Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-08-12


saw plainly that ClereZ was not go
ing to take his rebuff very easy, and
that he was not inclined to relax
in his attentions, but these | gave
him little chance to pay, by manag-
ing to be always on hand myself to
pay attention and make love to my
own wife; and | must say that she
always received it with gratitude, II
nothing else. Three weeks after my
overhearing that conversation by
the speaking tube | had gone out
alone one evening to dinner party,
leaving my wife at home, for she
never went out in the evening with
out me. did not get home until
late, and had just opened the street
door with my night. key, when | was
attacked from behind by two ruff
ans, one of whom | knocked from the
step, and the other | seized bodily,
and Notwithstanding his noise and
threats, dragged him into the hall.
OF course this aroused the house,
and in a few minutes the servants
were all up. They found me with
the rufian pinned to the floor hold
ing revolver to his head, which re.
yolver | had snatched from his hand
and threatening him with instant
death if he dared to stir. To the
suggestion of the servants that they
should call in the police, | said:
"Wait don't one of you dare to give
any alarm until | bid you," then,
with the assistance of John, my
nd or nj N
we bound the fellow and led him
into this room In the meantime
my wife made her appearance and
trembled with fear as John searched
the man and drew from his breast a
huge knife; but when, after the first
excitement was little over, my
clothes were examined and two big
slashes were found in them, either
of which, had they reached tenth
part of an inch deeper, would have
sent me to kingdom come, Clara
gave way to flood of tears, and for
the first time in our acquaintance
displayed genuine affection for me.
Now then the question was what
to do with our prisoner. The servants
all clamored for the police aud in
slant hanging. | forbade it, and
undertook to question the man my
self. He answered sulkily in gen.
eral terms, and then, turning to the
gaping servants, told me TO send
them away and he would confess
everything. This he insisted upon,
even to John, and my looking out
in the hall to see that no one was
eayesdropping. Then he said: 81
was hired to kill YOU" "Hired to
kill him - gasped Clara. Whom
by T. r,. ;,
"Great heaven ! OttiweIl!" half
whispered George Barrett. II can
not believe it. The scoundrel must
have lied"
"Stop Stop George. l am not
through yet. The man went on and
in full confession told how he had
been hired by Clerez to assassinate
me, and how, after having done so,
he was to take my watch and mon
ely, that the affair might seem to
have been done for that alone. My
wife listened to it all in horror, and
when it was over, threw herself into
my arms in a flood of tears, and
thanked God for my escape. What
was to be done with the prisoner ?
If we handed him over to the police.
the whole affair would have to come
to light, and be standing scandal
and story forever There was no
help for it but to let the fellow go
free, and let the affair hush itself
up, and acting upon this, | united
the man and personally ushered him
out in the street, receiving his warm
thanks, to the deep amazement OF
| the servants, who looked upon such
leniency as nothing less than my
being an accomplish. To them |
gave no explanation, but simply said
| that any mention outside, of the Oc-
| currence of the night, would be fol-
lowed up by instant dismissal. The
| warming was efficaciOus, and not
even the reporters got an inkling.
That night my wife made full con
| fession, uttering her horror and de-
testation of ClereZ, and declaring
her intention never to look at him
much less to speak to him, and de-
| SlgNdllIS MN do bliO blRChCSV VI
villains, who would have assassina-
ted his friend to have gained posses
sion of his wife. 1t is needless to
say that from that night my wife
and have been lovers, and our two
pretty children are the bail bonds of
the affection"
"Sim, this is perfectly HORRIBLE"
exclaimed Barrett, taking a great
gulp of claret. 81 can imagine Mr..
Pierre Clerez thus when he first came
to this country with his loose French
morals, which have since been toned
down by his American wife, and
associations, but | cannot under
stand the assassination story.
81 haven't done yet, George.
There's more of it. Now, | should
suppose that a man Of the world like
yourself, would see through this
| whole thing at glance ? Mol Very
| 81 fhn VrlnpI tla