Year: 1876

oSohoohh huJoiuluB Gue apartment Oh dis
grandparents, and his sisters were W
the back room on the same floor. From
this arrangement it will be readily seen
that it must have been easy for Daven-
port to make, unobservedly, all the pre-
parations necessary, when the chosen
time came, for the awful butchery he
contemplated. At q little after mid
night on the date stated, while there
ragged such terrible storm that there
was small danger of any person being
abroad to hear any extraordinary noises
which might arise in the house, Barnett
Davenport arose from his bed, dressed
himself, and made ready for his crime.
He had been for two days making a
great pile of pine shavings, in shed
outside the kitchen, under the pretense
of building nice cupboard for Mrs.
Mallory. These shavings he now car
rled In and strewed about the floor of
the parlor, the kitchen, and the dining
room that lay between them, and over
them he poured a gallon of turpen-
tine.


Then putting on an old pair of over
alls and jacket to keep his clothing
from being stained with blood, he armed
himself with a great knotty club of green
hickory wood, and assembled the stairs
to the apartments where the old folks
slept.


In those days locks upon inside doors
were seldom used in private houses, and
the Mallory residence was no exception
to the general rule of omission of such
security. To enter the chamber of his
bcnefactor, the assassin had nothing to
do but to raise common latch.


The light he carried awoke Mr. NAL
lory, aud, in surprise, he turned and
h;lf arose in his bed, hut had no time
to utter word, for in an instant the
huge club, welded by the sturdy vii
lam, descended upon his head, cracking
his skull like al egg shell. The old
woman had been awakened the same mo-
ment, and, before a second blow could
bo aimed at her, gave one CRY of terror.
1t was her last. The next instant she
WAS stretched by the side of her bus-
band. 10 make assurance doubly sure,
the murderer's heavy club descended
again and again upon the heads of the
old couple, dashing out their brains, and
finally he drove deep into the throat of
each the blade of big carvil knife
which he had brought from the Kitchen


at this moment he heard the voice of
little David calling from the next room.


Gran'pal Gran'pa! what is the
matter2 What are you doing?"


AS nearly as he could, Davenport imi-
tatod the old mans tremulous, high
pitched voice, calling in response 'Davy,
boy, come here" and planted himself
close to the door, with the dripping
knife in his hand. A moment more,
and the little fellow, with nothing on
but his nightgown, bounded into the
room, only to have his throat clutched
by the assassin's powerful hand as he
crossed the threshold. When the lad
he'd been choked so that he could not
cry out, Davenport transferred his
clutch to poor Davy's long brown ring
lets. dragged his head back and with
ole slash OF the keen knife cut his throat
from ear to ear. Now all was still.
Tho murderer, graspipg again his club,
walked on tiptoe to the door of the lit
IL" girls room and looked in. They had
not awakened. He hesitated. Then,
turning back into the room whero his
bloody work had be. II done, he fastened
the door upon the children, by bracing
q CHAR against it, SO that not even q
strcng man could have opened it from
the inside.


Now he proceeded to gather tho
booty for which he Ind done the horrid
d. eds already stated. Out OF an old
chest he drew some pieces of solid silver
plate. From bureau drawer he took
giO In gold and silver. In the pockets
OF the old couple Le fonnd silver
watch and aborL twenty or thirty shil-
lpgs i'll silver. The gold wedding rings,
OF ce massive, but now worn tLin, he
tore from the fingers of the dead. Thor.
o,ighly he searched the apartment. but
this was all that he could find worth car
rying away. First he put tie plate in q
pillow slip, and carried it ont into the
yard, pocketed the other valuables, and
then proceeded to fire the house. Roll
ing the corpses from the bed upon the
floor, he tossed aside the bloody feather
bod upon which they had rep0sed, and
II ON beneath drew two large straw beds.
tho contents of which he scattered about
the floor. Then he drew into the center
of the infiammable pile some brands
from the open fireplace, saw the straw
kindle, and quickly rail- down to the
floor beneath, where in each room he
touched his candle to the turpentine
soaked shavipgs. In an instant the
whole house was ablaze.


Before, however, tho glaring light
shining through the windows of ada
cent houses had alarmed the neighbors.
Barnett Davenport had escaped in the
nkness, carrying with him the bag of
silver ware.


Good rs had been his arrangements
for confagration, its progress was less
speedy than he doubtless hopedit would
be. The walls of the house were of
stone, and inside it was very solidly
built.


Four young men who happened to be
sitting mp i'll a neighboring house were
the first to arrive at the fire. The flames
| on tha frat Aonr xyara on f,r;o,a ktok