Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-07-01
A WATCH THAT STRUCK FIVE.

A WATCH THAT STRUCK FIVE.
During the reign of Alexander H., of
Russia, one of the banks of Moscow was
swindled out of large sum of money.
Colonel OlOnetZ, then in command of reg
iment of Cossacks, was suspected of being
the adroit scoundrel, but there was not
enough evidence to convict him, although
he was under arrest in one of the towns
of Novgorod.
The missing link in the evidence was
the one necessary absolutely to prove that
the Colonel had driven the vehicle which
had stood outside the bank, and which had
been traced from Moscow into the district
of Novgorod, where it had been abandon
ed.
One morning a confederate of the
swindler stopped at the door of a country
smith shop in the district, where the
smith, Ivan FeOdOr by name, was hammer
ing away on his anvil.
Good morning." cried the visitor, his
suave manner in keeping with his fine
clothes. about ten days ago you shOd
black horse for heavy-built, dark-faced,
military-looking man."
81 don't know" replied the smith, as
he leaned on his sledge. 81 shoe great
many horseback, brown, gray, and pie
bald-for all sorts of people, and l don't
tax my memory with it,"
''He drove pair of black horses, with
flowing tails and manes," particularized
the visitor. 'They were harnessed to a
black carriage with panels picked in with
green. The man had a loud, clear voice,
and
81 remember the occasion distinctly"
interrupted Ivan FeOdor.
"But don't want you to remember with
distinctness," the stranger bluntly said.
"Ah, indeed" exclaimed the smith.
"Then why press me so minutely"
I'd rather your memory was vague
nay, exceedingly treacherous," the other
said. in a significant tone. 81 have one
thousand rubles here" he added, with a
shrug of his shoulders. "They are yours
just as easy as that" and he snapped his
fingers.
Ivan Feodor was at once on the alert.
He was needy, greedy, INSCRIPTIONS.
"Td like to make thousand rubles that
easy" he said, with grin.
''Who wouldn't, I'd want to know"
asked the stranger, at the same time dis
playing bag of coin. "You may be call
ed upon to testify tomorrow. Now, you
know, you need not be able to recall the
man, the team, or the occasion, with any
thing like definiteness. You can edge away,
when questioned, without your conscience
troubling you about it afterward."
81 understand YOU" responded the
smith, with a grin, his eyes on the bag of
coin. REALLY, don't know that it was
ten days ago. 1t might have been twenty.
There are many dark faced men and many
dark horses. AS l didn't repair the car
riage, l am not so sure that looked at it.
had no occasion to-"
He laughed cunningly, whereupon the
visitor said: II find you can do me ser
vice. Here is the money"
The smith took the bag with an avari-
cious chuckle. "But my wife saw the
man and the team" he slowly said.
Oh, she did, eh?' cried the visitor.
''But l have no bag of rubles for her.
Perhaps they will not send for her."
"Anyhow, her memory is ten times
worse than mine" Ivan FeOdor said, with
a significant leer "Then, too, my boy was
looking on"
"PoohP' cried the other, as he walked
away.
The next day the officers of the law ar
rested the smith, his wife, and his son, a
bright, honest, observant boy, and took
them before the magistrate.
Colonel Olonetz, the prisoner, was pres
ent at the hearing, but the smith and his
wife would not swear to his identity. The
one thousand rubles had befogged their
memories, and the conflicting character of
their testimony was purposed. - -
A look of qualification came to the face
of the prisoner, for he knew the evidence
was not sufficient to convict him. His
equanimity was little disturbed, however,
when the prosecuting officer of the Vice
roy of the valosti (districD called the
blacksmith son to the stand.
After it had been ascertained that the
boy knew the nature and responsibility of
an oath, it was administered. Go
''What is your name?" he was asked.
"Paul Feodor," was his prompt reply.
GLOW old are you?"
Fourteen years, sir"
"You are Ivan Feeders SOM"
~ am, sir
"You are learning your trade with
him."
Eyes"
''You saw the stranger and his team
about ten days ago?''
81 did, SIR
"Describe the horses"
"They were black, heavy, handsome"
''With flowing tails and manes"
eyes, sir"
"Were they well mated"'
eyes, sir"
'Your mother said they were not match
ed in size or color"
"They were a well-matched pair" in
sisted the boy.
"What do you know about the car
riage?"
at was a new carriage, painted black,
with panels picked in with green, and
wheels of the same color"
"Your father testified that the wheels
were painted red; your mother said they
were yellow"
"The wheels were black, sir"
"Colonel Olonetz, stand up" ordered
the prosecuting officer. Then he asked
Paul FeOdor, SIS this the man who drove
the team?'
"He is, sir" answered the boy, fear
lessly.
"Are you positive about it?"
81 am, sir"
The direct testimony of the boy annoyed