The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-15

bCup1lt SnelIcT from lllt GNU III a wv
IN which he found in clearing. On
entering the hut he found its occu-
pant, an aged man, lying dead upon |
a miserable bed. The rC-rn was in dis
order, but no marks O. violence were |
visible on the old mans body. Hughes |
iutified the authorities and the case |
was investigated. In the hut was |
found a quEntny of old gold and sill. |
yer coins-sJmc of them dating back |
many centuries. Some rare old manu- |
scripts and antique armor were found |
in the cellar
"At the inquest held yesterday after |
noon the coroner stated that the con- |
dition of the internal organs had con- |
WINGED him that the old man had died |
of heart failure. The heart showed |
no LESSONS, and this fact substantiated |
his theory that death was not caused |
by organic cardiac weakness, but that |
heart paralysis was brought about |
by means of some drug-probably |
chloroform The jury having viewed |
the body, and carefully examined the |
premises suspected foul play and |
brought in a verdict Of death by vio-
lence at the hands of person or persons !
unknown
Two suspicious characters who !
We're seen in the neighborhCod have |
been placed under arrest. The police |
expect to have a clear case in few |
days. Their prompt action is praise
worthy, and it is to be hoped that the |
miscreants who are guilty of the foul |
outrage will receive their deserts"
The article Just quoted, which I
found in a leading New York daily n
few days ago, is the reason for the |
statement / now make. There are |
those who will censure me foT the alb |
Breviated and incomplete statement |
made when l notified the authorities |
but l feel that my reasons for such ac-
tion We're good and sufficient, and l
now submit them to the pubic in the
interest of justice.
/ had secured passage on a steamer
which was to leave New York for Liv-
erpool the day following the discovery
Of the body of the old man Herbert by
which name he was known, for
had been called home on urgent bust
ness. / told the authorities then all
that the ends of justice demanded, for
at that time there was no suspicion of
foul play. Besides, what | had seen
was so strange, what l had heard was
so incomprehensible. that. though l was
convinced of it's reality, | feared that
its relation woulC serve no good end,
and might entail upon myself endless
annOyan@1, delay and, perhaps, sus
picion, Even now there are those who
will assert that the events which l
describe as having occurred in the old
mans hut were only a dream pro-
duced by an over wrought magma
tion and the draught which l had TAX
en- from Hcrbcrts hand. To these l
-
events which l describe in relation
to the old man, actually occurred; and
as evidence Of both my honesty and
mental soundness, l am ready to
affirm, in any way the law may re-
quire to free the two unfortunates
accused of the murder of Herbert the
truthfulness OF the events set forth in
the subjoined deposition:
My name is Thomas Hughes: my
permanent residence Cardiff Wales.
j am not an English tourist" as the
New York paper stated. nor am |
a tourist at all. My father and mother
died when l was very young and left
me a comfortable competence. My
early training was attended to by a
maternal uncle who, possessed of fine
literary taste resolved that / should
have the best educational advantages.
During my college course / became
deeply interested in Philology and
particularly in the history and origin
of the Celtic languages. Two months
ago l went to New York to visit Pro-
fessor Al, a man who has devoted
his life to research in the studies
which 1 am pursuing. When about to
return / remembered that some dis
tant relatives OF mine resided az
Do I'D I Ial ct
them and see the anthracite coal fields
before sailing for home At Scranton l
met many congenial spirits and, in
talking of my hobby, learned Of the
existence at Marshtown Ca small min
ing village a few miles distant from
Scranton) of an old man called Her.
bert, q. sort Of hermit who was said
10 be a masSer of all the Gaelic
tongues. ] decided to visit this
strange parsonage, but the hospital
ity OF the Scrantonians pressed upon
me so many social obligations that l
postponed the visit from day to day.
On the morning Of December 10th re-
ceived a. cablegram from my attorneys
at Cardiff requesting me to return as
soor as possible to complete some
business in relation to q transfer OF
property in which l was interested.
found that ] could leave New York on
the 18th. SO l decided to visit Herbert
that afternoon.
took the train to Marshtown and
after receiving some very complicated
directions there, set out beyond the
limits of the village to find the mys-
terious hermit's cabin. 1t was about
3 o'clock when l started, l tramped
through the woods for nearly two
hours when, not finding the object of
my search, l began to think that / had
lost my way, or had been deceived
The ground was covered with sleety
snow and walking was extremely diff
cult. Darkness began to set in and l
was on the point of abandoning my
search. when my eye caught a glm-
mer of light down in a valley only a
short distance from the spot where l
was standing. / pressed forward to
the locality in which / saw the well
come radiance and found that it came
from the cabin l was in search of.
The hut was situated in a small clear
ing In a pine forest at the foot Of the
mountains. To reach 1t would have
to cross a half-frozen stream Of water.
The ice would not bear my weight,
consequently l must leap the stream,
as there was no bridge crossing 1t. l
am not very athletic, yet l considered
the leap not beyond my powers and
essayed II. l succeeded in reaching
the opposite bank; but one of my feet
slipped on the icy ground and l fell
heavily wrenching my ankle so Sc
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