Year: 1877

Wnole family, 10 embark on Lake On


tario for a new home in some Western


State.


Fairbanks and Keyes had in vain en-


deavored to find the hiding place of tn,


missing money. They saw clearly tha


a crisis had arrived, and that they mus


take some step Immediately or the guilty


ones would slip away and leave them tC


financial ruin. After much consultation


and many doubts as to the lawfulness ol
their proceedings, they formed desper


ate plan to secure the stolen funds at al


hazards, and proceeded to put it into ex.
ecution mt once.


The day of departure had arrived.
Judge Whittlesey dressed himself in a
new and costly suit of clothes for his
journey-entirely unconscious of the
net about to spring upon him. Mr..
Fairbanks called in the early part of the
morning, and invited him to walk over
to the residence of Mr. Keyes, who
lived on q farm on the then southern
border of the village He said he want
ed to consult in regard to measures that
could still be adopted to discover the
robbers. Judge Whittlesey, who was a
courteous gentleman, Immediately con-
sented to make the call. OF course he
had not the slightest suspicion of the
scene which was soon to transpire, and
in which he was to bear so conspicuous
a part.


On arriving at the residence of Mr..
Keyes they learned that he was in rear
lot of his farm. This lot was on the
borders of a small forest, and had in it's
inclosure large and deep spring of wa
ter. On their meeting Mr.. Keyes, q
few moments were spent in talking the
matter over. Judge Whittlesey was re-
minded of the liability of his bail for the
missing money, and that unless it could
be recovered they were ruined. men.
They asserted that they felt justified as
bondsmen in taking any measures within
their power however extreme to obtain
the missing funds and save themselves
from bankruptcy. Finally they said:


Judge Whittlesey, We are entirely
confident you were never robbed that
you have the money now in your posses
sion, or on your premises, and unless
you Immediately produce it, or lead us
forthwith to the place of its concealment,
we have determined to drown you at once
in this pool of water p


In great perturbation Judge Whittle-
sey solemnly protested his innocence,
and called God to witness the truth of
his assertion. But the hour of retribu-
ton had come-as it always will come,
sooner or later in this world or the fu-
ture. In n moment they seized him,
bound his arms behind him with a cord
they had provided for the purpose, and
plunged him at once into the deep, cold
pool of water. After allowing him TO
struggle there a few moments, they drew
him forth nearly exhausted by strangu-
lation. They then questioned him anew,
asserted their certainty that he had the
money, and if he would restore it they
would save his life.


With n positiveness most unaccount-
able, Judge Whittlesey again i'll the
strongest terms asserted his entire inno-
cence of the robbery. But Fairbanks
and Keyes had become desperate, and
once more assured him of their deter
mined purpose to take his life ON the
spot unless he revealed the secret of the
place of concealment of the funds.
Again and Immediately they ingulfed
him in the dark and muddy pool and,
this time, they held him there so long
that, to their great alarm, they thought
him dead indeed However, after long
efforts, they succeeded in restoring him
to life again. But when the power of
speech was restored the Judge, to the
astonishment of his adversaries, still
marvelously re-asserted his innocence of
the crime, and positively affirmed that
neither he nor his family knew any
thing at all of the missing money. :.


His bondsmen were in an extremity,
and knew not what to do. They really
had no design to take the life of Judge
Whittlesey, but purposed only to frighten
him, and thus compel him to disgorge
the stolen money. 1t is true they were
in danger of drowning him, in which
case their own lives would be jeopardized;
and, indeed, they had in their harsh and
violent measures already gone 80 far that
unless they succeeded in causing him to
acknowledge the robbery they were ex-
posed to the extreme penalty of the law
And yet they felt entirely confident of
his guilt and, in their utter extremity,
determined ON another attempt to make
him confess, even if his and their lives
were lost in consequence of the effort


Fairbanks was at that time bachelor,
and turning to Keyes, said, "Come,
Keyes, help me put him in once more,
then give me whatever money you have
about your person and take care of your
self for your family's sake. 1 have no
one dependent upon me and want no wit
ness present to see the conclusion of this
tragedy. shall dro,0n him and then
flee to Canada, and will address you from
Kingston, and inform you where to write
to me ~ The two friends solemnly
shook hands and took final leave of one
another, and Keyes, turning, made
pretense of Withdrawing from the scene
of the apparent tragedy. Then facing
Whittlesey again, who stood trembling
with fear of immediate death, Fairbanks
approached and exclaimed, "Now, Judge,
this is your final hour, and death is at
hand. If j put you in again and you
still persist in denying the robbery, you
will assuredly die"


He seized him abruptly again, and
plunged him headlong into the deep pool
before him. Judge Whittlesey finally
becoming convinced, as he entered once
more the cold waters of the spring, that
tboaa mon vara in rioht down EARNEST 70