Middletown transcript., 1902-04-26
Miss Tompkins Mystery
. GIVE hilarious horseman came
- charging through the darkness
until within few feet q an
y on-eoing buggy. Then the fore
BIZ EUGEMA D. BIfHaM.

- charging through the darknes
= until within q few feet Of q
= on-going buggy. Then the iors
most shouted:
"Halt, or we shootl'
The buggy halted with jerk, an
its two occupants nerved tllelnselve
for what they knew was coming. al
most instantly lanterns we're flashing
in their faces, other faces peering q
them. The road was such that tn
horsemen could not surround the buggy
and several, half drunk, and holding
pistols. had dismounted to make inspec
ton OF the buggy's occupants.
tWhat name?' asked the leader, hi
tone itself showing surprised disappoint
ment
Horace Tilly and mother" the mar
answered. whats the trouble?"
Trouble be hangedl We are after
Ed Tompkins, the murderer, blast himP'
swore tile fellow, satisfied that neither
OF the parties before him could be that
much hunted person. With less Of
whisky in him he might have been
harder to satisfy. Lowering his lantern,
he started to the rear Of the vehicle,
calling ont, "No go, boysl Let's pass
,em!''
Yelling and cursing the men managed
to remount their horses, and the small
man in the buggy treuIt,ied more We
lently than his mother did when shouts
of, "Pass 'emi Jump the buggyw split
the air.
The two parties were on most dan
gerous piece of road, one side skirting
an abrupt hill, the other side but foot
or two from poorly guarded cliff edge,
rocks and river far below.
"They are just drunk enough to try
to jump us" quavered the small man,
peering back of the buggy.
His companion quietly took the reins
in her large hands, and turning the horse
as close to the hill as possible, held him
there. With yells that seemed to some
from demons rather than men, the horse
men made mad rush on the backward
track to gain space, the leader whirling
about first, and making rush directly
at the buggy. In moment there was
a fine tanning OF air about that vehicle,
and then a noble horse scrambled wildly,
close to the right forewheel Of the buggy,
balanced himself, and dashed ON. An
other splendid animal Immediately fol-
lowed suit, and third, their riders
cursing and cheering by turns, the lady
in the buggy holding her astonished steed
as best she could, her son fairly covering |
from fright.
The two remaining horsemen declined
to make the leap.
''Drive on there, you road blockers,
and be quick about itr' they shouted.
And the road blockers drove on, their
horse not refusing to be quick, the lines
managed by the woman, while her son,
no doubt, thanked God for the shielding
darkness
Some two hours later Mr.. Horace lilly
purchased railroad ticket for his mother
at a country station, saw her comfortably
seated in coach, kissed her with a really
manly effort to conceal his tears, and
again again sought his buggy The same ter
rible piece of road was to be re-traveled,
this time alone, and fear almost beyond
control set his body to trembling. But
the entire drive was accomplished in
safety, and at about three O'Clock in
the morning the horse was laboriously
embarrassed and put in a stall. Then,
mud spattered, tSar spattered, and ut
,terly weary, the alleged Horace Tilly
climbed none other than the back steps !,
of Mr.. Ed Tompkins' home, let himself
in with latch key, and in five minutes
became Miss Tompkins, maiden lady.
and now the only occupant Of the house.
Where her brother had hidden the
three days and nights since the murder,
not even Miss Tompkins knew. He had I
stealthily let himself in the very night 1
that the officers grew careless in watch
ing his house, and had made good his '
escape as described. Had the buggy q
and horse belonged to him he would i
doubtless have been captured. They s
belonged, however, to an old farmer t
who had for years been allowed to n
put them in the Tompkins' barn when k
he stayed overnight in town. o
That Miss Tompkins would or could II
sustain her part of the escape would c.
have been almost impossible OF belief ts
to the townspeople, to all of whom she n
was we'll known. She was teacher and il
had taught the alphabet to the parents
Of many of her present pupils. Possibly W
there was not man, woman or child k
in the place who did not sincerely admire n
the timid, exceedingly dressy. faithful "
little woman who at fifty was as patient al
rs she had been at twenty. Some people c!
said that her heart had been broken and a
thrown away in her youth. If so, she Of
lad recovered the largest fragment and re
It had never failed her. 1t came nearest W
~ uOlHS 81 WHICH sue EAT All bil0 4utCb Ia
house and realized that her brother had h,
AIKEN with him every cent of the money ii
which she had laid away year after year. in
The old age which she knew was upon gl
Ter made her very shy Of the lonely iii
brother, no money. So size be
'egan to borrow daily paper from a III
and watch the want column, 10
linking to see something by which she es
ould add to her earnings. One day she
azed in great excitement at the following H.
~
"Any person wishing to sell the use tai
( his brains at the rate of seven thous- nj,
nd dollars per annum, will please apply an
Perriwink Home Place, near Fetters- to
urg, Pa, on Thursday morning, ninth
lstant, between the hours ten and IL
gelve." oa