Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-07-25
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS



GUS disguises; we slept in the lhXt
rooms to theirs wherever they put up.
We overheard their conversation, ana
took 1t down in writing. Putting all
we heard intelligibly together, 1t makes
n strange story. Your divorce is all
right, Mr.. Stanmore, but there is some
thing much more serious behind all
this than you can imagine. Shortly,
sir, what we learned was this:
"From the day Mile Rosalie entered
Mr. Pardon's service under false colors
she commenced to plot and plan. She
tried to inveigc him into making love
TO her, but she failed. An artful Wom'
an, gentlemen, is this Mile. Rosalic,
otherwise Mrs. Stanmore. They don't
make them much artfuler in these
days. Failing, she took great pains
to entangle him, so that for her owE
purposes by and by she might make II
appear that he was her lover. The
unlucky gentleman was Il sleep walker;
had been so from childhood, and it was
an intirmty he could not cure himself
of. Well, one night Mile Rosalie nap
pened to see him in this state. what
did she do? Why, she slyly slipped
her pocket handkerchief into his pock'
ct; and on the next day, when he found
it there, he couldn't for the life of him
remember how it came upon him. That
was her first move.
"IIer second move was the introduc'
ton of her lover, Redwing, into the
temporary service of Mr.. Pardon. Only
one person knew that she was ac'
quainted with Rcdwing; that person
was Samuel Fleetwood. Correctly dl'
vining that Fleetwood had communl'
Gated his suspicious to Mr.. Pardon, she
sought that gentleman in his garden
in the dead of night, and worked SO
artfully upon his feelings that she sue
ceeded in destroying the unfavorablo
impressions which he had gained from
Flcetwood's account of Redwing. She
informed Mr. Pardon that RedwinG
was her brother, and he believed her
Chance played into her hands on that
night. The interview, by her connlv'
ing, took place after midnight and III
the dark. She was in deshabillc, and
she and her master were surprised by
Samuel Fleetwood, who passed them
without speaking. Thus, in Fleet
woods eyes, Mr. Pardon was seriously
compromised. There are other minor
details which l need not mention mt
present; l will come at once to the
tragedy of the murder
"Therc is no doubt that Mile. RoSalie
introduced Redwing into Mr.. Pardon'S
house for the purpose of robbery: but
before the plan they were devisns was
ripe, higher game presented itself. Mr.,
Wilmot paid visit to his nephew, Mr..
Pardon. He brought with him sum
of five thousand pounds. Mile. Rosalic,
always on the watch, ascertained that
there was dIscord between the old
gentleman and her master with re-
spect to the marriage of Miss Pardon,
who had fixed her affections upon one
gentleman, whereas Mr.. Wilmot wished
her to favor another. Mile. Rosalie
and Redwing decided to murder MI.
Wilmot and rob him. To reach the
bed chamber of Mr.. Wilmot they had
to pass through that of Samuel Fleet
wood, upon whom they intended to cast
the suspicion of the murder; II he
awoke they resolved to kill him also.
In silence the deed was done. The old
man was weak, and with swift cruelty
he was strangled, and scarce muir
mur came from his lips. He could not
have screamed if he had tried, because
Mile. Rosales hands were tightly fixed
upon his mouth the moment the cord
was pulled. There he lay dead, with
the cord round his neck.
"They found the keys of the dispatch
box in his pocket: unlocking 1T, they
took out the five thousand pounds, re-
locked the box, replaced the key in the
dead mans pocket, and We're about to
leave the chamber when they were
startled by the sudden appearance of
Mr.. Pardon. Certainly the devil was
on their side on that particular night,
for Mr. Pardon was in one of his sleep
WdlklnS tFdnCtS. Sul'h uS tliouShl
they changed their plans, and resolved
to throw the suspicion of the murder
upon him. Mile. Rosalie slipped dia-
mond ring off the murdered gentle
mans finger and slid it into Mr.. Par
don's waistcoat pocket. Then she took
the cord from Mr.. Wilmot's neck, and
glded with it to Mr.. Pardon's bedroom.
The door was ajar, his wife was asleep.
In moment the cord was slipped un-
der the pillow of sofa which was in
the room. The murderers reached
their own apartments in safety and
bided the issue of events.
again did the devil proclaim him
self on their side. After they We're
gone from Mr. Wilmot's room. leaving
Mr.. Pardon there, Samuel Fleetwood,
it appears, awoke, and, seeing his mas
ter standing by the murdered man, in
stantly came to the conclusion that he
had committed the murder This man
was suffering from heart disease, and
was aware that he had but short
time to live; he was deeply, passion
ately devoted to his mistress and her
young daughter; he knew that the ar
rnCt pf Mr. Dopdnp would hripU In ornlI