Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-03-18
NEAR THE GALLOWS.


ton. Even /, who am somewhat slow
to think as rule, realized that instant
ly. At my feet in the dusty roadway lay
a revolver still hot and smoking from
its discharge, the report Of which had
just startled the quiet of that country
lane, while not 40 feet away from me
lay in the road the body of man who
had fallen from dogcart to the ground,
apparently stone dead. And the worst
of it was that the man who lay there in
the road was my bitterest enemy.
The horse stopped and sweryed with
terror at the discharge of the pistol, and
this action threw the man, dead or
wounded, from the cart. The groom,
who was sitting back to back with his
master, jumped from the vehicle and
ran toward the prostrate figure, while
the horse, left entirely to his own de-
vices came toward and went past me
in mad gallop,
As drowning man thinks SO did ]
In that brief period. When the groom
reached the body of his master, be saw
in an instant that the man was dead.
Then he looked at me. was still re-
viewing the situation. But there wasn't
much time to spare.
1t was not / who fired the fatal shot.
The road at this point was lined on one
side with high hedge, and knew that
the murderer had fired from this ambush
and dexterously thrown the revolver to
where it lay Just at my feet. But was
quick enough to realize that no jury in
the world would ever believe this unless
proof of the real murderer could be pro-
duced.
Instantly l knew that my only hope
lay in his capture, and Immediately
dashed through the hedge in search of
him, while the groom, thinking no
doubt that was attempting to escape,
came in hot pursuit of me-
Inside Of the hedge there was no sign
of any living being. The fair, green
fields stretched away to the hillside, be-
ypnd which the white walls of farm
house were just visible, as peacefully as
if there could be no such thing as the
tragedy which had just taken place upon
the other side Of the hedge. I looked up
and down the long hedgerow in vain.
There was not the slightest clew to the
murderer to be seen.
However, determined that the man
might possibly make for the railroad
station, from whence ! had just come
for knew that there was train to the
city due in a few minutes. Could the
ruffian catch it? And could / overtake
him before he did so? If not, I reflected,
might easily telegraph to the next sta
ton and have him apprehended.
Twas running all the time as hard as
I could inside of the hedge and toward
the railway station. The groom had
given up pursuit of me, doubtless think
ing it his duty to return to his masters
body. 1t wanted six minutes before the
train was due, as I saw by hasty
glance at my watch, but did not know
how far the station was from where the
murder occurred.
never ran SO hard in my life before,
but felt that my life depended on the
chance of securing the murderer, and
consequently the effort cost me no strain
My wind began to tell ON me, however,
at the end of the first quarter mile, and
was just wondering vaguely how long
I could keep up when came upon the
empty dog cart, with the runaway horse
quietly cropping grass by the roadside
Here was luck indeed. jumped into
the cart as speedily as my exhausted
strength would let me, and. gathering
up the reins, ! struck the whip, and we
were Off as fast as the animal could
run toward the station.
] estimated that there was still two
minutes before the train was due, and
felt sure that the station could not be
more than a third of mile distant
Suddenly I heard the whistle of the
locomotive, and with it came an inspi.
ration.
The murderer might never be found.
At all events, could not lay hands on
him just then. Why not take the train
and make good my own escape while
the opportunity presented itself? 1t
seemed terrible thing to thus flee from
justice because of a crime which had
not committed, but could not for my
life see any other course open. So !
urged the animal to still greater speed,
and, pulling up at a bend in the road
before reached the station, jumped
down and ran, just in time to scramble
upon the train as it was moving off.
1t was curious freak of chance, if
indeed it was chance alone, which had
brought me down TO Hopeville that
morning and thrust me into the unenvi-
able position of a suspected murderer. !
had received telegram from Randolph
Cutting, the man whom had just seen
murdered, asking me to come down inn
mediately to Hopeville, and in OBEDIENCE
to this summons I had taken an early
morning train down from New York.
Hopeville is an exceedingly unpreten.
tious little New Jersey village, if indeed
a country store and two small houses