The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-07-22
miscellaneous.
The LaurieYilIe Mystery.

YES, it is too true, neighbor Harris. The
squire is gone. We must all come to ii, but
this is dreadful"
Murdered in cold blood, you say Brown ~
"Such are the appearances"
And no clue to The murderer? ?"
Not the slightest"
This fragment of conversation overheard
MS came up to where my neighbors Brown
and Harris were discussing the great local
sensation of the village where VIC lived
Brown and Harris were farmers, whose
lands were only separated from each other
by a small stream, not of sufficient importance
to dignity with the name of river.
Laurievillc was n small village and boosted
of one lawyer, from whom the place took
its name-Seymour Laurie. He was an old
white headed, stern-mannered gentleman
descended from the ancient Scottish heroes
He was an excellent lawyer, honest and re-
liable, and his advice was sought for by many
far away and near.
Squire Laurie had lost his wife but there
remained to him two daughters aed two sons;
all dutiful and well behaved save the younger
son, Alfred, who often made his old fathers
heart ache with his wild life and very reckless
habits. Some thought the squire had been
too strict with his boy, and others took
another view of the subject.
light, Mr.. Laurie, ST., was discovered in the
room which served as an Office study and
library, lying prone on the floor, with nu-
merous Commissions about his face, and his
| skull fractured as by some heavy blunt instru-
instrument.
was summoned at once, for though young
land it was many years after that that en-
tered my present position as police surgeon
i'll New York; / was in good practice in
that region but the old gentleman had long
ceased to require physicians skill when
arrived.
The family were in deep distress l said
what | could to comfort them and while wait
ing for the coroner to arrive, walked over
to the next house, which happened to be Mr.
Browns, and there heard the dialogue al
ready given.
Mr.. Brown was raking some hay from his
NOW for the cattle. | babe both gentlemen
good morning, and they returned the sauta-
ton.
This is sad event that calls you to the
farm this morning, DOCTOR" said Mr. Harris.
"Sad and mysterious" answered
at is truly and for one cannot see the
motive for the act" said Mr., Brown.
AS he uttered these words something heavy
fell from the rakeful of hay to the floor with a
dull, eaden sound. 1t startled us all, as little
things will at such times, and we fastened TO
ascertain what it possibly could be.
We were not less startled to find under
the fallen hay heavy triangular-shaped lump
of lead, such as is sometimes used on fishing
lines, but larger and heavier, covered with
red stains of human blood, to which there
chung long, white hairs.
at is the weapon with which the squire
was murderedp ' | exclaimed
"ImpossibleW gasped poor Brown, how
could it have been found on my hay?
Easily enough" replied; land the man
who used it may be hidden there also"
| seized pitchfork and ran up q ladder to
the top of the hay. Mr.. B. and Mr.. Harris
joined me there in an instant but after
thorough search in every nook and corner,
no trace of anything further could be found
The coroner come at last, and an examina-
ton was had, which resulted in nothing but
creating suspicion-a dark, dreadful sus-
picion-against the hayward son, Alfred.
| did not share in this belief which was
| becoming quite general for, although cir
stances pointed ominously to the young man,
it appeared to me he did not possess the de-
PRAYED nature attributed to him.
Finding the leaden weight was another
link in the testimony against the young man,
| for he had been seen with something of this
kind in his possession recently, attached to a
fishing line.
was riding from the darkened home of
my friend, slowly and sorrowfully, thinking
of his sudden fate, and the dark cloud of sus.
picion that lowered over his son, when my
horse stopped so suddenly that | was very
nearly thrown from my seat.
| "Hallo, doctor! In IA brown study, amt
YET"
1t was Hy Covcll, who spoke from near nv
| bnr ho laI rfe ;l,o
partition
lily was one of your ne'er do wells, whose
chief end appeared to be to smoke vile tobac-
co, and drink villainous alcoholic prepara-
tions, without regard TO their names. He
might be designated as chic ( lOafer of Laurie
vlle and in that character was ever at home
Hy lived kind of hermit's life all by him.
self, in an old cabin in the woods; that is,
when away from his favorite position, in a
warm corner of the Laurieville hotel bar
room.
"What is it, Hyp You quite startled me-
l did not see any one before me-" said.
"S'pose we didn't cause We wasn't lookin, u
replied my interviewer, with grim smile
"Well, what do you want, my man? You
haven't turned lily wayman, have your"
lily Covell laughed as though that was the
best joke of the season but he appeared dis.
turbed about something and uneasily chang.
ed his quid of tobacco from one cheek to the
other finally stammering out:
doctor, we can keep secret, / guess,
can't yer"
"Why, yes, If IL is a harmless one"
oval, / don't know so much about that
but there's a chap up in my cabin who is
hurt-purty bad, too, l reckon-but he won't
lhear of my calm anybody in to see him, and