Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-01-23

BamWsll. he knew where to find his
man without asking. Against the re-
monstranees Of the landlord-in fact,
without paying the slightest heed 10 them
he went into the parlor and shut the
door.
AT this point, gentlemen, you will be-
gin to be astounded by the boldness with
which the crime that followed was
planned and executed. You will learn
with surprise that the hand Of q skillful
confederate, one or more. was exhibited
in what next occurred, but in SO myste-
rious way that confess to you have
been bafied to account for it.
WAS this whole affair deep-laid plot
Of the prisoner, projected and carefully
prepared before he left Ipswich? Was it
suddenly conceived when he learned that
Robert Barnwell was upon the road and
would stop at the Red Lion2 And in that
case did he have the tools at hand with
which to execute it2
Il do not know. We may never know.
We are at q loss when we come to seek for
these mysterious accomplices. There
were idlers enough about the inn that
night, country people and one or two
seamen; but all my patient Investigations
have failed to give me clue to the man
or men whose secret assistance enabled
the prisoner to execute his crime"
The speaker at this point went on and
detailed at much length, and in manner
that riveted the attention of all in the
great room, the particulars of the excla-
nations and noises in the parlor; the
discovery by the landlord that the door
was bolted, and, following that, the terri
flying discovery that doors and windows
had been locked and barred. so that those
in the tap-room were close prisoners for
at least thirty minutes. After describing
the manner of their release and the total
ignorance of the hostler and stable-boy,
both Of whom were near at hand all the
time, as to what had occurred, the Attor-
ney General said:
$50 it will appear that all this locking,
barring and boiling was both swiftly and
silently done. But 1t was effectuall It
gave the prisoner full opportunity to
pursue his bloody work without molesta-
tion.
LET me call your attention to what was
actually heard by the landlord, proceed
ing from the parlor.
1He heard. in the voice of the prisoner,
the words, 4 never did! 1t is false! say
/ never didp
@Then he heard Barnwell Indignantly
utter tho rejoinder: DO you say soP Then
you are a liar, as we'll as black-hearted
villainP
"And the last words he heard were in
the sneering, scoffing tones of the prison.
or: Poor fooll / pass by your insults;
you are beneath my contempt"
"We cannot be at loss, gentlemen, as
to what this meant. 1t was the prison.
er's way of provoking q controversy,
possibly of enraging his defeated rival
by his mocking words into making an at
tack upon him. We may not know as to
this. The scufie that followed, with its
terrible ending, we're hidden from NOR
tai sight, as the prisoner had contrived
that they should be. But one significant
fact we do know. 1t is that Ralph
Courtenay was armed, and the inference
is irresistible that he provoked that
quarrel; that he goaded on his disap-
pointed and broken-spirited rival to at
tack him, intending to slay him--as he
did-with his knife"
Next the speaker gave rapid sketch
Of the search of the landlord and his at
tendants outside the house; Of the find
| ing of the footprints on the beach, and
| the evidences of body having been
| dragged to the water, the feet plowing up
| the sand; the examination of the parlor,
the disorder, the knife, and the blood
stains upon it, as we'll as on the carpet.
| All this was recounted in an impressive
| and dramatic manner, of which the At
! torney Generals long experience at the
bar had given him mastery, which fair
ly thrilled his audience through, and
some of the details of which made wom-
en- sob and shiver with fright.
| ~The knife, gentlemen = the bloody
knife!" he uttered, in sepulchral voice,
as he held it up before them. Whose
| was this weapon Of murder2 It was the
prisoners. Half dezen witnesses will
be produced who will tell you that they
have often seen it in his possession al
Ipswich; one, at least, who saw him have
it at Colchester on the I'd of September.
According to the best calculations that
! could be made, continued the Attorney
| General, these transactions occupied till
about ten O'Clock Of that evening. The
prisoner disappeared. Where had he
| gomez
He said that the landlord of the Blacl
Buck would testify that about midnight
after his house was closed, he was aroused
by a man whom he afterward discovered
to be Captain Courtenay. His dress wai
disordered, his hair was tumbled, there
was blood and slight scar on his cheek
He wished to wash his face, brush hit
clothes. make himself generally present.
able, and take an hours sleep. The
landlord admitted him without question
i as he knew him, and received guines
from him for this hospitality. At day
light, when the landlord awoke and camt
below again, Courtenay was gone. Wher
he left, it was impossible to tell.
Incredible as it may appear, said the
| speaker, it will still be shown that thit
man, with murder on his soul, with hit
victims body secretly and mysterously
disposed of. and with his blood just
washed from his own hands, went on to
Pembroke Villa, met the unhappy woman
who has since become his wife, arrayed
himself in full uniform, sat at the table
with her fathers guests, the lion of the
hour, and would actually have married
her there, had not the appearance Of thu
Sheriff, and his own arrest, put sum.
mary stop to his career"
Much more was said to excite the in
dignation of the jury, and cause them tt
see the accusation with the speakers eyes
Ralph Courtenay looked at him from
time to time in maze of bewilderment
He had not conceived that SO strong ,
case could possibly be made out agains
him. Much that he had just heard wal
perfectly true; much was absolutely false
and there was great deal which, Will
true in itself, did not mean what it wa
said.to mean.
i Try to look cheerful" Mr.. Lascell
whispered. And he felt the stronl
| Inras si1ra of his HpifA'a hand