The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-01-20
southwark toward the dreaded tim

your 8oou nature, Out III you III eeii
me a half hundred box OF the samt
I'll invite you to take one with me.
This was sociable, this was friend
ly, and above all. this was business
So stopping my horses l unlocked q
box beneath my seat and produced
and handed him a box OF cigars
with the stamp intact-for my con-
traband goods were of an inferior
quality.
Taking a knife from his pocket the
peddler opened the box and handed
me a cigar, taking one himself
These were lighted at the same
match, after which | again drove
forward.
| had not been smoking half q
minute, when l noticed peculiar
flavor to the cigar, and l knew al
once that ii was not Of the brand
had just sold the peddier.
That instant | Was on the alert
the place-we were now lii the tim
berthe stranger beside Que, the
murders, all passed across my mlnd
l did not, however, lose my selt pos
session, but, removing my cigar from
my mouth, | gave my attention foI
u moment TO guiding my horses
In the meantime lccnsldered that
a cigar might be used TO drug, VI
even poison, the smoker. had read
of such cases, aud | was firm III my
resolution To smoEe no more vi the
one l held between my fingers.
But how avoid it? Ii the peddler
were indeed, as | fully believed, a
murderer, 1t would not do To let him
know l suspected hun he might
have accompIIces ut had. glanced
at his face, lac was smoking quietly.
1t was evident that his cigar was no,
drugged or poisoned. My resolution
was taken III an Instant. l would
smoke his cigar.
MY cigar has gone out, please
give me light / said, moment
later.
Certainly" responed the little
man, tapping his cigar with his I'm
ger To Remove the gray ashes from
Its end, and handing Il to me; that
will do the business, / guess.
| lighted my cigar and handed ii
TO my companion, retaining the one
l bad received from him. He evil
dently did not notice the exchange,
for he went on smoking and talking
about the murders.
Suddenly | heard a faint explo-
sion not louder than that of an or-
dinary percussion cap, and looking
at my companion saw the cigar he
had been smoking disappear over
the side of the wagon. The peddler
himself reeled to and fro in his seat
for few seconds, and then fell for
ward heavily upon the dashboard.
l FASTENED to stop the horses and
lift the inanimate form to the seat,
but a glance at the pallid lips and
staring eyes told me that life was ex-
tinct.
| aiighted and secured the cigar
that had fallen to the ground and
with the corpse of the little man on
the top of my wagon, and my hands
shaking so that | could barely con-
troll my team, drove rapidly back to
the tavern | had SO recently left.
My appearance with the dead
body caused a great commotion, and
saw at once that | was suspected
Of having murdered the peddler, but
suspicion vanished when | told my
story, and | became the lion of the
day.
The coroner was notified and held
an inquest next DAY, at which | was
he principal witness. The cigar
which the peddler was smoking at
he time of his death was found TO
a small copper tube closed
1T one end. This tube had evidently
been partly filled with some sort of
Eliminating powder so arranged as
% explode when the cigar had burn
I'd little way. and send a small
needle with considerable force into
he mouth of the smoker. Such a
1eedle was found imbedded in the
-oof of the peddler's mouth, and be-
ng charged With subtle poison had
,aused his almost instant death.
The corpse was identified as that
# farmer named Winters. living
i've miles to the eastward. He bad
,ften been absent from home for a
lay or two, but bore an excellent
in the neighborbood
| accompanied the coroner and
be jury to the Winters farm. In a
aree granary was found consider
lble amount of merchandise, cloth
ng and other property, stolen from
murdered travellers. more than
lozen cigars containing copper tubes
md murderous needles, and large
lumber of disguises of a size to bit
he false peddler.
1t being patent that the dead man
vas responsible for the murders OF
he timber belt. the treasurer of the
.ountv. who was present at the in
luest, notified me that the thousand
Iollars offered as reward was sub
ect to my order.
And the county," added the cor
ner, will ever remain under obi
ations to a man who, by his shrewd-
less and nerve. relieved her of
eign of terror"
| thanked the gentlemen. and
the box of cigars / had
old the false peddler, and for which
lie had not lived to pay, l distribut-
d the forty-eight which remained
o those present, with the remark
I'm sure you will like them. gem
lemen they are my favorite cigar,
nd think you will all admit that
know a good one, since Fve just
aved my life by being a good Judge !
f the weed. ~ Chicago Ledger.
A Kansas farmer-editor tells about |