Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-02-28

was up-stairs-the safe down stairs.
What need to NEEDLE with the boy at
all2"
While the heroic constabIes and others
were digesting the above, the Yankee
was turning things over in his mi..s and
preparing to add:
"What object to kill the boy, or even
to arouse him. And, if killed, where is
the bodyl Why should the robber have
carried it away at all' If Davis is the
robber, there must have been blood
spots on his clothing. What did he
do with the balance of the money!
Where did he get his key to enter2
How did he learn the combination of the
safel'
This line of reasoning upset everybody,
and it no sooner reached the ears of
Stowe than he suggested the arrest of
the Yankee as an accessory. 1t was not
done, but the latter heard of it aud re-
plied
| "Investigate Stowe. He knows more
about this than the deserter does''
His suggestion turned public attention
and suspicion in another direction, and
it was not long before some curious re-
suits were forthcoming. | gave out the
information that saw him in the alley
at about nine o'clock of the night of the
crime. The village blacksmith then
came forward and said he saw him on
the street half IN hour later, and that
Stowe lodged past him aud did not re-
turn his saiutation. The hired girl at
Stoves house declared that he went out
Just before nine o'clock and did hot re-
turn until ten. 1t was so unusual for
him to go out of an evening alone that
she particularly noticed his going. Three
or four of us boys told how Bob had
been beaten and miSused, and so it came
about that while the deserter was not re-
leased, Stowe was arrested. His story was
that he had caught Bob pilfering from
the money drawer on several occasions,
and that on the day of the murder and
robbery he had laid trap for him and
caught him taking S.. He said he had
a feeling when he got home that he had
neglected to close the safe door, aud that
he had returned to make certain on this
point. After finding that everything
was all right he had stopped to put up
some goods left on the counter, and had
then returned home. He denied being
In the alley at the hour l thought saw
him, or of meeting the blacksmith.
A new and more vigorous search was
made for the body but no trace of it
could be found. During this time citi,
zen picked up ten dollar bill in the
rear of the store, and everybody at once
declared that the deserter must have told
the truth. When the man who robb ed
the safe went out by the back door he
must have lost his grip on the money,
and the wind had scattered some of it.
The case against Davis was dropped
when called before the higher court, and
Stowe was put on trial for robbery.
Everybody now believed him guilty of
the murder of the boy, but as the body
could not be found this charge was not
included. Search was made high and
low for the money, but it could not be
found. The general idea was that he
buried the body somewhere in the vii
lage, and concealed all traces.
Just previous TO the trial Mrs Stowe
admitted that when her husband came
home his coat was covered with DUST
he was pale and nervous; one of his fin
gers was bleeding from a cut, and that
he sat up for an hour after she had re-
tired 1t was further discovered that
his business affairs had gone wrong, and
that two creditors were pressing him for
payment of debts. All in all, pretty
good case was made out against him, but
he had n surprise in store for the public.
When called upon to plead he answered
mot guilty" to the charge of robbery,
but desired to plead guilty TO the accusa-
ton of having murdered the boy. This
took everybody aback, of course, and as
they had no more proofs in the one case
than in the other, the charge of robbery
was dropped and he was arraigned on
the other. On the stand he told the
story as follows:
II had discovered that Bob was
thief, and had punished him several
times for stealing. l had punished him
on this day. When | returned to the
store in the evening 1 went up to his
room to have talk with him. He was
Impudent, and l struck him a blow and
broke his neck. then carried the body
to the river aud flung it in, and the rea-
son you didn't find it was because it
foated away with the current. l am
very sorry. l had no malice and no
thought of hurting him. | struck the
blow on the impulse of the moment"
When he came to trial plea of "not
guilty" was. of course, entered, but his
lawyer made little or no effect, and he
was pronounced guilty and got sentence
of fifteen years. After it was over pub
lie opinion whipped about, as it generally
ioes, and every person felt sorry for the
man. He went to prison, saying that it
was just punishment, and it was year
aud half before the real climax came.
One morning Bob Lisle walked into town
as cool as you please, and when he had
satisfied us that he was no ghost he told
his story as follows:
On the night of the murder he had
hardly got to bed when he had nose
bleed. He was down stairs to look for
opened the safe and removed the money.
He did not see Bob at all, but after
hanging around for spell left by the
back door, falling out of it as he went.
In this way he got the dust on his coat,
and at the same time let go Of some of
the money. Bob realized that it was
robbery and suspecting that it was put
up job to get him sent TO prison, he de-
termined to run away He took two or
three dollars left in the money drawer,
bundled II? something to eat, and when
morning came was miles away. For up
ward Of year he had been running on
steamboat. One day he had heard two
passenger! talking Of the case, and when
he discovered that he was supposed to
have been murdered he at once started
for prison to clear Ia uncle. Stowe was
in State Prison, as you know. When
told that the boy had returned alive and
well, he was all broken up. When Bob
was taken to the prison his uncle had
nothing to say.
Well, as matter of course, steps were
taken to secure Stoves pardon, and it
was soon granted. Then came the question
OF trying him for the robbery, but various
delays occurred, and his lawyers ad.
vanced various technical objections, and
the case finally petered out He disap-
peared, going to Australia, aud it was
tHo or tnrec years later wnen the final
particulars came to light. He had been
hparfiiprr lIv cash For rbrao - f,,,, ......-