Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-11-08

CHASTITY knife wounds in the region OF
the heart, any one of which would
have caused death. There were also
evidences of terrible struggle having
4 taken place; the few articles OF
furniture in the room showing that the
two men-it was of course assumed
| that man had been his assailant-had
fought all over it before the fatal
affray had ended.
The news was quickly circulated from
neighbor to neighbOr, and before the
coroner, who had to be summoned
from the county seat twelve miles dis
tant, had arrived, the male population
of the entire settlement were present,
and in little groups sat around and
| discussed in subdued tones the terrible
tragedy.
Various were the theories advanced
to account for the crime which had
evidently been committed. Some said
that they had always believed old Cor
bin was a fugitive from Justice; that
he had done something for which he
| was in hiding, and which accounted
for his strange disposition and his I'M
sociable ways.
"Tenny rate" said old Squire Chit
tick, 'I'll bet hame-string that the
teller who killed old COrbin has bin a
| huntin' of him all these years. To my
mind" the old fellow continued, as he
climbed up on the top of the rail fence
and seated himself as comfortably as
the nature of the seat he had chosen
would admit, ''to my mind it's the
settlin' of an old grudge; and when
that's said it's all said. That's may
ideer."
To the little group that stood about
him this view of the case seemed con-
elusive enough, and was received with
approval. The old Squire, however.
was something of Hawkshaw in his
way, besides being man looked up
to in the community, was bound to
preserve the reputation he had SO long
held for his depth of judgment and
soundness of opinion on matters gen.
orally. So, after his first views had
been unhesitatingly acquiesced in, he
hedgingly added: "Course he might
been robbed-he might had money
in there" jerking his thumb over to-
ward the cabin, ''but faint hardly
likely. Still, it might be. But" he
added, conclusively, Its either one or
tother, an know it as well as if old
COrbin itself had told me lust how it
happened"
Finally the coroner, himself ply
stefan, arrived, and soon impaneling
a jury from those present, entered into
an investigation of the mystery. With
the meager facts bearing upon the
tragedy and which have already been
stated, the jury was not long in reach
ing the only verdict possible under the
circumstances, which was that the man
had been killed or came to his death
by wounds inflicted by a person or per-
sons to the jury unknown.
Uncle Archibald Wilson, by virtue of
his acquaintance with the deceased,
was given charge of the remains, and,
with the assistance of his neighbors,
had them conveyed to his own home
and in due time decently inferred in
the neighborhood burying ground. He
was also made, or appointed by the
court, administrator of the estate. AS
the murdered man had no legal heirs
in that country, it became the duty of
Mr.. Wilson to advertise, so as to, if
possible, find any who might be living
in other parts of the United States. To
this end he inserted the usual notices
in the leading papers, and a month or
so afterward received the following
letter. The epistle bore the post-mark
of small village in Western New
York. and was dated July 5, 1854. 1t
ran as follows:
MIR. WILsON-Dear Sir: l have
just seen your ad in New York pa
per, and replying thereto think l can
give you the information you desire
as to the heirs of James COrbin; and
also throw some light on the mys-
erious manner in which he met his
death. 1t is a long story and l must
begin at the beginning.
Thirty years ago James Corbin
and myself We're friends and school
mates. His fathers farm joined ours.
He was an only child. while l was the
youngest of a family of five. In the
village where We both attended school
in the winter, and where we went to
church every Sabbath with our par
ents for years, lived Mary Dean, a
beautiful girl and the only daughter of
Rev. Mr.. Dean. pastor of the little
church where our families both wOr-
SHIPPED. Mary, as l have said, was
a beautiful girl, and as good as she
was beautiful.
james and 1, both then entering
upon manhood. became rivals for
Mary's hand and affections.
lit was not long until it became APP
parent that was the favorite one, and
from that time the intimacy which had