The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-08-06

to be very deaf as soon as they got in, not
replying to any of their questions. | as
sumed the tone and voice generally used by
the deaf and held my hand to my ear and
moved over and expressed my regrets if l
had offended them, saying l could not even
hear the rumble of the coach.
"Goodn' exclaimed one of the men, as l
sat down at the other end of the vehicle.
"Now you can 90 ON with your yarn"
Before proceeding the other one called me
an old fool, thief. robber and various
other things, closely watching my counte-
nance to see if could hear his words.
"The old smooth-bore is as deaf as
stone," he remarked, having satisfied him.
self as to my deafness, and then he went on
with a narrative which had been interrupt
ed
soon ascertained that they were on their
way to Penfield to rob a merchant. They
had everything arranged to commit the
crime the next night, and the one who had
''put up" the plan gave all the details as to
how the robbery was to be committed,
where they would "run" to-, and gave
guess as to each ones shares.
'.What about Luke?" inquired the other
after the plot had been discussed.
"Oh, Luke will be there on time" replied
the man. 'He has kept deyilish shady
since that business at l. -, but now wants
w AAdhC IL uoul ohu uio oue Aoh ohS Aoh VSSV.
You needn't fret-we can depend on him."
Before we got into the village the men
tried me again, but / could not hear except
when they shouted in my ear, and they were
sure that the conversation had been strictly
private.
When they put up at the hotel, went to
| the house of deputy sheriff, intending to
remain concealed all the next day. l had,
of course, to state my businets to the officer
T +, eoid = hn ci, 40
! ton that he was, related the whole story to
| his wife after they had retired. Thus it
| naturally came about that next day, while I
was lying shady, but planning how to cap
ture the burglars, the woman was retailing
my plans to the neighbors. When night
| came there were six of us ready to pounce
| upon the criminals, but there were no Grim
| inals to be found The fellows had got
| wind of the affair and were out, and I had
| lost the second only reliable clue to the Ar
| mold murder which I had been ever able to
find. Some time after this, while in the
city of Rochester, caught sight of hand
resting on the window sill of horse cara
large, red hand. The hand was nothing.
| strange, but the thumb was missing.
| did not waitan instant to think. leaped
| from the car, entered the other, and there
sat my friends of the stage coach on either
| side of the owner of the hand-"a big man
with red hair and whiskers." They all
| jumped up as 1 entered, but l hung fast to-
Luke, and soon had the bracelets on him, al
| lowing the others to get away. He had no
idea who was, and took care not to hint
at the charge against him until had him
back to L.
| My arrival created much excitement, as
| the pursuit of the murderer had from the
first been deemed hopeless. Many contend
! ed that had not secured the right man,
| and Luke professed never to have been in
| that part of the State before. The child was
several miles away from the village, but
| sent for him. 1t had been year since the
| murder. Little Jack had almost forgotten
the circumstances, and, of course, the MUIR
| derer had changed some but had strong
| hopes that the child would be able to identi-
| fly the man, and was not disappointed.
Waiting until evening conducted Jack
| into a room where Luke and dozen citi-
zens were sitting. The little fellow had no
knowledge of what we intended, and for
some time did not see the murderer. When
| he did he uttered shrek, ran to me and
| exclaimed:
"There's the big man who hit grandpa
and grandma
| Luke braved it out to the last; even when
the purchaser of the watch testified to his
| identity he kept bold face, and went to
| some pains to attempt to prove an alibi, but
when convicted, mainly on the testimony of
| Little Jack, who shivered and trembled at
the sight of the man, the prisoner knew that
he was done for, and cried out in anger:
"Well, am the man. saw the boys
| eyes looking at me after had finished the
old 'uns, but had done enough, and could
not kill him, curse the brat! l now regret
nothing except that did not split his head
openw
And standing on the gallows, about to be
| launched into eternity. the man used his
last moment to curse the child witness who
had convicted him of the awful crime