Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-11-08
He BEGGED FOR MERCY.
WITNESS STORY.

WITNESS STORY.
During the month of February. 1853.
Seth Damon, of Acton, instituted an
action at law against Gabriel Butter
worth, of the same town, for the re-
covery Of thirty thousand dollars, of
which he claimed that said Butter
worth had defrauded him. The circum-
stances were these;
Butterworth owned and kept the
principal store in Acton. and though
he had never been regarded as an ex-
emplary gentleman, his honor in bust
ness had not been impugned. Those
who had the faculty of looking upon
the undercurrents of human actions
decided that he was man not bound
by honor, but who understood the laws
Of self-interest too well to be guilty of
small meannesses in business. What he
was capable of doing on q grand scale
was not mooted until the occurrence of
which l am about to speak.
Seth Damon had removed from Ed
son to Acton in the fall, and had pur-
chased the iron works. Shortly after
concluding the purchase he had a pay
ment Of thirty thousand dollars to
make. and late on a Saturday after
noon he arrived from New York with
the money-part of it in bank notes
and part Of it in gold. When he arrived
Ne found that the parties to whom the
money was to be paid had left town,
and would not return till Monday. Mr..
Butterworth had the only reliable
safety-vault in town, and to Mr.. But
terworth Damon took the thirty thou
sand dollars, asking permission to lodge
it in his vault over the Sabbath. which
permission was readily and cheerfully
granted.
During Sunday night the people of
the village were aroused by the alarm
of fire, and upon starting out it was
found that the alarm came from But
terworth's store, but Mr.. Butterworth
had been active. He had discovered
the fire in season, and, with the assist
ance of his boys, had put it out before
much damage had been done. Upon
looking over the premises it was found
that the fire had not only been the ev-
ident work of an incendiary, but that
it had been set in several different
places.
How Fortunate. said the owner,
that / discovered it in season."
But very soon another discovery was
made The safety-yault had been pro-
ken open, and every dollar it had con-
tanned stolen away! Here was alarm
and CONSERVATION. Gabriel Butter
worth seemed fit to go crazy.
For myself I care not" he cried.
"A few hundreds We're all I had in
there; but my friend had great
sum-"
Immediate search for the robber, or
robbers, was instituted, and word was
sent far and near to all Sheriffs and
their deputies, and to the police of the
cities.
Now it had so happened that on
that very Sunday evening = OF,
may say, Sunday night, for
1t was near midnight, John Wat
son, had been returning from my
brothers., in Dunstable. 1 had left my
hired team at the stable, and on my
way to my clearinghouse passed the
store of Mr.. Butterworth. In the
back yard of the store was horse
trough, and, being thirsty, I stepped
around that way to get draught Of
water. AS I stopped to drink at the
spout OF the fountain I saw CLEAN of
light through crevice in the shutters
OF one of the store windows. Curiosity
lmpelled me to go and peer through !;
for | wondered who could be in there
at that hour of Sunday night. The
crevice was quite large, made by a
Wearing away of the edges Of the
shutters where they had been caught
BY the hooks that held them back
when open, and throught it looked
INTO the store. I looked upon the
wall within which the safety-yault was
o"ilt; and I saw the vault open, and L
saw Gabriel Butterworth at work
therein. I saw him put large packages
INTO his breast pocket, and ! saw INN
,9flng out two or three small canvas
I,ass, and set them upon the floor by
!Ae door that opened toward his dwell
ils' As l saw him approaching this
outer door second time l thought he
might come out, and 1 went away. 1t
Was an hour afterward that / heard the
alarm OF fire. And it was not until the
rpol1l'9wing morning that I heard OF the
robbery of the safe.
was placed in critical position;
W, had duty to perform. went
70 Nr. Damon, and told him what L
a aM seen; and also gave him liberty to
I G upon me for my testimony in pub
Il. Nc when he should need it. Until /!
s should be SO called upon I was to hold
hysilence.
While the officers where hunting
sa! and tllither, Mr.. Damon kept q
"lct watch upon the movements OF