The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-03-26

| JIG WlnuOW ana rOOl OF the Feran-
dab.
Evidences of footsteps were found
and the vines which covered the
verandah were torn away from the
pillars, showing sthat the entrance
to the chanb Der was effected in this
way.
kilograms were sent out in every
direction, and guards from govern
ment headquarters stationed at eve
ry place of egress around the island.
Large rewards were offered both by
the general and Ricardo, who, after
their first grief was over, and the
dear one had beenslaid to rest by
the side of her mother, devoted
their entire time to the search for
the criminal.
Weary days and nights were spent
in the attempt, but nothing could
be heard Of him. Long evenings
were passed in making arrangements
for different plan of operation on
each subsequent day. On these
occasions no other subject was dis
cussed but the dreadful tragedy,
Ricardo dwelling upon the last
evening of her life, her lovely APP
pearance at the ball, the admiration
she excited-Of which he was SO
proud-her promise to take horse
back ride with him the next morn
ing-all these in anything save
this one object in life.
Days, weeks, and months rolled
round, the anniversary day of the
sad event arrived The general
passed the whole day in Louise's
room, which remained just as she
had left it. Not an article had
changed position or been touched,
except to be busted. The book
she had been reading was open at
the same page and turned down on
the table. The little vase of cut
flowers under her mothers Sportrait
was still there, the flowers dead and
crumbling to ashes. The pictures
of her father and Ricardo on either
side of her dressing case, little
bundle of notes, tied with blue rib
bon and marked Ricardo" and the
longest, which she had carried the
night of the ball was crisp and
crumb bling upon her dressing table,
where she had thrown it on her re-
turn home. Her father examined
everything, looked at every picture.
and taking down little miniature
of hers done on ivory, which hung
upon jeweled easel, he kissed it,
and said, Darling, it will not be
long before we will meet again"
AS he replaced it, Ricardo knock
ed OF the door and was admitted.
He was in a high state of excite
ment, and held newspaper in his
hand.
General" said he, 81 have rea-
son to believe that the negro
who is to be hung in St. Augustine
next week for numbering almost an
entire family, besides committing
other outrages, is the criminal for
whom we have been searching an
entire year. The description cor
responds exactly to that Of Hercu
les. Listen to it:
The negro who is to pay the
penalty of death next is a powerful
" built fellow, as black as ebony,
Immensely tall, and large in proper
ton. He has lost the thumb of his
left hand"
"That must be Hercules,
Ricardo" said the general trem-
bling with excitement. ''Start at
once for st. Augustine-don't lose
a minute-and if the law fails to
mete out upon his deserts, remem-
Der your oath, Ricardo; remember
my besutiful child; remember her
broken hearted father!'
He sank down upon the couch
and sobbed as if his heart would
break.
Ricardo raised the little ivory
miniature to his lips, replaced it
upon the easel, and then, taking
the generals hand, renewed his
oath, and FASTENED from the room.
He arrived in St. Augustine on
the day set apart for the execution.
The prisoner had just assembled the
platform, his arms piniOned, and he
was asked if he had any confession
to make.
Ricardo recognized him IN an in
slant, and with the bound Of a tiger
he reached the platform, and before
the astonished crowd could prevent,
he had mounted it and was stand
ing face to face with the huge ne
gro. Pulling the long knife from
his breast pocket, and holding it
close to the prisoners face, he said,
civilian, do you recognize thlsT
The surly look of the criminal
changed to one of utter terror. He
crouched before his adversary and
he could not utter q word.
Speak" said Ricardo, clutchlng
him by the throat, while the guards
stood aghast. "Speak or Ill tear
the words from your mouth. Tell
the world the foul deed you com
mitted."
The officers here interfered, and
LAYING their hands on Ricardo, said,
"Calm yourself, and perhaps the
prisoner will confess his guilt"
Ricardo, with some dlIlculGy, was
restrained, and the negro seeing
his determination and his own per
| il, and with no hope of mercy in the
future. made full confession.
He said that revenge for his i'm
prisonment had caused him to per-
petrate the awful crime. He knew
that to aim directly at his masters
idolized child was the surest way
of wreaking vengeance on him, and
so he did it. He told how crept
through the window, after
crawling up the post of the veran-
dab; how he placed the serpent be-
meath the bed clothing, and went
armed with knife, determining if
she awakened to kill her.
AS he finished this horrible reci-
tai, Ricardo broke away from the
officer, raised the long blade in the
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