The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-12

10 tne D1fn WIN Jne rig. Inen attef
we had been at the restaurant for
which he paid, also for the horse,
he gave me half dollar and said
lie wanted me to go across there and
buy a small hatchet for his boy 10
play with | began to tell him to go
and do his own buying when he set
his eyes upon me in the queerest sort
of a look, something like the look of
a snakes eye. Then l felt his in
fluence tightening his grip on my
mind, 50 | went, intending to go into
the store and out the back way to get
the horse and rush off for home.
When / turned to close the door he
stood looking upon me through the
window and Just bought the hatch.
ct and came out again, but by that
time he had disappeared, so l went
to the barn. get my rig and started
for home. When made the turn
on to Miltary-st. he was at the cor
ner to get in. He rode as far as
South Park, where he got out to take
the car. lie took the hatchet with
him and said nothing nor did / think
anything at the time about the
change
"Once at the depot at AdaIr he
came out of the house in his shirt
sleeves and exercised me by compell-
| ing me TO walk the rails all the while
| felt as small as a bantam chicken.
When he arranged with me about his
wedding he said he would go to Port
Huron and meet me on the road be-
tween that place and the church. I
thought he really meant to get mar
ried when he engaged my services,
| but when we met on the road and he
was alone began 10 feel uneasy but
he said it was all right, the Others
would come in a carriage.
"When we went into the church |
wanted to light lamp to which he
dissented, saying, No, Elder; no light
unless they should come presently
he said May be you'd better have a
little fire. so / went out and passed
wood TO him through the window.
When I had put in what / thought
would be enough he said 'Now
Elder, the moon Is shining right on
| the front door and If you go around
| there to come i'm someone may see
/ yu. Just put up some wood here
and come in at this window"
| ~ brought a few sticks and laid
| them across each other from the top
of which he helped me into the build
| ing. He let the window nearly down
| again and we kept looking out
| through the opening to see the others
come down the State road. Presently
he took a big hearty laugh and said
! 'T'here amt no use looking for there
amt going to be no wedding. He
was sitting where the gieams of light
shOne on his face and his eyes were
so brilliant that 4 was thrilled
through and through with the queer
est sort of feeling.
l. 'I asked him why then he had
made the present arrangements when
he said, 'Well, Elder, | just wanted
ITO have a little fun. You consider
yourself an educated man and look
down on a poor ignorant fellow like
me. And ] just thought / would
show him what | could do. | lnOwed
II could handle you / could handle
other men, too, and make a big thing
out Of IT, Then he said Now, Or (
say raise up your hand up she goes
see that's no dream | felt my hand
raise without effort, whatever on my
rpart. Then he said, II l say let down
your hand, down it goes, and I felt
il going down in a singular manner
'By this time | was so alarmed
that / was in a cold sweat. then
leaned over to see If anyone might
be on the road when he began to
laugh again and l saw that he was
holding a weapon of some sort up his
sleeve Instantly / made a grab for
1t and got the hatChet from him and
asked what he meant to do with that
He said: TIL show YOU and from
his overcoat pocket drew out a knife
i'm each hand. He came at me strilk-
ing with both hands while l backed
across the church down the side aisle
and across the front, but | did not
dare to turn about to open the front
door.
"Then / threw the hatchet and
struck him and he fell. | then turned
to open the door when he grabbed
me by the leg and threw me down
where my hands came upon the
hatchet, There was a desperate strug-
! gle in which | used the hatchet until
he laid quiet and still ! cannot tell
! all that happened after that. | was
wild to dispose of the body.
II was in a horrible terror 50
began pulling off his garments that
] might drag the body away some-
where and hide It, then when my
eyes fell upon one of those knives
flew into a rage and began to cut It
when he woke up and grabbed me
/ again Then for a while / used that
| hatchet until / was sure he was dead
/ Then ! saw that the fire was hot
enough to make the stovepipe red
nearly to the elbow, so I grabbed him
by the feet and dragged him down
| there and cut him to pieces, putting