The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1888-01-05

SAYING thai aa old couple hfing eeeat
three miles away. had been found 10 their
house silh their heads chopped 10 pieces
With an axe Ths, Was the crime Of which
shori Was guilty ana for which be was
tried, When be knew tha, be was ia ior
Il he tnrned boaster. aud felt himself a
hero. He was delighted 10 eiyc me all
the particulars He said;
" lived with uaeie and Auu, Desbro
until vas Of age. Indeej, ! was as an
adopted son. both my own parents being
dead. came into the city niue years ago
~ dry goods clerk After time got
10 with some bad fellows lost my place
and went to the dogs. For The last three
years I.hsve been gambler, boxer, and
confidence man. Uncie went back on me
good while ago, refusing TO give me a
dollar. He had in his hands money
which hopestly belonged 10 me, Ior | bad
worked for him for thirteen years. ! went
out there the other day, TO see II be would
not give me $500 TO buy an interest III a
saloon. Aunt Mary was for giving il TO
me. but the old man was rs ugly as a
Turk. We got inta a wransle at the sup
per table aud be ordered me out Of tho
house.
81 vent" said Short after a pause,
'and 1t was only after that, tba, got the
idea OF robbin2 the house The old man
never banked dollar, but kept every
thing in bureau Ia his bedroom, sat
down on fence corner on the highway,
and thought 1t all ever. | made up my
mind that would enter the house after
they got asleep, and steal what ! could
lay hands on. | did 60 10 about eleven
O'Clock. gaining access by kitchen win
dow. | took the axe in with me TO lntm-
idate them in case | was discovered.
While my uncle was sixty years old, he
was a vigorous, hearty man, and capable
of making strong fight don't know
whether he suspected might come back
but had not reached the bedroom when
some slight noise made reused him out
of bed, and he struck light aud discoy-
eled me.
II want ii to stand in court that be was
the aggressor. When he saw me he yell
ed out to know what was doing there
told him / was bound and determined
to have $500, and il he would count 1t out
| would 90 away and never trouble him
for another dollar He had big club al
the head OF his bed, aud instead Of stop
ping to argue with me he seized the wea
pon aud rushed at me. had to use the
axe. He would have killed me if hadn't
struck him down. Then my aunt came
ont, screaming for help, and she was about
to escape from the house when hit her.
After had mrde sure that they we're both
dead | went at it to rob the house. and the
pluader ! got you found 10 the satchel.
That's the whole story, sir, and If the
lawyers can make anything else ont Of it,
let EN-.
II seemed such straight case that there
could be no loophole OF escape, but with
In three days after Short had confessed to
me be engaged two lawyers, recanted all
he had said, and when put on trial plead
insanity His friends, as was afterwards
known, raised 5000 for each lawyer, aud
the lawyers moved heaven and earth to
earn their money. One of the instances
of Shorts alleged insanity was clear
case OF bribery aud perjury, A man was
brought forward TO swear that he sat be
hind the two OF us as we came In that
morning on the train, and that be heard
Short tell me that be had killed seventeen
people and was then on his way to Heaven
to tell God about il. The person in the
seat behind us was a woman, while the
seat ahead was occupied by two women
This liars testimony had great weight, or
enough TO call for commission of doctors
to examine and pass upon the question,
and before the case was finished Short
died in his prison bed Of heart disease.