Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-11-12
DEATH TRAP IN THE HILLS.
Experience of a British Seaman With
Human TigreSS,



been so strongly screwed to the franz
that there was no hope in that direc
tion. He was caught in a death traI
and for a few moments his courag'
left him. AS his nickname denoted, N
was a man of smallish size and he knew
that the human tigress below coult
strangle him with one Of her huge
hands.
Scarcely realizing what he was doing
he began to drag the corpse from be.
meath the bed. To remove the knife
from the wound was a work of some
difficulty and considerable repugnance
but once accomplished he felt that he
was at least better equipped when the
time came for action. His next oper-
alton was to place the body as natur-
ally as possible within the bed, and
when this had been managed to his
satisfaction he paused to consider his
next course.
Tiptoeing to the top Of the staircase
he listened intently. The mulatto was
still moving about below, and he was
turning doubtfully back to his bed
room when the door Of the second room
on the landing caught his eye. To
creep into the other room was but the
work of a second. He had no light
with him, but by this time the moon
was bright, and he had no difficulty in
seeing within. He found the contents
much the same as the other, with the
exception that the bed had an occu-
pant. The woman had told him that
she had no husband, and that she liv-
ed alone. Who, then, was the sleeping
man? The sailor held his breath and
listened. The room was unnaturally
quiet; there was no sound Of breath
ing. Cautiously "Stumpy" crept to-
ward the bed. One glance at the oc-
cupant was sufficient. AS he had more
than half suspected, the man was dead
stabbed to the heart-having obvi-
ously been murdered In a similar man
ner to the first Horrified by this fresh
discovery. the sailor passed into his
own room, and still holding the knife,
crept under the bed, after blowing out
the candle.
About an hour passed, and "Stum-
py," in spite of his terror, sank into a
half-d doze, but was brought sharply
back to his senses by a creaking on the
stairs. In a moment he was on the
alert, with every nerve quivering.
Some one was creeping along the pas
sage! Peering cautiously from beneath
the bed, he saw the door slowly open
and his amiable hostess appeared, with
a ghastly smile upon her lips, looking
intently toward the bed.
Suddenly, without the slightest warn
ing, she made rush across the room.
In her right hand she held long knife,
similar to the weapon the sailor had
wrenched from the body of the dead
native. The dull thud Of many blows
reached the trembling Elsmore as he
beneath the bed, telling him
with horrid plainness the fate which
would have befallen him had he been
lying there in lieu of the already mur-
dered man.
Then came a pause; the giantess
was evidently bending over her victim.
possibly in the endeavor to pull the
knife from the body. Seized with sud-
den frenzy of panic, Elsmore wriggled
from his hiding place, and, leaping to
his feet, tore across the room toward
the landing. How he sprang down the
stairs, through the living room and out
of the house he never knew, for to this
day the adventure is a ghastly night
mare to him.
Once in the open air he fled down the
track like one possessed. He could
hear the mulatto screaming curses IS
she dashed along close behind him in
hot pursuit. For a time he gave him.
self up for lost, and, in imagination, he
could feel the murderous knife between
his shoulders. Gradually, however, the
heavy build of the mulatto told, and
she dropped behind. Presently the pur-
suit slackened, but so long as he could
hear the screaming Of curses and i'm
precautions, partly in English and part
ly in Cingalese, "Stumpy" kept up the
killing pace. Intense fear had given
him unusual fleetness and presently
the human tigress behind gave up the
chase.
The sky now began to clear before
the dawn, but still Elsmore ran on, his
one idea being to place as many miles
as possible between himself and that
terrible house. Suddenly the sun ap-
peared above the horizon and it was
day. The sailor looked around him,
and, taking his bearings, found, to his
relief, that he was only about couple
of miles from Colombo. Just then a
native wagner came in sight and Els
more bargained for lift reaching the
landing stage in good time to catch the
I o'clock boat back to the Leviathan.
Once aboard, with his name licked
off, he made his way aft and asked to
see the commander. To him he relat-
ed the story of his nights adventure.
The commander was at first incredu-
lous, but finally he took the seaman
with him and went ashore to commun-
icate with the police. With all possi-
BILE dispatch an armed party set out
and from "Stumpy's" description had
no difficulty in locating the cottage.
But the bird had flown! On every
side the police found traces of hur-
ried packing and a still more hurried
flight. No signs of the murderous mu-
latto woman, however, could be found
nor has she been traced to this day.
Some little distance from the cottage
the police discovered a we'll, which on
investigation was found to contain the
bodies of nine men two of them being