The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-07-17
A WEDDING MURDER.
Why a Toast to the Bride Was
Cut Short by Death.

The first time | visited Midhampton was
in pursuit of a young fellow who had en-
bezzled a few hundred pounds. traced
him to the barracks, where, having spent
all his money he had enlisted. Havin q
taken the shilling before noon, he went to
enjoy himself in the great manufacturing
town till the evening, when he was in
structed to return to sleep. preparatory to
going before the doctor early next morn
ing and being attested before the magis-
trate 1t was nasty, cold night when l
returned to the military quarters, and |
was not little pleased to find the sergeant
who accompanied me an intelligent and
superior man. The street in front of the
barracks was a wide thoroughfare, well lit
up by the shops and public houses on the
opposite side. Being quite mile from the
town, black gap seemed to lie between
them and it. Three miles further on is the
smaller community of Hilston, and the
sergeant explained to me that the road
way formed something like an irregular
seni-circle, so that actually the distance,
as the crow flies, was less than four miles
1.-THE fact is" he continued, there is
pathway across the moor which is quite
mile shorter, and foot-passengerS in the
daytime mostly use that way. 1t starts
from the bottom end of High street. and the
soldiers at tattoo mostly return that way,
although some of them come to rare grief
when bit 'top-heavy,' for the waste
ground is full of ruts and holes, and in the
winter time. particularly, big pools are
formed IN which more than one warrior
has closed an inglorious career. It's dis
NAL spot, and the mere sight of it gives me
the 'blues.'n
There's sentry on the back gate, then,
supposed" l said.
There's a sentry on the gate leading to
fl,A hal r,,ffl
there another gate leading into the barrack
square, but that is closed at tattoo, so that
men who are late must pass the main
guard / expect that will be closed earlier
tonight" continued the sergeant ''for
there are great 'goings on among the Of
ficers.n
Indeed I said
yes" continued my informant 81
don't suppose the old building has ever
witnessed such a scene before. The Adiu-
tant of the Third Battalion of the Mid
championships regiment-that is the militia
was married this morning to the Colonel's
niece, and as it is the last day of the annual
training, the wedding breakfast is made a
general guest-night and the fair sex are of
course very well represented"
There is no regular regiment here,
thenF' | remarked
mo; only the depot of the First Battal-
ion, at present at the Cape"
After q short delay | cried:
''Since it is not yet tattoo our man could
manage to get in by the back gate.n
II don't think it is at all likely ;" returned
my companion, ''unless, indeed, he made
the acquaintance of some of the other
men. We may, however have walk
round. In the meantime I'll just ask the
corporal to detain the youth in tho guard
room, should he turn up in our absence"
Having done so, we walked leisurely
along the front wall in the direction of the
town. and then turned up alongside the
higher one running at right angles, within
a few feet of which the dwellings were
built. The chill rain was drizzling in our
faces, and both with one accord raised the
collars of our overcOats. At the same in
slant, and before we had left the highway
twelve PAGES, we heard something that
caused the sergeant to cry:
"Halloan
'Whats thatl" Exclaimed.
cts shot" he returned.
"There's no practice going on inside just
now" proceeded.
mot at this hour" he replied. "There
must be something wrong The sound
seemed TO come from behind us-the main
entrance, in fact. Two years ago a SER
geant, who expected being broken for
drunkenness, shot himself in the guard
room. | hope it isn't such another case"
Lets see" | cried, and | set off running
in the direction we had come, followed by
the heavier and more deliberate man in
uniform.
When we got to the main gate one of the
servants had just arrived from the mess,
GREATNESS from running and white with
horror.
"rhe Colonel orders the large gate to be
shut, policeman sent for, and every man