Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-09-10


farewell. assuring her that there was no
reason why the murderer should not yet
be found out. the old Scotchwoman did
not indeed refuse his S., but she rose TO
her full height aud looked through him
with keen, unbribable eyes as she re-
piled. "sir, IL Gamma be over soon.
But the old story as told by Grace
McUredie (vho now rests in peace near
her old masters grave) was as nothing
compsred with the thrilling narrative OF
that midnrght's work by another witness
who is still alive. Most readers remem-
her De Ouincey's description IN the
postscrip TO his essay on the @sthetlc
view of murder OF the second London
butchery 10y Williams and IN particular
of that situation tremendous beyond
any that is on record, where the young
ionrneyman descends the stairs IN
his shirt, and watches, petrified,
while the human bloodhound PAGES
through the room after slaughter
ing one snd another OF the IN
mates OF the pArlor. "A snseze,
cough. almost breathing, and tho young
man would be corpse, without chance
or a struggle for his life. But the Glen
luce situation, though very like the other
was more extraordinary and critical still
and while no one exactly knows how
much TO trust Of the piled-up paradoxes
OF the essayist, you would not listen to
the Scotch lassie without instantaneous
" believing her. Mary -, Whose
name we conceal, for though no longer
in Wigtownshire, she is still young wo-
man in opening life, was at the time of the
tragedy about fifteen and she told her
story with that rude. blunt, breathless SIM
plicity which makes you feel as II you
were going through tue crisis yourself.
And what crisis it was The girl had
been asleep at the back Of the bed when
she Was Weakened by the midnight blows
descending on the old woman, aud IN an
agony OF fear she climbed in the dark
over the edge. and before the struggle
was endedhad scrambled under the bed,
which. as is usual IN Scotch cottages, was
sunk into q recess IN the wall In lew
seconds the fight WAS over, and nothing
was heard but the conyulsiye breathing
Of her late protectres5 lying III the door
way. Then soft steps pushed through the
darkness-the man WAS moving about IN
bis stockings, but still trailing the heavy
axe in his right hand. Suddenly there
was pause-a noise-a spark he had
struck "a match, ond with It spIuttering
in his lett hand he searched round the
room and actually prizea open a locked
cupboard la the wall, and swept some
eighteen shillmgs into his pocket
There was GOO in q room upstairs
which he missed Then another match
Was struck and the girl, gazing with
fascinated ewes from under the bed cur
tain. saw the assassin move towards the
inner room, through the open door OF
which she now for the first time Oh
served, with snnsm Of renewed horror,
her masters body lying on the floor.
What was the deadly straDgerdolng For
some time she could not tell but soon 1t
was plain. He was throwing down the bed
furniture, pillows, sheets. blankets, IN
heap beside the body OF its late owner
And having done so, he lighted another
match, and STOPPING down set ire to the
pile here and there and stood back TO
watch the result. But at this point there
happened something more full OF urgent
terror than anything in De Quincey's
London narrative. While the girl Was
gazing at the side-face Of the assassin
gazing so fixedly that she was able to
give the writer a fair general description
of him-the fellow suddenly turned
round and walked straight across
the room to where she crOuched
under the bed. "Why ] did not
scream OUT she said, wrnging her
hands as She spoke, don't know TO
this hour | only know | could not.
For half a minute, which seemed like
half an eternity, be stood above her, his
stocknged feet actually within SIX inches
Of her face. And then. again, there was
a scratch, a sputter. flash Of light, and
slowly and coolly-a all his motions were
deliberate he applied the match and
set fire TO the hanRings and coyerlet OF
the bed under which the unseen wit
nsss at the moment crOuched. The
tension and agony Of the scene
could not last mnch longer. BY this
time thick volumes of smoke poured
from the inner room. The murderer
who was short and thick-sct with slight
moustache, and dressed like an ordi-
nary workingman. put down his axe
and looked round through the reflection
of the rising fires to find his cap. He
missed it, but it was no time to delay. Ia
another second he was striding along the
passage 10 the back door Of the house
which led to the garden and tho moor
behind, and the girl, all ear, bent breath
lessly forward from her den. But the
moment she heard the back door slammed
softly she leaped up, rushed ont into the
passage, over Grace lying in her blood.
and through the front door. and Nung
herself IN a hysterical heap on the door
step Of the opposite house. In half a
minute the whole inhabitants Of Glenluce
were at their windows, and in three min
utes more they were crowding round the
burning house amid waiIing of the women
and mutterings Of murder " by the