The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-07-28

Il
mo considerable pain. !"
ZACH, too badl" said Frau Groat. II
have soothing lotion, which you may
put on before YOU 20 To bed"
| Thanks. Aud Ill 90 10 bed right
After I've had my supper. II you please,
for I'm very tired. Besides. / will hive
70 rise early In tho morning. No Tint 1
may take the first train.
The next morning tho whole family
was up III time TO SEQ their guest depart.
re partook with good nppctite Of Fran
Nroat's breakfast III hnm and eggs Ii,
listened quietly and with seeming rev.
ercncc TO his host ns he read 4 chapter
from tho old, black, German Bible, and
Then, just ~ he was ready to start, he
inquired what no should pay for his
board and lodging
"Oh, notings- notings! Yon are wei.
come TO the bed and the bite" said
Groat, heartily.
"You are very kind" said the
stranger, "but feel That ought 10 70
pay you In some why. See here
opening his sntchel-''if you will moi
LIT mo give money, prny do me the kind
ncsa OF accepting these little tokens ii
gratitude Here, Frau Groat, arc tw,
pair Of stockings TINT would just III yonl
busy feet, aud here. Gretchen, is n bran
new piece of calico, more than cnonsl
for dress. They are tho only things
did not sell, and | do not care to lug
them home again.
| The two women accepted his gifts
nth much pleasure, and, with mutual
OK .,rcssions Of good luck, the traveller
4 "a his kind entertainers parted I'll,
ormer wore blue checked shirt q
Peter iroats. He left his own behind
aim, telling Frau Great that she might
keep il in exchange for the one she had
given him. Al the strangers shirt was
IL excellent material, with linen bosom
and cuffs, the worthy dame thought she
Ind made . good bargain.
William Greyson, q farmer in tht
vicinity Of Haywood. missed one Of his
COWS that Friday night, aud early OH
the following morning set out 10 make
search for her. He hunted through Tho
meadow lands, followed the course Of tn.
creek quite way, and finally entered
the pine woods. When about half way
through, brown object lying on Che
grass little distance from him, attracted
his attention. He went 10 Il. II was I
large piece Of wrapping paper, and I
long bit Of twine was lying beside it.
The paper was damp with dew. and q,
Greyson carelessly turned Il over in hi,
hand, he observed some red spots on it.
He examined them more closely. They
were tho bloody prints Of ; thumb and
fingers.
He looked around him keenly. HI
soon noticed that the bank Of ferns Dor,
dering tho path, was in one place crushed
and broken. He followed these marks
and they led him to the most dense and
most unfrcqucnted part Of the woods,
and there. in hollow, almost covered
with underbrush, lay the body Of \
woman. II was Mrs. Curtis, lying stiil
and stark, with bloody gash across her
throat
Two hours later. party Of men was
hunting the leafy labyrinths Of tho pine
woods, They were endeavoring to find
the trail Of the murderer.
An hour passed.. and they had me,
with no success. Some Of them had
gathered together for the purpose o.
consultation. when suddenly a cry from
one 81 their companions, who was
little distance from them, attracted theil
attention.
.sSee what l have found" hc cried
holding up spool of thread. II VII,
dirty and dingy, aud wet with dew. In
Mr.. Brown, the merchant, who was Will
the party, recognized it Ut once, aai
said:
| "lt's ono of the epools poor Mrs. Cur
It's bought Of mo yesterday. It's pink
YOU see. She was real particular ahou,
the color she was plecing chair cnsh
ion, and wanted tho right Shade. Now
it's evident that the villain who murder
Ell her took this route through til,
woods. Sec how tho ferns are crnsh,,
this way. Hurry we've got oles
now"
The trail led them out Of the wood
into the meadow that opened right int,
the yard al Peter Gruat. They wer,
going round 10 tho hack door to knock
aud ask II tho inmates had seen
stranger lurking around the premises
when Mr.. Brown CHANGED to look in til,
window.
| A look Of extreme CONSERVATION over.
spread his ruddy face.
| "My Cod" he cried, .see therc,
II All turned and locked in at the win
dow. Tho n,am was nnoccnpicd. I'll,
lock licked chccrfully III one corner. 4
az was costly cnrlcd upon a ehair,cusl
on. pnrring contcntcaly. hut on th,
table, in the centre of the room, lay tM,
mirs 81 stockings, and near them. hal
mrolle,l, was n dr,ss.nattcrn III lilac cal
ico.
THAT calico" said Mr.. Brown, i'm
rressivclv. that calico il tho Identical
'icce sold Mrs. Curtis, yesterday af
,ernoon. should know il anywhere
It's peculiar. you see. bunch of whit,
llacs Oh a purple ground. II was all
nad. Besidea. shonld know the piece
because on one end there Ia about half
yard imperfectly printed. which ha
holes in Il. too. / remember let Mrs
. Curtis have il cheaper, on that account
Now, Peter Groat knows where the muir
dercr Is, or.-solcmnly aud slowly--h
did the deed himself"'
u The party Of men went silently IN,
soberly to the back door. and here the
were Mortified in finding fresh evidence
Frau Groat was engaged in washing
blood.stained shirt!
i They sternly asked her to whom IL be
longed. but the poor woman. who coul
not speak English. could only look .
,, them in frightened way. Her husban
now came in from the garden. and hil
. they sternly Intercepted. while some 1
the moro impctaous bodily accused hin
Of the murder Of the unfortunate Mr.,
Curtis. His frightened face. his co,
fusion, his incoherent ntteranccs, hi
. trembling denials were only 80 muc
against him. Besides. he knew scared
any more English than his wife. an
!, later. when calm. his story Of the travel,
. who had stopped at his house, was r
: ! ceived with disbelief and derision. Poo
friendless, and stranger, things locke
!. very dark against him.
!. Weeks passed, his trial came; he ",
sentenced 10 be hanged.