Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-31
1T WAS A CLOSE CALL.
How q Psckman Escaped Beins Murdered
for His Money.

How q Psckman Escaped Beins Murdered
for His Money.
From the Chicago Tribune.
Campbell Hardy, a jeweler from Boston, Is at
the Grand Pacific and yesterday, when in his
apartments at the hotel, related some Of the
experiences he had when in New Mexico ten
years ago.. Mr.. Hardy made the money that
gave him a start in life when a packman. He
travelled through all the far western states, but
the most exciting time he had, he says, was in
New Mexico.
One day when much fatigued and hungry
1 stopped for dinner at what appeared to be a
pioneers cabin" he began. THE house was
miles from any other habitation. / had about
$500 worth of stock and 81 300 in money.
When I entered the house 1 found the occu-
pants to be a man Of about sixty. his twenty
fye-year-oid son and two women, The APP
pearance Of the old man caused me TO mistrust
him, and 1 I heartily wished l had not visited the
place two minutes after l entered it. OF course
the men and women wanted to see what 1 had
for sale, and the women purchased about So
worth Of goods. The old man. whose name
was Moody, was particular to ask me whom L
had last seen, and to learn whether or not /
had any friends in the country. Afterward /
found out he wished to learn il 1 would be
missed If he made away with me.
Just before 1 sat down to dinner / happened
to look out Of the window and / saw the son go
into the barn with a shotgun in his hand. His
stealthy manner put me on my guard and /
took good care that my gun was within reach
ing distance. 1 cannot say l enjoyed the meal.
l quickly swallowed a cup Of coffee and took a
few mouthfuls OF bread and slipped what l
could into my pocket. Then L prepared to
leave.
But you must see the blooded stock /
have before you CO. said Moody. Probably l
can trade one of the animals for a silver watch
But 1 knew if l ever went into that barn |
would never come out of il alive, SO / made
some weak excuse and started down the road.
Keeping q sharp lookout from behind. The old
man was much enraged at my not falling into
the trap and Just as 1 stepped out of view 1 saw
him enter the barn. / determined TO watch
and went into a grove a little further down the
road and i stood where I could see what was
going on at the barn. l saw Moody and his
son come out, each armed with a rife. They
walked into the woods not far from where 1
was hid, evidently meaning to head me of
further down the road. L am certain they
meant to lay in ambush for me and shoot me
down as l passed. But 1 made up my mind 10
fool them and instead of going the way | in
tended went in the opposite direction, pass
ing the house in the woods SO the women
would not see me. I kept close to the road
and when about half a mile from Moody's
ton. They looked like honest fellows
and I confded my suspicious to them.
The first comment one of the men made
was: Il always believed that old wretch was a
murderer As l was not in search of advent
ure l declined to return to Moody's house and
in the trapper's presence demand an ex-
PLANTATION. All 1 asked was their protection
for q mile or two. For an old silver watch
they consented to accompany me. and We
started. / did not suspect Moody or his son
were within a mile of me, but when I suddenly
walked out from a little clump of trees q bullet
went whizzing past me and lodged in the trunk
of a hickory. I Jumped back into q thicket of
underbrush and was almosts scared TO death. /
got out my revolver, however, and prepared to
defend myself. lay there about five minutes.
Suddenly there was another loud report not
far from me. The shot was Immediately fol-
lowed by another and then 1 heard one of the
trappers, who had taken up positions near me
as soon as the first shot was fired, say: i think
they are done for
my trapper friends called me from my hid
ing place, and lying behind a fallen tree were
the bodies Of Moody and his son. The old man
was shot through the temple when he was look
ing over the log for me, and the sons back was
broken, he having started 10 run away after his
father was killed. The bullet passed through
reached them. We then returned to the house.
but finding it empty, looked into the barn and
there found the two women in a big cellar IN
der the building, digging a grave-my grave.
We found no less than twenty skeletons in the
place. That old wretch and his son had killed
every stranger who had visited that part of the
country for years. There was no end of ex-
citement when the news of the ghastly finds in
the den went abroad, and before 1 left the coun-
try the two m were strung up to a tree.
Moody's remains and those of his son were
also hung up as q warning on a tree near the
side Of the road. The old pioneers in that
part Of the country can tell you a much more
Al - - u Al - -