Year: 1869




believe you are the first, who, for years


has turned your steps to the lionel,
spot"


These Details, instead of satisfyin,


his curiosity, only reused it the more


Breakfast was served, but he could ea


none; and he felt that If he presentet


himself to the merchants in such stat,


of excitement, they might think hin


mad. He walked up and down til.


room and looked out of the window


endeavoring to interest himself in ,


quarrel between two men in the street


but the garden aud co:a age pre- occupied


his mind, and, at last( t(snatching up hi.


hat he made his way to the street Has


tening to the nearest magistrate, NeRre
| lated the whole circumstance briefly
and clearly.


ut is very strange said the officer
':and, after what has happened, dom,
think it would be right to leave the
matter without further investigation
will place two Of the police ut your
command; you can then go once more
to the !!ovel and search every part of it..
You may, perhaps, make some impor-
tant discovery"


He allowed but a very few minutes to
elapse before he was on his way, accom-
panied by the two officers. After knock
ing at the door, and waiting for some
time, the old man opened the door. He
received them somewhat uncivilly, but
showed no mark of suspicion when they
told him they wished to search the
house.


VERY we'll ; as fast and as soon as you
please was the reply.


'Have you we'll here?"


NO, sir; we are obliged to get our
water from spring about quarter of a
mile Distant


They searched the house, but discov-
cred nothing of any consequence
Meanwhile the old man gazed upon
them with an impenetrable vacancy Of
look, as if he could not understand why
they were intruding on his property,
Finally, they forsook the cottage, with
out finding anything to corroborate
their suspicious. They, however, re-
solved to inspect the garden. BY this
time number of persons had collected
together outside, having been drawn to
the spot by the sight of a stranger with
two policemen. They were aetAh &c
they knew anything Of - well in those
parts. They replied they did not; the
idea seemed to perplex them. Atlength |
an old woman came forward, leaning on
\ crutch.


"a well?' said she "Is it well YOU
are looking for? That has been gone
these thirty years. I remember it rs if
It were yesterday; how l used to throw
stones into it, just to hear the splash in
he water"


"Do you remember where that well
used to be?' asked the gentleman.


AS near as l can recollect," replied
he woman, ''it is OH the very spot
where you now stand"


He suddenly started as if he had trod-
len upon serpent. They at once
digging up the ground. At
about twenty inches deep, they came to
l layer of bricks, which, being broken
up, revealed some rotten boards. These
we're easily reno we'd, when they beheld
he dark mouth of the well.


II was quite certain that was the
spot" said the old woman. What q
ool you were to stop it up, and then
nave to travel so far for watern


A sounding line, furnished with hooks
vas now let down into the well-the
crowd hard pressing around them
'reathlessly bending over the black and
etid hole, the secrets of which seemed
hidden in impenetrable obscurity. This
vas repeated several times without any
'esult. At length, penetrating below
he mud, the hooks caught in some
hing of considerable weight, and after
much time and effort they succeeded in
'aising it from the obscure hole 1t was
IN old chest. The sides and lid were
lecayed, and it needed no locksmith to
'pen it. Within it they found what
hey We're sure they would find, and
which filled the spectators with horror
he remains of a human body!


The police officers now rushed into
he house and secured the old man. As
o his wife, she at first could not be
ound. But after fatguing search she
vas discovered beneath a pile of wood,
being much bruised by the heavy logs
'bove her. By this time nearly the
whole population of the town had COL
ected around the spot.


The couple were brought before the
proper authorities and separately exam
ned. The man persisted in his denial
most obstinately; but his wife at once
that she and her husband, a
very long time ago, had murdered
oeddler who possessed large sum of
money. He had passed the night at
heir house and they taking advantage
IT the heavy sleep that encompassed
lim, had strangled him, after which
hey placed his body in a chest. The
chest was then thrown into the well.
md the we'll sAoppad m .rho %,uo