The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1896-09-17
The DEACOES DISAPPEARANCE
By WILLIAM LEIGHTON.

The light certainly did not come lint
there was now more official inouirv a.
well Is energy. Girvan, at an early hour
Of the forenoon, took the blood stained
paper to the bailies' Office and found
that the assessor was so much IMPRESSED
with the strangeness Of the whole story
that he had resolved upon handing it
over to the fiscal Nor did he fail in
this, as soon appeared by a wall bill
which, about o'clock, glared in various
parts Of the city to the effect that
whereas paper on which was written
the following words (quoted) had been
found on the High street of Edinburgh.
reward Of f5 wonld be given TO the /
person who had written the contents Of |
the said paper assuming it doubtful |
whether Angus Macgillivray was the
man), if he would come forward and |
give testimony as to the object or mean
ing thereof, or to any person who would
give information tending to show where
the person of Duncan Macgillivray, dea-
con of the hammermen, could be found,
whether dead or alive. Nor did the fis-
cal limit his official duties by this proc
la1nation, for about 2 o'clock he COM
menced 2recognition of all parties who
knew anything regarding the affair,
among whom were the deaconess (who
was, in consequence q her weakness,
taken to tho Office in sedan chair,
Mrs Angus Macgillivray, Mcpherson,
Girvan, myself and the individuals who
had seen the missing men on the day of
their disappearance.
But nothing came out Of the bill or
the precognitions tending toward any
theory sufficient to stay the mind or in
duce belief, if we except statement
made by young man, q clerk in the
coach Office, opposite which the blood
stained paper had been found. He went
forward in the afternoon and was pre-
cognosced by the fiscal to the effect that
on the day Of the disappearance he saw
two men whom he did not know mount
the coach just when. it began to move,
. and without having time to pay their
fares, which they probably calculated
upon settling at the other end of their
: journey.
One of the men, who was stouter and
, fatter than the other, got inside, and
I the other, Immediately upon perceiving
: the movement, sprang up behind He
observed no concert between the two,
t yet he felt satisfied that the one had re.
solved to go after he saw the other about
! to take his seat. 1t was only after be
/ heard description of the two Macgilli
| ways that he began to think they wert
, the men whom he had observed WheI
i this story came to be known, it wa
e conveniently found to agree in some re
: spects with the history Of the paper. As
! Stunning that the men seen by the clerl
were really the two brothers, it seemed
a probable that the deacon was he VIII
y went inside, probably called upon t.
undertake the journey on short notice b.
i some business emergency, and that An
gus, who was providing about, had see
q his brother in the act of entering tn
i coach, had suddenly formed a resolu
;, ton to dog him into the country an
h there wreak his revenge at distanc
Il from Edinburgh.
y This sudden purpose seemed probable
l. because if there had been any concel
: between the two to travel togethe
Angus would have gone inside also
! where, according to the clerks state
} ment, there was plenty Of ROOF
I for him. So far ingenious and Gel
) tainly in the circumstances not improl
7 able. Then, as to the paper, what MOI
7 likely than that it should have con
I with the returned coach, having bee
( sent by Angus when upon the eve (
Z fight after committing the deed an
& bearing the marks of bloody fingers? 4
= for the motive for thus proclaiming b
( villainy, the most difficult element
{ the whole story, it might have bee
) what might not be when the mind
} predisposed to find that it is0 the wi
y act Of bravado, glorying, as Mrs. Ma
4 gillivray herself expressed it, in his
Z venge at time when he knew he won
Z be far away before the paper reached
{ destination.
& Another day dawned, bringing with
I of course further confirmation, in t.
( passage Of time, Of the universal co
{ viction that, whatever might be t
4 speculations as to the when, how
& wherefore, there could be little doubt
8 the fate Of Deacon Macgillivray. A
- with the same increase of effect the d
. passed Taking Girvan along with n
ccai called at the house In Borthwicl
X Close about O'Clock. We found the
- Mrs. Girvan, and another, Of all
'di. world the most unexpected, the wife
Angus Macgilivray herself. Her ST.
In- was extraordinary enough. She S;
S 19s' that ever since the taking out Of
IN. lawborrows Angus Macgillivray /
1ple been changed man. He read his Bi
[ Cai' in the morning and showed other in
nts cations Of penitence for the enmity
tbs, had entertained toward his brother.
' tS "And now" continued the woman
Cal. she took from her pocket Bible, WI
.ole. sho had probably brought with her
San the very purpose, II swear by this
,Sue. book, which I hope to be the mean
= the salvation of my soul and that Of
lore husband, that Angus Macgillivray,
free that morning when he so strangely
San appeared, stated to me, aye with t
i Ens, in his eyes, that he mourned contin
ly over the separation Of himself and
AND brother; that he was determined
se Cal throw himself in his way, to con
- his contrition and sorrow for what
; / Ser passed, to offer him his hand and sv
,s,F a renewed friendship, which he W.
ono keep true to the day of his death.
vs.. This remarkable statement, WI
- was confirmed by the manner rs we
! uo'' the honest character of the woman,
liars. I think, believed by all Of us excep