The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-08-07


murder had been committed. The dead
body of Miss Moore was found in the sit
ting room, at the door of her bedroom.
She had been struck three terrible blows
with club or other blunt weapon, each
one breaking the skull.
was visiting the Sheriff at this time,
and we were driving through the village
when the first alarm was sounded. was,
therefore, at the house among the first,
and being placed in charge by the Sheriff,
l kept the people out until could make
an investigation. The murderer had not
obtained forcible entry to the house.
Not n single article of value had been re-
moved, nor had any ransacking been
done. The woman had been struck
down where the body lay, but her hands
were clenched as if she had grasped the
weapon of death and it had been pulled
away from her. The palm of one hand
was torn and bleeding. did not know
either the dead woman or Fergus, but 1
wanted authority to arrest the latter.
When this fact became known was re-
garded as an idiot or a lunatic. A gen.
eral cry went up that Fergus could no
moro be suspected than an angel in
heaven, but while the Sheriff was left to
secure the necessary papers, drove out
to interview the young man and break
the news to him. If Fergus was guilty,
his defence would be an alibi, and he had
carefully arranged the details. He would
be expecting the news, and he would be
braced up to play part.
found him making ready to hitch up
to drive back. He had never seen me
before, and he did not know my profess
sion. AS l entered the barn he looked
startled and turned pale, but recovered
himself after a minute, and asked the
nature of my business.
"You know, of course, that Miss
Moore is deadG" carelessly replied.
"How-how should / know itlp he
exclaimed, turning very white.
"Well, she is dead, poor thing"
Sand do they charge me with it2"
"With whatf"
''Her murderi'
81 hadn't said she was murdered. I
told you simply that she was dead. How
did you know she had been murdered2"
He saw the trap he had fallen into, and
he gasped and stammered and did his
best to smooth it over. l pretended not
to lay it up as a point against him, and
speedily arranged that he should return in
my vehicle and leave the cooper's rig
where it was. After the first shock he
braced up wonderfully, and his demeanor
on the way home was entirely that of an
innocent man. He expressed great will
ingness to give us all possible informa-
ton, but at the same time advanced and
clung to the theory that no one but a
tramp could have been guilty of the
crime. Upon reaching home he displayed
considerable grief and emotion. In fact,
he rather overdid it. 1t was more like
acting out part. The people were in
dignant that he should be suspected, and
he was not put under restraint. Indeed,
no warrant had been issued for him.
Early the next morning, satisfied in my
own mind that Fergus was the murderer,
drove out to his aunt's. found that
he arrived there at o'clock Saturday
night. Half an hour later he complained
of headache and went to bed, saying he
would be down again by o'clock. AS
he did not keep his promise, the hired
girl knocked on his door at that hour,
but receiving no reply, was told not to-
disturb him. He was not seen by the in
mates of the house until z o'clock Sun
day morning. The girl was up at 5, and
as she crossed the yard she saw that his
window was up, and some of his clothing
was hanging in the sun. At the barn
found the cooper's buggy washed clean.
Fergus had done this Sunday forenoon.
He had not made a good job on the
horse, however, and l found plenty of
mud on his fetlocks. AS it was dusty
Saturday night when he was driven over,
this mud must have been picked up after
the storm. l found the harness stiff and
damp from being wet, and the cloth
cushion of the buggy was still damp.
Hunting further, found the fresh tracks
of horse and buggy turning into the
barnyard after the rain. The window of
the room occupied by Fergus opened on
the roof Of the shed. At the lower edge
of the roof stood leach. On the edges
of this leach and on the roof found
mud. On the carpet in FergWs's room I
found more of it. He had scraped and
cleaned his boots and flung the dirt into
stove, whence got half pound.
All this got without the aunt suspect
ing that was after proofs. then re-
turned to the scene of the murder, and
after an hours search discovered the
place where horse had been hitched for
some time. 1t was in the rear of the
house, on an open space, and under a
tree, and the horse had paved up the
ground and gnawed the bark of the tree.
The footprints of man could be family
traced across the garden, and had no
doubt that Fergus came and went this
way. On the fourth day after the funeral
learned from the insurance man what he
had seen during the storm, and then a
warrant was issued and Fergus was taken
into custody. By this time the towns
people had begun to think it queer case.
Fergus had gone over the house and de-
clared that nothing had been taken. No
suspicious characters had been noticed
in the neighborhood. Jewelry and money
had been left lying on the bureau, show
ing that the object could not have been
plunder. Did the woman have any
enemy9 No, not one, as far as we could
learn. Who could profit by her death2
No one but Fergus, and yet this was one
of the strong points he brought forward.