,
and later, when calm, his story of the
traveller who had stopped at his house,
was received with disbelief and de-
rision. Poor, friendless. and stranger,
things looked very dark against him.
Weeks passed, his tIial came; he was
sentenced to be hanged.
Rev. Mr.. Marshall, rector of St. Johns
church, BrOokdale, village some two
| hundred miles distant from Haywood,
was in his study, one September morn
| ing, in the year 1878. He was suffering
| from an attack of influenza which he
had taken the night before, while on a
visit to a sick parishioner. Consequent
| ly, complying with his wife's request
| that he should do no studying or writing,
Mr.. Marshall was lazily stretched on the
| lounge in front of a CHEEKY fire. His
eight years old son, Tom, was in the
room, every now and then running up
| to his father with some request. At last
one was: papa, it's Saturday; how
shall I spend the day? Wish / had a
kite Do you know how to make one,
| papai'
III used to, Tom. don't know wheth-
er have forgotten or not. Give me the
newspaper on the table, please, and the
scissors. Then run out in the wood shed
and get me some of those sticks on the
i shelf, also a hammer and some small
nails. Stay, don't be in such hurry
ask Hannah to make little flour paste -
Tom hurried away, and while waiting
for him to return, his father glanced over
the columns of the newspaper he was
! cutting. It was one that his friend, Mr..
Brown, of Haywood, had sent him His
eyes CHANGED 10 fall on these words:
The German, Peter Groat, who muir
dered Mrs. Curtis, has been sentenced
| to be hung on the second Friday in next
month. Gfoat, though a stranger, was
supposed to be respectable man, and
such q crime. But the evidences of his
guilt are most conclusive The morning
after the murder, his wife was found
washing a bloody shirt, also knife
stained with blood was found hidden
near a wOodpile. Besides, goods belong
/ ing 20 the murdered woman, were found
in Greats house. The only thing mis-
sing is a curious old shuff-box, of some
black wood, quantity carved in the
shape of a toad. Her name, Hepsibah
Curtis, is engraved on the inside. But
Il 49, 49,
enough 10 hang him."
poor fell0wl'' murmured Mr. Mar
shall, as he laid down the paper ''II
makes one dread to read the news-ont
comes across 50 many horrors"
aPaDal papa! YOU needn't mind about