Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-04-01

to place, until finally wound up on
a little claim on the Salmon river,
just over the Trinity mountain from
eavervllle, and that is where this
thing occurred. The miners were
scattered along the fork pretty near
ly all the way from the forks to Saw
yer's bar, and it wasn't a very diff
cult thing to get a crowd together in
case the vigilants had work on hand.
The signal for summoning the boys
on such occasion, was a peculiar
whistle, and no matter what they
were doing, just let that whistle be
heard and the prospect of hanging a
sluice robber or a cut throat was
generally sufficient attraction to
cause them to drop work and report
at headquarters. Sluice robbers were
pretty plenty in that locality, and
the whistle was heard with consid-
cradle frequency.
A MYSTERIOUS MURDER.
One evening along in spring, it
was just growing dark and the min
ers We're just quitting work for the
day, when the sound of the whistle
was heard. We all listened and To-
Gated the place from whence the
sound came. Other whistles took it
up, and the signal was echoed from
hill to hill, apprising the boys of the
fact that there was work on hand.
1t didn't take long | tell you, for a
crowd of two or three hundred min
ers to gather at the cabin where the
whistle was sounded, and great was
their surprise on learning that Nose
Rodacker, miner, had been found
murdered in his cabin. There he lay,
beside the Fireplace lat which he had
evidently been preparing supper.
His eyes were wide open and staring
with CHASTITY glare that was appal-
ling. A knife was sticking in his
breast, buried to the hilt, which was
convincing proof that he had been
murdered. There was decided air
of mystery about the whole affair.
Rodacker had lived alone, and had
neither friends or enemies, so far as
any of US knew, and the result of his
days work, a painful of washings, Jay
before him untouched. Evidently he
had not been murdered for his mon
ey, and there was no apparent expla.
nation of the crime. But the boys
got their heads together, and two or
three of us remembered having seen
a stranger in the neighborhood two
or three times during the day, and
suspicion naturally enough rested on
him. Several miners instituted a
search for the stranger, and an hour
later brought him into camp.
THE STRANGER TRIAL
"He was nice looking young fell
low, apparently not over twenty
years old, with face as smooth as
a baby's, and little delicate hands
that showed pretty conclusiyely that
he was no miner, used to handling
a pick and shovel. He was dressed
in ordinary rough clothes, wearing a
miners blue flannel shirt. AS soon
as he was brought in he was accus-
ed OF the murder, and placed on the
stand, for trial, before the commit
tee. He was pretty roughly handled
by the men, and / noticed that he
WINGED considerably as they showed
him from place to place, and finally
bumbed him down on two logs
between to big fellows who held his
arms. The fellow made no effort to
get away, and had no more strength
than boy, but that made no differ
ence to the men. They handled
him roughly just the same. Blood
stains were found on his clothes and
the sheath in his belt was empty.
That was enough to convict preach-
er before that kind of jury, and it
didn't take them long to bring in a
verdict.
Here the speaker paused and relit
his pipe, sending cloud of smoke
above his head.
"What was the verdict asked one
of his hearers.
"What was it ? Same old thing.
Never was bnt one verdict returned
by the vigilants, no matter what the
crime of which the prisoner was &C