The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-03-06
miScellaneuua.
GOBO.
BY II. f. SCOTT.

| nineteenth of June, 1868, there drew
up at her pier on East river, New
| York, an ocean steamer. Her flag
was at half mast, which indicated a
death on board. The purser had been
murdered in his state room in mid
ocean, the safe key taken from his
| pocket, and the safe robbed of forty
thousand dollars. Who was guilty of
| the crime? That question remained
| unsolved.
All that was known was that three
mornings before, the purser not APP
pearing as usual, the cabin boy had
| knocked loudly at his door us there
was no response the door had been
| forced. The purSer was found in his
| berth his head had rolled from the
pillow and lay we'll down on mis- left
| shoulder his eyes were staring wildly,
and his features set as though i'll ter
ror They We're the eyes ana features
of "A dead man. His neck was broken.
The only marks upon him were some
livid streaks on each side OF the fore
head, extending down on the cheeks,
and near the back of the mead the
hair had been literally scraped from
the scalp in three or four narrow
streaks, as though by the sharp claws
of an animal or the sharp rake of an
| iron instrument. Blood was on the
head. pillow and sheets. The key of
| the state-room was on the floor. The
murderer had evidently taken the safe
key, robbed the safe, replaced the
| KEY. and then locked the door on the
outside and dropped the key through
the transom. The purser was IA gen
eral favorite, and Indignation, horror,
and IL desire to revenge his death,
soon prevailed. \ rigid examination
of passengers and crew was cOmmenc-
ed at once.
Let us take IA view of the deck of the
steamer on the morning of June 18th.
1t was ten o'clock, and the murder
had been discovered. The captain
and four stalwart seamen We're going
the rounds. They neared the after
deck. Suddenly their ears were greet
ed with the tones of II hand organ.
and as the music swelled on the air Il
bright-ey ed girl of perhaps sixteen
passed the organ grinders hat among
the listeners She had IL frighted and
sad look Her jet black hair and eyes
bespoke her an Italian. The organ
grinder, as he stood there bare headed,
was apparently u man of forty years.
He, too, had the swarthy complexion
of Italy His eyes and features told
of Il determined character-eXcept
when speaking to his patrons. Then
he was all meekness and humility.
He was broad shouldered and strong.
\ strange vocation for that stalwart
man,
Come, dagO, said the captain, mo
more music this trip. There has been
murder done aboard. The purser has
been killed, the safe robbed. No
more music till we reach New York.
"Murda. Ny Coda \ man an TIA
safe no place"
Examine that fellow" said the
captain to his seanen.
Gamma me. | no kilia | lucka
mer' And he held up his hands.
Nothing was found on his person
tending to criminate him.
You are right dago,' said the cap
tain, but we examine everybody.
How is your father by this time?'
"Ola man vera bad. Live get ia
New York, that's all. Come, Reta,
we go see ola man."
The organ grinder had engaged
passage at Liverpool, and as he was
| taking his sick father TO New York,
| he had secured Il state-room. Their
names were down on the passenger
| list as Vincenzio Gasparillo, father
and daughter.
When the steamer reached its pier
! the italians were among the first pas
sengers ready 20 go. Gasparillo
stood on the gang plank, his organ
! strapped on his back, Reta Just in
| front of him, and leaning on one stall
wart arm his infirm father. The old
man wore a long linen buster, which
entirely hid his other clothing. The
peak of the cap on his head came low
down, and was met by the collar of the
| buster. which almost overlappeu the
cap and completely hid his features.
| His hands were gloved and immense
! in size, his shoulders broad and his
arms very long one hand reached to
the knee. On his feet were large slip
pers made of carpet, and evidently
made for him.
Gasparillo bargained with Il hack
man they entered the carriage, and
in thirty minutes stood in dimly
lighted street The third house from
the corner was of brick, and two stories
in height. Gasparillo unlocked the
door, and they all entered, passing to
"a large room on the first floor. The
Italian lit the gas and glanced hastily
around.
ALA right, Reta. Noboda been
here. Lighta fire, maka good cup
coffee, fria ham. go geta bread"
"Oh, father And leave me alone
No, nor
II locka Gobo up. Coma, Gobo;
locka you up Il few minis, then coma
back"
He unlocked an iron door and dis
closed a room reel some eight or ten
feet square. The old man reluctantly
walked into it, and Gasparillo turned
the key.
He soon came back, and Reta, who
had built a fire in the kitchen, took
from the basket a supply of groceries,
including bread enough to last an Or
binary family a week, cocoanuts, fruit,
and several bottles of wine.
Vincensio unlocked the cell door.
"Wella Gobo, you homa now, ola
boy. | give you glass of wine. Nc
giva whisky now. You kiIIa people
when you drink whisky Gooda
Gobo ~
He filled tin cup with wine and
handed it to Gobo, after which he
brought in his organ. drew out a secret
slide in the bottom, and laid two
bundles on the table. He unrolled
each and counted out forty thousand
dollars.
"Mucha mona Poor dago, goOda
man-me no hurta fly Me no can
twista neck-breaka head Gobo, he
bada man, he killa, Ne geta sixty
Thousand IpIIaS ,uprf me UO hack to