The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-08
and sounds after having wrought me such ire

and sound; after having wrought me such ire
mediable woe.
Oh, that breakfast! Shall I ever forget it
How did live through ita Through it and the
moments that followed it, ard the leave taking2
At the latter do not think that said anything;
My tongue clave to the roof of my mouth. l had
just sense left to give her my hand stupidity, and
to notice the look of scarcely subdued Joy and
relief on her face at seeing the last of me.
She sent me in her Carriage as far as Salcote,
which thought she looked upon as the surest
method OF being rid of me. At Sacote got
into my own brougham, and returned home a
sacder, If not wiser. woman. Reader, will you
despse me very much if / tell you that cried
the whole way; and that on reaching my own
freside gathered my children about me. and
made clear breast OF my folly to them. They
took my confession Enthusiastically.
Alice said that if l had taken her advice
should have been spared great annoyance.
Ruth said that all dreams were nonsense; and
reverted to her own puerile one; which even at
that momentof humiliation I felt wounded at
having paralleled with mine
And Sue, dear Sue, held both my hands fast
in hers, and said she should have done precisely
the same in my case.
But refused to be comforted the more so as
it turned out that the most valuable of the car
rage horses had caught in the cold White Hart
stables an influenza which was rapidly develop
ing into Inflammation of the lungs But even
without that final straw had sunk hopelessy
in my own esteem.
POSTSCRIPT.
Just year later, the public was shocked by
the account OF murder, which, in its circum
stances, exceeded the measure of brutality usu-
ally connected with such crimes
1t was the murder of lonely old maiden lady
by her butler-a butler to whom as it appeared,
she had been in the habit of showing exceptional
kindness.
read the account with about the same degree
Shud09rlnp t paiO h
bors; but without any feeling of personal char
acter, until it transpired. in the course of the
evidence, that the murderer's name was Harris
"a name by which had once, and once only,
heard Mrs Smith, of Longmain's, address her
butler.
dismissed the thought at once as far as was
able Had not had enough of giving the reins
to my imagination? Was not Harris an extreme
~ common name? Almost as common as Smith.
But when the trial came on, which, as the crime
had been committed shortly before the Assizes,
it did very soon after the committal to prison,
L. perhaps, unknown almost to myself followed
1t with "a keener interest than, but for this tri-
fling circumstance should have done.
The trial was a short Gone, the evidence over
whelming; the man found guilty, condemned and
executed, withoutany sentilnentalist being found
to petition the Home Secretary in his favor
On the evening before his execution he made
to the gaol chaplain full confession of his
crime; and not only of that one which brought
him to the gallows. but of previous one, which
he had been prevented from carrying beyond the
stage of intention by curious accident. What
that curious accident was you shall hear, and
judge of my feelings on reading the following ex-
tract from the murderers confessions
I'm January of last year l was living in the
service of Mr.. Smith, of Longmains. l was at
very low water at the time-over head and ears
In debt and did not know where to turn for
money, which wanted desperately and felt that
must obtain by fair means or foul. My chief
lnducement for entering Mr.. Smiths service had
been that had accidentally heard that he was
In the habit of keeping considerable sums of
money in the house for the purpose of paying
the weekly wages of the workmen employed
upon some extensive drainage works which he
had undertaken
II thought, on reaching Longmains, that had
never seen house better adapted to my pur-
pose. 1t was as lonely a spot as l have ever
seen; the stables at unusual distance from
the hall, and no dwellngho within less than
quarter of a mile. The establishment consist
ed, as to men, of myself and one footman; but
about week after my arrival the footman fell
i'll, and had to be sent home
II had not yet matured my plans though
had ascertained that Mr.. Smith kept his money
in strong box in his business room, and that. in
the case of his absence, Mrs. Smith had charge of
the key, whefs one morning my master was I'M
expectedlv summoned from home, leaving me
alone with my mistress and the female servants
in the house.
"Such an opportunity, which, very probably,
might not soon occur again, was, l felt not to
be lost. Mrs. Smiths habits were such as to
favor my project. She usually sat in her
boudoir. situated in rather isolated part of the
house, until late at night. 1 made up my mind
to wait until the rest of the household had re-
tired, and then to go to Mrs. Smiths boudoir on
the pretext of taking Goals for the fire. obtain
from her the key of the strong box, by fair
means if possible; but if she resisted-and she
was resolute woman had determined to shoot
her through the head, having provided myself
with revolver for the purpose; furnish myself
with as much money as 1 could get hold of. and
and make tracks for America. was prevented
from carrying out this intention by a very I'M
looked for accident.
Late in the afternoon--the aftt rnoon of that
day-the weather was extremely bad, showing
hard, with high wind, and bitter coda lady
arrived in fly to to call on my mistress.
could see that my mistress was greatly surprised
when l took in the lady's card; for as far as
could make out, she was very slightly acquainted
with her, and lived matter of twenty miles off
Il have never to this day made out why she
came We all thought she was off her head and
l believe she was. Ny mistress certainly thought
so, all the more when she asked leave to stay the
night. [ could see that my mistress was very
much annoyed, and rather alarmed: but as the
lady would not go, there was no help for it; stay
she must.
81 was good deal upset at first as was
afraid her being there would knock my plan on
the head. but afterwards l comforted myself
with the thought that she would be sure to go
to bed early, tired with her long drive, and
should find Mrs. Smith alone in her boudoir
II lit their bedroom candles in the drawing
room at 10, and then went off to wait. | would
not risk it till II. By that time everyone would
be sure to be in bed and asleep. I thought
never had known time to 60 so slowly, but at
last the clock pointed to five minutes to r. 1
put my revolver in my pocket took up the coal
box went upstairs, and knocked Mrs. Smiths
voice said, Come in,' and / opened the door
What was my horror to find the strange lady
still sitting there with my mistressl The sight
of her took me aback that did not know
whether to come in or not, and as I was hest
tating Mrs Smith said, we do not want any
more Goals You may 60 to bed. Harris or
something like that. And all the while the
strange lady was staring at me so oddly, as
white as ghost, that began to think she must
have somehow found out what was after. Her
being there and her looking at me like that alto