Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1883-12-15 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE MYSTERIOUS LETTER. One Sunday morning • cdergyansa in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen went up to the pulpit, as usual, to conduct the service. On opening the Bible he noticed a folded paper, which he took to be an intimation placed there by the beadle. Before pronouncing the benediction he begun to read the paper in a loud voice, when he suddenly stopped, turned pale, and concluded the service with so much agitation that the people wondered what was the matter. When the congregation was dismissed he was naked the cause of his emotion, but be withdrew to the manse without answering the question. The letter ran as follows:—" Yeeterday evening„ when returning to Aberdeen, I was stopped near the village by the beadle and the precentor. Having killed and robbed me, they threw my body into the Dec" U Isere Um signature of a pedlar well-known en the slietaird, who often lodged with the beadle, a tiV411124 keeper in the village. Raving dined, and reflected on the strange incident for some time, the clormsen took up his Bible end repaired to a Justice of the Peace to tell him what had happened. On opening the paper to read it, the Justice found that there was no writing on it, and began to think that the clergyman, who stood dumbfounded, had been dreaming. The latter, recovering at length from his surprise, declared that it was no dream, but a reality; and it was arranged that secret enquiries should be made in Aberdeen regarding the pedlar. It was found that he had been expected there on Saturday evening, but had never appeared. Search had been made for him in all directions, but in vain. The Justice resolved to have the beadle and the precentor examined separately as totheir knowledge of the lost pedlar, bait the examination threw no light on his whereabouts. Just then some salmon fishers reached the village, bringing the body of the pedlar, which they had found in the Dee, and which bore marks of violence. In the left hand, it Mob was convulsively closed, was a button like those on the preoentor's coat, from which one was wanting, and on closer inspection it seemed to have been torn off in a struggle. Confounded by this unexpected confirmation of their guilt, the two murderers confessed their crime, and were condemned to death. It turned out afterwards that the clergyman's servant, an intelligent, but timid young man, bad, on the night of the murder, been on a visit to a ferns near the village, and had witnessed the murder. He recognised the perpetrators of the deed, but kept himself hid, not having conrage to interfere on behalf of the victim. Returning home, he passed a sleepless night. His conscience told him that he ought not to conceal such a crime, but the fear of appearing as a witness against the murderers hindered Intb from becoming an informer. After much hesitation, be resolved to write the letter and put it in his master's Bible. But scarcely had the clergyman gone to church when he repented of having gone so far. He thought his handwriting would be recognised, and that he being the only witness the charge would not be proven. These new ideas made him take the letter out of the Bible when his master was at dinner, and put in its place a piece of blank paper. It , was only after the execution of the assassins that he cleared 1111 the mv,t,r,.  wHaRE HZ