The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-09

thought nothing about them at the tinoa.
could not say even if the two we're man
or women (; thought they had aligbted
on the way, and that the gentleman in
the coach was one of those who started
first at Woodley. When about two
miles on the other side of Winfield Hol-
low he heard what seemed to him to be-
a violent dispute going on inside the
coach He stopPed the horses and went
to the door. Only two passengers were
then lnslce-one young man with dark
eyes and chestnut hair, and the other he
could swear was the murdered man.
They seemed to be in high dispute but
when they saw him, and knew that their
alteration had stopped the coach, the
murdered mamie was certain he could
swear 1T was the murdered man-put
his head out of the window. and said
What do you want? My friend and
l had a few harsh words, and what is
that to you?"
When he heard this he remounted the
box About five minutes lataH oszs-Aof
the He..siemeti stopped hum to get ont
seeming to be much agitated, which he
supposed to be on account OF the dis
pute. He did not notice at the time
which gentleman left, but could certain
ly swear that it was the murdered man
who had spoken to hlm from the win
dow, and who appeared TO be the prin-
clpal In the dispute. A few minutes after
the unknown gentleman left the muir
dered man the accident occurred which
prevented the goodman from any very
close remembrance of particular in
cidents.
Rush, the stage coachman, appeared
to be much troubled during his exam
nation by the police, which was very
natural, as he had good reason to know
that he would be greatly blamed, and
would probably in the end be dismissed
for carelessness. 1t is no pleasant thing
to drive a coach. and to have people
murdered in it. He was, however, much
relieved when he found that his conduct,
on account of the excitement occasioned
oy the accident, was not considered to
De very culpable, and that he was only
bound over to attend and give evidence
at the inquest, which he was very willing
to do.
The inquest was held in due course.
Mr.. Prltchard, the Coroner, being an
active, sensible man, nothing was left
undone which might subserve the ends
of justice. Several people we're called
as witnesses, but only three gave evi-
dence of any consequence. The first
was the clerk at the office where the
coach started. He gave the names of
the passengers booked, but could not
identify the murdered man.
The next was the coachman, John |
Rush, whose tale was much as has been
already told.
The most important point in his evi-
dence was that he affirmed that the muir
dered man spoke little huskily through |
his nose, and had way of hsping out |
his words so that, even in the midst of |
the fight, he could hardly help laughing |
at him.
All this evidence he gave in a clear, |
straightforward manner, such as, it was
thought, proved him beyond doubt
to have no completely IN the foul deed.
The third witness was the porter who
the dead body; and after
these were one or two others who were
present at the time, including the med
ical man who examined the corpse.
The Coroner summed up with great
ability, and the jury, without moments
returned verdict OF will
full murder against some person or per-
sons unknown.
The next day the body Of the muir
ucI CO WIS dLQ buC pOAtSC IL |
newed their search. but everybody saw
that, after little popular indignation,
and little fuss on the part of the news
papers, the tragedy of the Bellair stage
would probably become one of those
mysteries which wait for elucidation
md punishment until the day of doom.
Strange to say, however, the perpetrator
1f the crime was discovered, and con-
koI and tho
means which he adopted to hide the |
being brought to light, as 1 shall now
briefly explain.
The town of Bellair was about forty |
Dr. fifty miles from Woodley, and the |
stage ran between the two places. A
lew miles from WOodley was another
small town called Oakbourne, and IN |
Oakbourne lived a widow lady, named
Conway, and her daughter.
Mrs. Conway had a brother who was
deaf and dumb. His name was Thomas
His affiiction, as might be
was a source of great trial to
his family, and had his parents been
poor it would have made his course IN
life much harder than it really was; but
his father, old Mr.. Ellwood, had but two
children, the eldest a girl-who married
while young a certain Mr.. Conway-and
Thomas, of whom am about to speak.
After Jane Ellwood became Mrs. Con-
way she saw very little of her own fam
ily. for her mother was already dead, and
in less than a year after her wedding day
she lost her father, and now her only
surviving relative was her brother
Thomas.
To Thomes Ellwood his father left
almost all that he possessed, saying that
his daughter, being married, wanted lit
tie. and that poor Tom could do nothing
for himself. "Poor Tom," however, at
the time of our story, was no longer q
boy, for he had nearly reached his 40th
year. but he had never married. His
SISTER, Mrs. Conway, was older than
himself, and had an only child, daugh-
ter, now about IL years of age, called,
after her mother. Jane.
Jane had great expectations, for not
only was her widowed mother well-to-
do in the world, but her uncle, Thomas
Ellwood, had declared that as he was,
on account of his infrmlty, likely to |
spend hisdays in bachelorhood. he would
leave all his property to her. Jane had,
moreover, lover, a right good young |
man, to whom her mother had prom /
ised that she should in due time be |
united, which meant whenever Uncle
Ellwood found opportunity. as he had
promised, to settle a certain large sum |
upon her. But Uncle Ellwood had |
hitherto neglected doing so, chiefly on
account of an innate dislike which he |
had to doing business with lawyers.
But time and love would allow of no
longer delay. Uncle Tom had promised |
his sister and niece thathewould arrange
about the property early In the month |
of August, which had already begun: 1
but when, two days after, he called at
Mrs. Conway's house, he allowed that
he had totally forgotten all about it.
This confession was, of course, all made
by dumb show, as from his birth he