Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-02-14
VICTIM OF HIS OWN PLOT.

A story Of treachery followed by
poetic retribution is told in dispatch
dated October 16 from Lucknow to a
London newspaper. The, scene of the
occurrence Is little village with a
police post few miles from the In
dian city.
Late in the evening traveller, the
story goes, realizing that he could
not reach Lucknow before dark and
fearing the dangers of the road,
stopped at the house of the police in
spector, a native official, and applied
Tor shelter for the night.
II am carrying a considerable sum
of money!" said he, "and in view of
the dangers of the country desire to
have your protection until I can re-
sume my journey by daylight"
The inspector made him welcome,
gave him water and food, finally TAX
ing him to a sleeping room, where
he left him alone.
AS the night wore on the traveller
was stricken with sleeplessness.
Presently he heard voices near his
window and strange sounds of labor
He got up and looked out His eyes,
used to the greater darkness of the
room. discerned two men digging in
a field at the back of the house. He
strained his ears to catch what they
were saying, and realized in a few
moments that they were digging a
grave for him. They were in plot
with the inspector of police to muir
der him for his money and hide his
body away before daylight,
In panic he stole through the house
and crept out by back door. He
dashed through the village as noise
lessly as he could, and a mile or so
down the road climbed tree, where
he sat in safety in the shadow of the
foliage until daybreak came. Then
as a patrol came along he slipped
down to the ground and told his
story to the commanding officer.
All hands returned to the village,
and there the first news that greeted
them was the mysterious disappear
ance of the police inspector. The pa
troll took up the search on new lines.
The traveller located for them the
grave that had been intended to re-
Ceive him. The recent disturbance
of the ground was evident. The SOL
diers opened the trench, and there
was found the body Of the police in
spector, horribly hacked.
The arrest of two men who had
been seen with him late on the pre-
vious evening followed, and then the
whole case became simple. After ar
ranging with his accomplices the plot
to rob and murder the traveller the
police inspector started to get drunk
while they were busy digging the
grave. In this condition the idea
struck him that he would go in and
do the killing himself, and so skim
the cream off the booty instead of di-
viding equally. STOPPING over the
bed to grip his victim by the throat,
he must have fallen forward and
passed quickly into a drunken slum-
Der.
When the two accomplices outside
got the grave finished they began to
wonder at the inspectors failure to
turn up. They suspected that he was
off drinking, and" they determined to
do the job themselves. Entering the
house they armed themselves with
the inspectors sabre, and creeping
into the room attacked the man in
the bed, literally hacking him to
death.
Then they struck light to look
for the plunder and, discovering their
mistake, had nothing left to do but
bury the murdered man In the grave
they had dug.-New York Sun.