The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1886-08-12

was a stranger to tho neighborhoot
was ut homo on account of one o
his horses being lame. This horse
was turned into the old pasture to
rest, and two or three times during
the woek Gilbert went up to The
fold to see how the animal was do
ing. 1t was finally remembered
that he was there on the day of the
murder.
A boy ihirteen years old named
Robert Smith took decp interest
in The murder from tue outset.
While he said but little no was con
stantly thinking and planning. He
knew that the detectives were work
ing on the theory that two men
were en- gagged in the crime, because
the body had been lifted over The
fence. This was ou the theory that
the murder had bcen committed in
tue road. The boy took tho ground
that the killing had been doue in the
pasture, although he was careful to
say nothing. In this casa tho body
had beou dragged iUto tue bushes.
lie carefully inspected tho ground
aud found satisfactory evidence That
this was the fact. lie also discovs
cred stone weighing four or five
pounds, which he believed was the
weapon with which tho blow was
struck. Four or five rods away,
aft 81 careful search he found tho
spot where tho stone had been up
rooted from the ground. If ho was
right and he firmly believed ho was,
bow came tho drover in the pasture!
there wero no cattlo in there for in .
rpection, nor would ho leave the
road to make a short cut TO his
destination.
After dlys Of cogita,ing tho boy
suddeuly remembered that ono oI
the pumpmakor's horses was in the
pasture at the tiuo. Coull that
fact have drawn the drover into the
lot ! without in the least giving
away Ills clue, tho boy ascertained
that tho horse was removed from
tho pasture on the day Of the mur
der, entirely recovered from his
lameness, and that Gilbert was the
Que who went after him. |! was a
spirited ninpl, and the boy reason
ed that Gilbert had trouble in catch,
ing hin, and tho drover had gone
luto tho lot to render assistance. If
ihls reasoning was correct, Gilbert
was the murderer.
Robert was the son of q poor
farmer, aud he could work the case
no farthor-that is, he could not
fad out Gilberts antecedeuts nor
follow him about tho country TO
verify his suspicion. The case rest
ed here until the driver returned
after II trip laating four weeks The
boy at once became his shadow.
Not IL breath Of suspicion was at
t'chod to -ilbert except Ia the boy S
mind, he freely talked of the mur-
der, and if his expressed horror was
not genuine il was so well counter
feited as to deceive everybody. lie
arrived home on Friday night. On
saturday he was busy at tho pump
factory. Bright and early on Sun.
day morning tho boy was at the
pasture, hiadon in such position
that he could take in the whole field
lie had az idea that Gilbert would
visit the place, aud that he would
learn something new in tho case,
though he had no solid founlation
for this idea.
At 3 O'Clock in the afternoon Gill
bert appeared He had not entered
the field from the highway, but had
mode dstoIr across piece oI
woods. Near the centre of the lot
was half au aere of briar patch, with
several dead logs and old stumps
interspersed. The driver walked
aud acted like one who desired to
escape observation, and made
straight for this patch. He was
hidden from sight for about a quar-.
ter of an hour, and then he left the
field by tho route he had come
Robert was satisii ID that he had SO
cured further clue, but he did not
Investigate until Monday morning,
after the man had driven away with
his load,
Ha crossed and recrossed the
| 4 4 l. L..