News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-11-08

the same evening at the excited appear
ance at their door of the maid of Mis-
Manning, the lady to whom Tom anC
his rival had been paying their atten
tention and who exclaimed il
terrified manner that she haC
just been witness to a terrible mur
der In the woods, and that if they woulC
accompany her Immediately, they
might be able to secure the assassin be
fore he had time or opportunity to es
cape.
1.-The men folks" did as she requested
and We're not long in reaching the spot
where the maid said she had witnessed
the murder from behind some trees, on
her way from the village where she had
gone to execute an errand.
There lay the body of the murdered
man-Harold Gray, and above it stood
Tom Ewing with blood stained dagger
in his hand. This dagger was mark
with his name and he was known by
many to have possessed it, and that it
was CO stant companion. Arrest fol-
lowed and then the trial occurred.
Toms statement was as follows:
am we'll aware that the deceased
and l were at one time far from bring
friends, but open and avowed enemies.
] know that / have said | could murder
that man yet those who heard me make
that speech-uttered in the heat of
jealous passion-did not hear the whole
of the sentence, or their memories have
been treacherous, as the words | did
make use of were | feel in my heart
as though / could murder that man.
But l really had no intention of COM
mittlng so grave crime. Why should
II The putting away of rival would
do me no good.
"On the evening of the murder, as l
was taking a stroll, came across Harold
Gray, and we commenced the old sub
ject. l felt SO bitterly towards him that
| could not help expressing my feelings
in loud and sharp tones. We had gone
into the woods but short distance
when Harold turned and suddenly ex-
claimed Tom, L am going to give up
the contest and leave the place to-mor-
row. Mabel is not worth either of us
/ for she is playing fast and loose with
| both. However, l leave the field to
you win her if you wish, although 1
do not believe you will be happy with
her. may never come to this locality
again and We may never meet again.
As this is likely to be our final parting,
let us forget that we have been enemies,
but part as friends. There is my hand
81 had not yet overcome my feelings
of resentment, nor could l so soon
transform q seeming enemy into a cor
dial friend consequently spurned the
offered, outstretched hand. | believed
him to be an arrant hypocrite that he
had been unsuccessful in his suit, and
accused him of it to his face, and also
told him that it did not become him to
berate and belittle one of whom we
thought so much just because she had
thrown him over.
al know, in telling this, L am telling
a tale against myself, but wish to state
the honest, simple truth. With the
words have uttered and with n look of
scorn, left him, never to see him again
in life.
1.-The evening air must have cooled
my temper to n great extent for / had
but Just emerged from the woods when
sober second thoughts came to me and l
saw how foolish, rash and unreasonable
/ had been, Perhaps it WAS not late
to retrieve the error committed; 1t was
clearly my duty to act in more manly
and forgiving disposition. With this
idea in my mind retraced my steps,
hoping to overtake the young man and
thus night the matter.
81 was pursuing my way, when sud
denly 1 stumbled and fell over some ,
PROSTATE object lying in my path. Re
covering myself 1 found the object was
the young man l had but recently |
left alive and well, but now struck down
by some assassin. The murderer had |
done this vile work quickly and surely;
for the heart had ceased to beat and the
breath had departed from the body.
"The instrument with which the foul |
deed had been consummated was still |
imbedded in the young mans heart. |
Drawing the instrument from its lodS- |
ment, l was about to go to the nearest |
house for assistance when l noticed three |
or four men approaching, who at once |
accused me of the murder, took me to
their house until they placed me in
charge of an officer and was then sent
to jail, / also acknowledge that the
dagger was mine and that L had had it
in my possession on the day of the mur-
der. l had bought it of nn old sailor,
as curiosity, and had had my name
engraved on 1t. / had not missed it and
how it came to be where it was God
alone knows, for I do not"
The story he told was not plausible
one; it was not believed by any, and the
circumstantial evidence was SO strong
against him that the jury rendered a YER
dict of "Murder in the first degree -
and the judge sentenced him to hang by
the neck until he was dead.
Time went on and / became treasurer
and ticket seller for n circus, travelling
through the country, but in all the con-
fusion, excitement and duties of my sit
uation 1 never forgot my poor
friend, his horrible doom and the date
on which he was to expiate his crime by
death.
Terrible "hangman's day" came ct
last, and / went about my duties in
most mechanical manner; SO mournful
were my feelings that 1 could not eat,
and would not so much as look at q
daily paper. How could l, when knew
there would be long accounts of the ju-
dicial murder of my friendl / would at
least spare myself that horror.
The evening exhibition being about
half over, / obtained leave of absence
for an hour or so, as l felt as though
wished to be away from everybody. Not
far from the place where we were exhi-
biting there was q beautiful pond, and
to that place [ bent my footsteps.
1t was q lovely moonlight evening;
the place calm and quiet aud just suited
to my frame of mind on that occasion.
AS took n seat near the placid water,
my thoughts reverted to the past, and
memory brought before me my boyhood's s
days and the companion of my youth.
Little did either of us think in those
happy by-g days how one would be
summoned from this life in so tragic
manner.
Then memory, for the first time for
many a long year, brought up the scene
in the grove, when, with hands clasped,
we made the solemn, ghostly compact.
Then 1 fell into revery aud found
myself uttering the words, 'Is that com
pact to be ratified? Can the sheeted
dead return to earth2"
At that moment | seemed to feel rather
than see, there was some one near me.
I looked up to see if such were actually
the case. At what then beheld [ was
almost paralyzed with fear and amaze
ment; for there, standing beside me and
in the clear moonlight, l beheld the ell
known figure of my lamented friend,
Tom Ewing. His face wore the hue of
death. His eyes and mine met. He
said in strangely calm accents:
"Friend Will, l have come back,
and
I knew no more, for fell in dead
faint beside that spectral figure.
The next that l remember when L
z..o.oI nv avoo IN consciousness WAS