The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-04-08

ringing, unti after few minutes, when
a female voice asked:
WHO is there?'
"a friend, madam" l said; cas- you
will discover when you open the door. y
81 shall not open it until | know who
you are, said the lady.
"Then it will be forced" replied,
and at the next moment the door was
unlocked, and Mrs. Crosby stood before
us.
81 have come, madam" l said, "for
Colonel Won Schroeder"
"Who is not here. and has not been
for a week." she replied.
"He is here,' L said; che entered at
this very door less than five minutes
ago | have more men with me on the
outside, and it is impossible for him to
escape us"
"Oh, heavens! has it come to this?'
she exclaimed; then approaching the
mouth-piece of a speaking-tube, she gave
quick, warning note.
"Your warning will be of no use,
madam" l said; and we rushed for
ward, somewhat at random, but by
good fortune went direct to the right
room, and demanded admittance. No
answer was returned, but the movement
of some one in the room was distinctly
heard.
"Open the door instantly said,
cor we will open it for you. We have
warrant for your arrest"
At that instant | heard a sound like
the clinking of glass, and at once threw
myself with all my might against the
door 1t yielded at the first stroke, and
| found myself confronting-not the
mysterious Dutchman for whom / was
looking, but Sheriff Crosby! standing
before me with bottle in one hand and
in the other tumbler, into which he
was about pouring some liquid.
1t is too late for that, STRIP l said,
das hing the bottle and tumbler to the
floor. At the next instant he made a
my revolver instantly arrested that at
tempt.
You cannot die by your own hand"
| said "nor shall you harm any one
else" And at the next moment the
irons were on the wrists of the wretched
man. On the bottle that had fallen |
read the words "Cyanide of POTASH
um," most deadly poison.
The appearance of the Sheriff, as he
stood before us so suddenly brought to
bay, was terrible to contemplate-the
most abject and hopeless despair We
took him at once to the courtroom, his
wretched wife following him with the
most dismal wailing, rs he left his house
for the last time.
After the first look of surprise and
CONSERVATION at finding the Sheriff him
self before him in irons, the Judge went
through the form of his commitment
without the least apparent emotion, anC
then as he saw the poor creature led on
to be locked in cell he sank back il
his chair with sigh of relief.
Now that the central knot had beer
struck, the whole mystery disappeared
almost at glance, and testimony
enough to have convicted the poor cul
prit hundred times was immediately
furnished Won Schraeder had been
myth, except in the fact that he haC
constituted the disguise under which
large part of that criminal work haC
been done. The Sheriff himself haC
been the leading spirit in not only dis
tributing immense quantities of counter
: felt money, but had also controlled anC
: directed the business of making it
/, The jewelry was of course mere blind
and yet he had, under the disguise o
{ the mysterious Dutchman, actually solC
large quantities of it, and at handsome
profit.
; "Ten years in prison, said the Judge
and then as he realized that the man wht
had once been his associate and friend
and the principal officer of his court
: was now to be the inmate of prise
ner's cell for term which could scarcel,
{ fail to run to the end of his life-fo
: he was nearly seventy years old-h
wiped the tears from his eyes, and said
: as the prisoner was led away:
9 ~ Y. Ledger