Milford chronicle., 1896-08-07

. bt@ry Of "A man VINO STOOD on q slipper
Place and Was Saved
Were you ever suspected Of muir
der2' inquired government official o.
a reporter.
Never" responded the reporter. as
calmly as # questions OF that character
were his daily food.
'Wen, I was once, and II you have
any feelings at all you need never want
to be-"
The reporter nodded for the official
to proceed and the official proceeded.
when l was about 20 or there
abouts," he said, Il was hard case. |
don't know why. because my family
were decent people and had some mon
ey; butsomehow flew the track and be-
fore had attained my majority was a
gambler, a drunkard, and generally a
tough character, though up to the time
of which am about to tell had never
been in the hands of the law. Living
in my neighborhood was man whom
I hadn't much use for, and it was
known we were not friends, though we
were on speaking terms and had some
business relations. Our town was about
three miles from the railroad station.
and one November evening just about
sunset, as l was coming TO town afOot,
met him walking to the station.
He stopped me, much to my surprise,
and asked me If had any money, be-
cause if had he would sell me his
watch for almost nothing. as he was go
ing TO the city unexpectedly and need
ed cash. AS it happened had two ten
dollar bills and three fives, which re-
ceived from the station agent not an
hour before, and us the mans watch
was good gold one I thought had
chance to turn an honest penny-some.
thing 1 didn't do very often. So I
opened negotiations. Several persons
we knew passed us as we were decker
ing, and at last went on home with the
watch and he went to the station with
s25, including a $40 bill with the sta
ton agents name on it, in red ink, |
which had caused a part of our delay !
In the trade, as he didn't want 1t and |
insisted that he take it.
"As it turned out he had reason for |
not wanting 1t and / can't say why |
was so anxious for him to take it. Well, !
next day the mans dead body was
found In the woods quite near the sta
ton. and mile rom where we had met |
AID made our trade. and it was evident
that he had been robbed, for his pockets
we're turned inside out and everything
taken. My connection with the matter
lid not strike me until the day after,
and was arrested on suspicion. / was
80 badly ratified by the shock of an ar
rest on such a charge that made my
case worse by talking. and when the
mans watch was found ON me and it
was known that I had been treating
the crowd the night of the murder,
hadn't any show at ALL
"Of course I protested my innocence
md told my story, but people took it
with little grace, for my character was
known. and after an examining trial
vas jailed without bail What suf-
cred nobody except myself can know,
md before week had passed 1 had
made up my mind TO commit suicide
md end the whole thing. I am sure I =
would have done so, but providence had
omething else in store for me, and sent
t by stranger. This man was arrested
s drunk and disorderly ten days after
ny arrest, and when he was searched in
he station house a $40 bill was found
N him bearing the station agents
anne.
THE officer who searched him was a
riend of mine, and as soon as he got
is hands on the bill he thought he had Z
Ound a way out of my difficulties. and
'ent after my lawyer Then they saw
he station agent, and he identified the =,
i'll as the only one he had ever put his u
anne on, and remembered that / had F
1l1ingly asked him what to do TO make
good. The next move was to make y
sw inquiries of the stranger as to how +,
e came into possession of the money. u
his was done by waiting until next +
forming when he was sober, and charg- NJ
e him directly with the murder 1t v
as so sudden that he weakened on the :,
,ot, as most murderers will, and the
suit was that I was saved Saved in
.ore senses than one, too" concluded
lie official, ''fOr from that day lived
NV life, and thank God I have never "a
Hen into evil ways since, and that was
years ago" T!
How do YOU explain the notion to "a
I've the station agents signature on T!
e bill and your insisting on the man s.
king it?" inquired the writer.
God moves in a mysterious way His sa
onders to perform, was the reverent
ply. gr
And the man who did not want to 81 81
Ike the marked bill?" as
He was running away from justice
: had spent every dollar of a fund be- !
nging to an orphan and had been yge
lied to an accounting. Washington is.
ar. Z,
rainier. wnaL IS a deadlock ?" asked
hnnie Chatiie, who had read about tho
oceedings of the city council. pa
Mr.. Chaffie believes in answering
omptly all questions proceeding from Ell
offspring, so he replied Immediately: Al,
"A deadlock, my son, is what yogr
theirs back hair Is made of."-Tex- &c
ter.