Year: 1866

1t was in the spring of 1864 that the in
cidents which Tam about to relate occurred
was at that time postmaster in the town of
l.. An unusually warm spell of wealth
or had carried away much of the snow,
left the roads very muddy, and rendered the
travelling very bad [ thought of this as
I closed the shutters about o'clock in the
evening, and also remembered that, as it
was Wednesday, the stage from c. was
due ct 8, but owing to the bad going it was
not yet in I therefore determined that l
would, as I had often done before, lock the
front door between the inner and outer
rooms, and, leaving light burning, go to
sleep, trusting to the driver to wake me by
rsttling the door. ..


Il seemed but few moments, so soundly
had I slept, ere awakened by pounding
on the door Glancing at the clock, which
stood opposite, I discovered, however, that
it was one O'Clock 10 the morning, and that
I had been asleep nearly four hours. As I
hurried toward the door, 1 put my hand
into my pocket for the key and found it was
empty. The two door-keys and both the
keys of my safe, all Of which had when |
went to sleep, were gone Stepping to a
rear door, in the lock of which l always kept
the key, also found that locked and the
key gone. This so surprised me that for a
few seconds I remained on the spot, utterly
unable to solve the mystery From this
state was aroused by renewed pounding on
the door. There was but one available mode
of exit from my prison, and that was through
side window. Throwing up the sash I
sprang out and hurried round to where l
expected to find the driver Mysteries seem
ed to have no end, for instead of meeting
the driver, I came upon an excited crowd
Of about twenty. My appearance was the
signal for all to commence telling me the
cause of their excitement. Silence was,
however, at last obtained, and then the sher-
if told me in as few words as possible the
state of affairs.


1t seems that one of the physicians of the
town, DR.. Smith, was returning from pro-
longed visit to patient, and when about
mile from the town heard in the road ahead
of him a pistol shot Hurryiug on, be
found about half mile further on the stage,
for which l was waiting, drawn up by the
side of the road, and in the middle of the
road the body of a man. Bringing his Ian
tern near the face be found that it was the
driver, and that be was dead, having been
shot through the head He found the robes,
&C., of the team scattered around on the
ground, as was also the mail bag, but the
latter had been unlocked not cut open, and
the contents were gone He lifted the body
up and placed it in the stage, and was just
starting on for assistance, when he saw q
revolver lying near by, which, from the
fact that one barrel had been discharged, !,
he decided was the weapon with which the
deed had been committed Arrived in town
be aroused the Sheriff and a few Deighbors ;
and while some were dispatched with the
Doctor after the body, the Sheriff and 9TH
era had gone to my house after me. Find
ing I was not there, they came to the Office
and just as joined them the body arrived.


This was the substance of the facts rela-
ted to me. 1t seemed strange that the sher-
if should have gone to my house instead of
after the body, and was about to express
myself, when be stepped forward, and, lay
ing his hand upon my shoulder, said:


81 arrest you, John Blanchard, for the
murler of Charles Smith, stage driver"


If he should have struck me I should not
have been more surprised. tried to reason
with him, but although very civil, he was
equally firm, and the result was that spe Mt
the remainder of the night in the county
jail, which building was situated in l.,
that being the shire town. The examina-
ton the next morning elected the following
curious facts:


When the Sheriff searched my person he
was surprised to fhd no keys, and indeed
no wallet, or memorandum book. Sending
to my assistant, he obtained the door keys,
but the safe keys could not be found, and
my clerk declared that I always carried
them with me. Upon entering they found
that all the letters were gone, the money
drawer empty and few stamps, which the
clerk Informed them We always left out OF
the safe at night, missing And no trace
could be found of the safe keys. Supposing
that had disposed of them in order that
the trace of my guilt, which it was taken
for granted I had concealed in the safe,