The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-14
The MURDER ON THE ESSEX MARSHES
BY B. L. FARJEON.
Copyrighted. 1856, BY B. l. Farjcon.

1 erybody tells me 7 am wicked and rebel
| lious not 10 confess: but I have nothing
70 confess have been found guilty. ana
am being punished for a crime I did 40.
nplit. That should satisfy them. but
it does not They want me 10 declare
| what is false, and ] will never. never
DO il, because I know what nobody else
| seems 70 know, that 1 am truly truly in
recent or the horrible charge. When
beg them 20 let me alone they say ! am
| stubborn. and that the law never makes
/ mistakes. Doesn't TT Then It makes an
/ innocent person a murderer, as IL has
made me. l wonder II there are others
| " no have suffered as l am suffering. who
I feel as feel, that nothing can ever bring
/ them back 70 life-for / am really like "a
| De ad girl who has been shamefullF cruel
/ - deprived Of all her hopes Of happiness
/ I did look forW ard 20 the future. and
/ what is IL now? But TIL my last hour
! / shall say 1 am innocent. / am limo
! cent? And God Will judge me. There is "A
| little comfort IN that, because God makes
| no mistakes, and In another world, " not
/ in this, my Innocence will be proved.
"Good-by for ever, Frank. Heaven send
you every happiness that life contains. 1
shall pray for IL day and night"
| ) pathetic letter" I said, handing Il
| back TO Bartlett. ! was deeply moved.
and all my sympathies went out 10 the
writer. i gather that the poor girl was
condemned 10 be hanged. and that ths
sentence was committed 10 Imprisonment
for life"
Yes. Now. Lewis. does the letter bear
the impress Of truth
ITO my mind. undoubtedly. In express
ing this opinion do not lose sight OF the
Irghtful tenacity with which guilty per-
sons viii adhere, even under the most des-
perste circumstances. and where no doubt
can possibly exist, to their declarati tons of
innocence. That is not so in this case. She
has told the solemn. the sacred truth 10
her lover. ! can almost see her writing
the letter In her cell. her eyes filled with
tears, and her heart with woe and tender
ness. She can never hope to be united TO
the man she loves; IL she were released to-
day with the disgrace still hanging TO her.
II is my belief that she would refuse to
marry him because she would not cast
the shadow Of an uncommitted crime upon
his name.
you almost echo my thoughts" OBJ
served Bartlett.
Have you seen the poor grip" I asked.
4 was in court for a short time during
the trial. You have read the case in the
papers; it is The Murder in Esex Marsh
es."
Il have not heard of It till now"
us 1t possible?" ne exclaimed.
During my holiday" l said with a smile
Il would not look at an English news
paper" l paused moment. 1T would
be a capital commencement of our part
nership If we could prove this young wo-
mans innocence, if we could restore her
10 the arms of the man she loves. her
future life hallowed, as it were by the
trials through which she had passed.
1T would be the making of us. Lewis"
And a good deed accomplished"
He repeated my words. And a good
deed accomplished" He was a humane
man as well as a practical one, and there
was a sentimental side to his character
which he exhibited only to his most init
mate friends
l came straight TO the point.
DO you see your way to its accomp-
nshment?'
Frankly, I do not Although / know
where we ought TO commence
All / said. interrupting him. that is
something"
'suI, i have an idea that to succeed,
we shall have to bring the inventive fac
ulty into play Your inventive faculty,
Lewis. I am the practical partner. you
know. l feel confident that you will be
able to strike the nail on the head
First find your nall" said senten-
tiously
And be careful" he added, when you
strike to drive it in"
Exactly. We must get to work at
once Where do we commence?"
In this house" he replied.
l stared at him in establishment You
are joking, surely?"
Never felt less inclined TO joke in my
life. AS you know nothing of the muir
der Tthad best make you acquainted with
the particulars"
1T will be as WE'LL" / said, dryly, for
! confess that I did not relish his sugges-
ton OF associating the house in which
Jessie was living with a horrible crime
He commenced quite calmly.
Down Essex way, not far from the
vii of
iase lies a' Milford 'I Hollow .ns which, Eii
anoW "ptb % only Two 70 10 now few people
spot. If you want to get talked about
commit murder; If you want to raise a
locality from obscurity, commit your muir
der there. On the outskirts of Milford
village are ten or a dozen farm houses.
Milford Hollow is a sort of valley be-
tween two hills, which are more or less
of a forest There is only one farm house
In the Hollow, and it stands entirely iso-
lated from other residences. This farm
house was inhabited by an old woman.
Mrs. Frazer
''To call the Hollow Farm-that is the
name 1t goes by-a farm is ridiculous for
1t Is no farm at all. There is a lot of
waste land about it of which no use was
made, for the little patch of kitchen
garden cannot be reckoned of much ac-
count. This patch of ground was utilized
by Mrs. Frazer to save the expense of buy
ing vegetables. and it was currently re-
ported in the village that she and her
niece, who were the only occupants of the
farm often lived for Weeks together upon
the green stuff grown there, and upon
nothing else. There was plenty of color
for this statement, because it is a matter
of fact that Mrs. Frazer spent very little
money for food, and none at all upon
luxuries. A loaf or two of bread, an ounce
or two of meat some dripping for butter,
and what they gathered from the kitchen
garden, comprised their usual stock of pro-
visions. The old woman had no relatives
in the world but this one niece, Rosa
Meadowfield,
Not to make mystery OF 1t, Rose Mead
owiield is the writer of the letter you have
just read
THE reason why the old woman lived so
penuriously is that she was a miser. She
could have well afforded to live in better
style, for she was rich, but she boarded
her money, and to spend the smallest sum
was like spending her hearts blood. 1t is
upon record that four years ago she re-
ceived 5000 for piece of land in another
part of Essex that was wanted by a rail>
way company. She drew out the money
for the cheque across the bank counter.