Milford chronicle., 1889-08-02

In a smaller village six miles away Fergu
had an aunt who was a widow and iyeC
alone, with the exception of having the com
pany Of n servant girl He was in the habit
Of going over there about once in twomonthi
and remaining over Sunday. On these trip.
he drove horse and buggy belonging TO the
village cooper. The horse had a peculiar
habit, which will be described later on. One
Saturday evening of July day Fergus drove
away on one Of these trips There were two
or three women at the gate in company with
Miss Moore when he drove away. The only
thing out Of the usual run was the remark
that Byron looked rather pale and seemed a
bit nervous, but probably this would never
have been thought Of but for what came to
pass.
At II o'clock that night there was a thun.
der storm, and an insurance agent who was
on the road between the two villages, with
horse and buggy, drove into a fence corner
and sheltered himself as well as possible with
the waterproofs In the midst of the storm
q horse and buggy came along. The
driver was 50 enveloped by waterproofs that
the agent could not tell whether he was old OF
young, large or small, white or black Al
that spot the road had been lately graded IN
and was very soft The stranger was urging
the horse to trot, but the beast found the mud
too deep and could only proceed at a walk. As
the strange horse came opposite there was q
long, vivid fash Of lightning, and the agent
saw that the animal had HIS head turned &c
the right and his tongue out This was the
peculiar habit Of the cooper's horse when on
a walk. When trotting he held up his head
and kept this tongue back. The agent identi.
fed the horse to his perfect satisfaction, and
called out to the driver, asking who he was.
Instead Of halting or replying the man struck
the horse sharply with the whip and was out
of sight in a moment.
That's old Shepherd the cooper and
he's afraid am a highwaymanm laughed
the agent, and, the rain now beginning tc
cease, he made ready to resume his Journey.
Miss Moore was an early riser, and, more
over, never missed church services As the
day was fine and she was not seen at church.
two or three Of her friends called at the
house on their way to ascertain her excuse.
They found the curtains down and the doors
locked. AS they knew Of young Fergus 90
ing to his aunts the evening previous, they
reasoned it out that he must have returned
during the night for Miss Moore, she perhaps
being wanted for an emergency This theory
satisfied them until about o'clock in the af- |
ternoon, when oneOf them returned to gather |
a bouquet Of flowers She then noticed
~
trying the door, found It unlocked. She |
dared not enter the house, but two or three
men were summoned to make an investiga- |
ton, and in a few minutes it was discovered |
that a murder had been committed. The
dead body Of Miss Moore was found in the
sitting room, at the door of her bedroom.
She had been struck three terrible blows with
a club or other blunt weapon, each one break
ing the skull
I was visiting the sheriff at this time. and
we were driving through the village when
the first alarm was sounded. / was, there
fore, at the house among the first, and'being
placed in charge by the sheriff, kept the
people out until / could make an investiea.
ton. The murderer had not obtained forci.
bic entry to the house. Not single article
Of value had been removed, nor had any ran.
sacking been done. The woman had been
struck down where the body lay, but her
hands were clenched as il 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 / wanted au-
thority to arrest the latter When this fact
became known was regarded as an idiot OF
a lunatic, A general cry went up that Fergus
could no more be suspected than an angel in
heaven, but while the sheriff was left to Sc
cure the necessary papers, drove out to in
terview the young man and break the news
to him. If Fergus was guilty, his defense
would be an alib4, and he had carefully ar ,
ranged the details. He would be expecting
the news, and he would be braced up to play
a part ,
found him making ready to hitch up to I
drive back He had never seen me before. 5
and he did not know my profession. ASH
entered the barn be looked startled and :
turned pale, but recovered himself after a ,
minute, and asked the nature of my business J
"YOu know, of course, that Miss Moore is !
deadl" careleSsly replied. Z
"How-how should know It'll" he exclaim. I
ed, turning very white.
"Well, she is dead, poor thing" I
"And do they charge me with itin
with whatln
"Her murder" !
81 hadn't said she was murdered. I told
you simply that she was dead. How did 20 C
know she had been murdered"
He saw the trap he had fallen into, and he C
gasped and stammered and did his best tc t
smooth It over. / pretended not to lay it ur '
as point against him, and speedily arranged 5
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 do t
meanor on the way home was entirely that C
81 an innocent man. He expressed great c
willingness to give us all possible informa ?
bon, but at the same time advanced and L
slang 20 the theory that no one but tramE v
lOuld have been guilty Of tho crime UpoI G
reaching home he displayed considerable '
grief and emotion. In fact, be rather over I
did It 1t was more like acting out a part C
The people were indignant that he should b n
suspected, and he was not put under re Il
straint Indeed, no warrant had been issued t
Tor him. g
Early the next morning, satisfied In ny l.
OWN mind that Fergus was the murderer. ] n
lrOve out to his aunts / found that he ar d
rived there at O'Clock Saturday night. Hall n
IN hour later he complained of headache and
went to bed saying he would be down again n
by O'Clock As he did not keep his promise v
ihe hired girl knocked on his door at that p
lour, but, receiving no reply, was told not &c n
disturb him he was not seen by the inmates a
If the house until o'clock Sunday morning. o
The girl was up at 3, and as she crossed the 81
yard she saw that his window was iIp. and
ome Of his clothing was hanging in the sun. n
At the barn / found the coOperis buggy. a
washed clean. Fergus had done this SUNDAY Il
orenOon. He had not made good lob on p
he horse, however, and / found plenty OF 81
mud on his fetlocks. AS II was dusty Satur. II
lay plight when he was driven over, this mud a
must have been picked up after the storm. ] el
ound the harness stiff and damp from being b
vet, and the cloth cushion Of the buggy was t.
till damp. Hunting further, / found the b
resh tracks Of horse and buggy turning into "
he barnyard after the rain The window Of Il
he room occupied by Fergus opened on the IL
oof Of the shed. AT the lower edge Of the m
oOf stood leach. On theedges Of this leach fe
nd on the roof found mud. On the CARPET al
a Fergus room found more OF It. He had el
craped and cleaned his boots and flung the OF
irt into a stove, whence got half a pound fe
All this got without the aunt suspectinR to
hat / was after proofs. then returned to n
be scene Of the murder, and after an hourh cl
earch discovered the place where a horse had
cen hitehed for some time It was In the o'
ear OF the house, on an open space and under OF
frnn and tho hor.ca h.I 4 IN