Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1890-11-13

and went abroad Since then have been wall
dering about the world an exile from my native
land, spending a wretchcd existence, which has
both chastcncd and sobered me- am different
man, believe me- to what was three years ago.
If you " i'll not have me back again at the Grange
at all events let me sec you SoOil-When and where
you will Myers the money lender, to whom |
gave the postohit bond which was the unhappy
cause OF my final rupture with You, has heard OF
my return and is. know, on my track. cannot,
OF course. pay him his inipuitol!s demands unless
you help me to settle with him. Pray write to
me in any case. letter addressed to the Lion
hotel, Swa!e, Yorkshire. will find me. Your af-
fectioratc son, RICHARD HAMMOND.
Dec ,, 1851
The recipient of this letter, Mr.. Charles
Hammond, read it over and over again as
he reclincd in the large easy chair which
had been arranged for him in his sick room
IA pale, thin, worn looking figure, wasted
almost to skin and bones and enveloped in
the folds of an embroidered dressing gown.
He had asked to be left alone for Il while
with his mornings letters, and this appeal
of his eldest son touched him deeply, for,
in spite of the young mans wrongdoing,
in the fathers heart of hearts he was the
best beloved Of all his children still. That
Dick had hecn unsteady, and even worse
than unsteady, in the past was only too
true but his father now only remembered
him rs Il frank, handsome fellow, who had
been led away by evil companions into acts
Of prohigacy and extravaganza, yet who,
had he been left to himnclf, would doubt
less have developed into good and honest
man.
Mr. Hammond, who was G5 years Of age.
had been twice married, and had twice be-
come n wdower. Twenty years had
elapsed since the death of his second wife,
and his children We're consequently all
grown up, three of them being by the first
and two by tho second wife. He was a
man OF considerable wealth and of some
what eccentric habits. having lived much
alone Of late. His three dauy yl.ters were
all married. and resided in different parts
Of the country; and his only other son,
Paul, the elder of the children by the sec,
ond wife, was very little at home. At the
present time, however, two OF his dnuGh-
ters, as we'll as his son Paul and one of his
sons-in-law, John Laybrook, were all stay
inv with him, for it was feared that the Old
gentleman was dying. His sister, too,
Mis-, Hammond, was also in constant at
tendance on her sick brother.
AS the invalid laid down his sons letter
he took up and began to read over ii will
which he bad made only 4 few weeks pre-
v0usly. In this will his son Richards
name was not once mentioned. He hHd
left everything to his four remaining chill
dren Mr.. Hammond was fond of will
making. He had made several at intervals
during the last twenty years. And now he
felt that he would have to max" atill an
other before he died, for the receipt Of
Richards letter had filled him with for
giving thoughts.
Halt an hour elapsed, and when Miss
Hammond, knocking 1t the bedroom door,
received no answer she walked hurrirGlv
in and found her brother still where she
had left him in his chair, but Il strange
change had come over his face. Instinct
lively She knew what bad happened. Her
brother had had stroke The doctor came
and did hat he could. The helpless form
of the paralyzel man was laid upon the
bed; rc,toratives We're administered, but
the patient never rallied nor spoke again.
and on that night he died.
When morning tawne,l, and the house
hold Of Ormshy Grange were astir, tie
servants on entering the lower rooms We're
startled to find that the house had been
entered by burglars during the might and
Il quantity Of plate and other property
stolen. Among other places n secret cup
board in Mr.. lIammoud's study, used by
him as IA safe, had been broken open and
rilled y burglary is never Il pleasant cpl
sode, but for Il house to be broken into and
robbed while the mnstrr of ii lay dead in his
bed presented itself in q sufficiently hook
int 1j,rIt ff b,. -ltrl AZ Ina
Grange Beside the members Of the family
already alluded to and the domrstics there
wee in the house at the time the doctor,
the housrheeper-whoh had been in Mr..
Ilnmmond's service for twenty-five years
and the nephew and niece Of the house
keeper, James and Eliza lierre. who were
staying with their aunt on visit. Not
one, however, of all the inmates could at-
ford any clew to the causes or manner of
the burglary, and the servants declared
that all the doors and windows had been
safely secured rs usual. An entry, never
thcl,ss, had been effected by the burglars
through the study window, and it was cyi-
IDENTIFY the secret cupboard in that room on
which they had first laid hands.
1t was supposed that u considerable
quantity of jewclry, which had belonged
to the second Mrs. Hammond, had been
kept bv the deceased in this receptacle.
There was also reason TO hclicTc that Mr..
lIammond's will had been deposited there.
The family lawyer came over on the second
day and he was fully of the opinion that
the will had been deposited for security in
the study safe, and had been stolen along
with the jewelry. At all events no viii
was forthcoming. The most minute search
Of the house failed to bring to light The
missing document The lawyer stated that
it had been his latc clients custom, when
he wanted to make Il fresh WILL to send to
his solicitors for the last one He would
then make alterations and additions 20 it
in his own handwriting and send it back
to be put into legal form and rc-ens!UaScd.
The new will would then be returned to
him with the old one, when he would exc
cute the furmerand destroy the latter with
his own hand. On the last occasion, how
ever, Mr.. Hammond seemed to have de-
parted from his customary practice. He
had us usual, sent for his last preceding
will, and had been seen by the butler max
ing alterations and erasurcs in the docu-
mcnt, and later on lie had been seen max
ing fair copy.
On the following day he had requested
his doctor and one of the few neighbors
with whom he was on visiting terms to
witness the execution of a will. They had
duly lone 50, and had both noticed that
the document which they had attrstcd was
written in the testator's handwriting.
This took place about six weeks before
Mr.. Hanmond's death. Neither the will
so executed nor the previous will had
been returned to the solicitors Two days
before the death the husband of Mr.. Ham
mond's second daughter, Mr. lmybrooh,
was intrllstcd by the sick man with the
keys of the cupboard, in order to fetch Il
cash box which was kept there, He no
ticed at this time, Immediately at the front
Of the cupboard, document, indoiecd in