Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-11-30

y
proving to jury. "
Il swear | am. ! would not murder
n man. haven't the courage
Nou were the one who walked mp to
The Grange and left 10y the back way
to the river Don lie,'
Il won't sir; / won't. I did that,
but [ did not murder him. On my soul
l didn't, Mr. Darrcnt."
"Then who did,"
"Astray Marsdcnl'
Bah! That's all over. Don't try to
shield yourself that way"
But the paper
"You wrote it, yuu liarl'
ono, MOI swear | didn't III tell
the truth-the whole truth, sir. I'm
everything that's crooked, but ain a
mutderer'
Dawent made the widest random
shot he ever venturcd upon in his life
Josiah Marsden never wrote shat pa
per, " he said
Then HE did, and he murdered
him"
"Nyho?n almost shouted DaIront.
'Silas GosnelL "
"What do you mean?"
"I'll tell you all, sir; I'll tell the
truth. | swear l will | swear | will. "
"You d letter 90 ahead, then.
"Nell about year and half ago
old Marsden came to Iuy house one
ni@ht to see me- He used 10 look in now
and again, sir, just to talk He liked
me to tell him stories about the police -
"Wcll, 60 on.
"Wel, he told me that he'd muir
dered a man.
con-"
Said he'd been over to Paris lured
him to a quiet place and stabbed him
to the heart
Il see, Wel?"
81 didn't know what to do, 80
asked Mr. Gosnell "
"Why?'
"Wcll, l let it slip in talking to him
one day
"What ar awful fool you are. Dob
son.
eyes, sir" he replied, moistcning
his parched lips; 81 believe | am.
Drink this" calculated Darrent
scarcely able to conceal his disgust at
the pitiful state Of the man, as he hand
ed him glass of brandy and water
"Now, then, go on. "
"Gosneu said we'd struck it rich
and he fawncied it would pan out a
| bonanza.
Fright. That sounds like Gosnell. "
Gle told me to leave it to him, and
he d make money, and we'd divide it,,
and we've been dividing il ever since.
He used to 60 up to The Grange and
threaten to give the old man up to JUS
! tice and talk about hanging until Mars
den nearly died of fright, and then he'd
say how much he wanted to keep quiet.
I've had So, 600 as my share.
"SiX thousand one hundred and fifty
dollars, Dobson"
"No, sir. | saved the $3.50 myself, ~
Dobson mournfully answered, and Oar
rent almost burst into laughter at the
/ sudden transition from the sublime tC
the ridiculous.
"Well, go on Get to the night of
! the murder.
''On the night of the murder / was
on my round and as l passed The
Grange about ] saw some one stand
ing at the window. | could tell it wa.
not Marsden, and ] walked up to, the
door, and as | reached there Gosnel
opened it "
what did he say"
He said, Keep off, or I'll brair
you. "
"WelI?"
81 said, It's Dobson, and he said
''Ohl | was Just coming for you. There
been murder done here Then he took
me in and showed me the old man lyine
dead on the floor, He said that he came
there to get some more money out %
Mar-dcn, and as he came up to tn,
front door a man rushed out, nearly
knocking him over, and took to hi
heels. / said; Then it's young Mars
den. He's back. Well he answered
we don't want to be in this, and we !
clear out, but not the front way il
case we run against any one and ge
suspected. Come on. | know how Il
escape. And then lac took me through
the conservatory at the back of TIL,
Grange, out down a flight of steps anC
along tunnel to the river.
"Well2'
Next morning ] had fearful feel
ing that Gosnell had done the murde
himself and | went over to his cottag
about and told him so, "
What did he savF'
He laughed and said ! was mad ant
then took paper from his pocket tn
paper | gave You, Mr.. Darrent, an,
said, / found this in old Marsien
hand when | went into the library. "
That was the paper that accused
Astrayf"
''Yes, sir"
"Well, 90 on.
We'll, he gave me the paper and az
vised me to say nothing about it to I'll
authorities, but to keep it quiet, as
would be worth thousands to blee
Astray with, So later on, when IL
woman Gadsden fetched me, | pr
= tended to take the paper out of OIL
) Marsden' 5 hand.
You re nice blackguard, Dobson
Yes, Mr.. Darrent, but did N,
/ commit the murder "
p Now, then come on" cried Da
, rent Lets see if we can find NJ
Silas Gosnell 4"