The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-04-27
A Valued
Pocket Piece
By JOHN Y. IxARNED

/ My father was killed fighting on the
northern side in the battle of Gettys-
burg. on the I'd of July. | was old
enough to remember the news Of his
death and the military funeral that
was given him when his body was
sent home Thirty years after his
death | was paid silver dollar bear
ing date of 1868. Since it marked the
date Of my fathers death In battle.
priced 1t. and, instead of parting with
it, cut on it my fathers initials.
One day while travelling fell in with
young man. with whom ! chatted
On entering the station at Cleveland
the car door was thrown open and a
trainman called: Cleveland! All OUT!
The young man. surprised that the
train would go no farther. made in
quiries and discovered that he must
stop overnight in Cleveland. He at
once began to examine the contents OF
his pocketbook and found that he had
barely enough to pay his bill at hotel.
asked him to permit me TO lend him
some funds. but he refused. saying
that he had just sufficient to get
through. | insisted on his taking more.
and he said IL had any loose change
In my pocket he would accept IL as a
loan. The only coin | had was my
pocket piece. After a moments hest
tation handed II TO him. He tried to
get my address In order to return the
loan. but we were leaving the train in
a crowd, and hurried away.
Not long after this the newspapers
were filed with accounts OF the MUIR
der OF Richard Thornton. a wealthy
man. In Buffalo. The case was one of
those mysterious happenings that at
tract widespread attention. A nephew
Of the deceased Edgar Thornton. was
accused Of numbering his uncle in or
der 10 secure his estate. The murder
ed man was very old. bachelor. and
his household affairs were administer
ed by a Mrs. Ferguson. widow. who. /
the evidence seemed TO indicate. was
10 induce him 10 make a |
win in her favor. The state attor-
ney. by patching together bits OF evi- |
dence. made a very good case. show
ing that the nephew. In whose favor |
4 will had already been made. fearing
that the woman would succeed in Sc /
curing one giving her the property. |
had murdered bis uncle 10 prevent his
ioing so.
Mrs. Ferguson swore that Edgar
Thornton was With his uncle on the
night OF the murder. the two being to-
gether in the uncle's bedroom. She
claimed TO have heard high words be-
tween them. Edgar bad left the house
at n o'clock. She did not see Rich
ard Thornton TN the next morning.
when she found him dead. with a pill
ow pulled over his face. A weak
point IN the prosecution was that
some 500 that the deceased had
m hand In a desk was missing. The
tate attorney declared that the &C
used had taken the money in order &c
make Il appear that the murder had
zen committed for the purpose OF rob
,ery.
! read the newspaper reports Of the |,
rial. missing only one days report {
The next issue OF the paper mentioned
hat the accused had endeayored TO
rove an alibL
The servants IN the house were al
galnsf Mrs Ferguson. festifying that {
he kept Mr.. Thornton in a sort Of i'm I
risonmeni. tut they were persons % {
10 education. and their evidence vas =
sslly pulled % pieces BY the prOsecu-
n. Indeed. Mrs. Ferguson proved that
beg had becu literally tipped by Ed-
ar Thornton whenever be had called
n bis uncle.
u did not tsks me long 20 make NO
~ mind fhar the nccused was guilty.
l. could not have been Innocent unless
In Ferguson had PICTURED herself IN
ssfIfyiug that be- wss with his uncle.
% the only person wIfh him. On the
lrff - The murder
read the summing up - the case
? the rlro@etufor. and my httention
&c atfracted % thess cords.
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