Year: 1871

dered for the sake Of any money h,
might have had with him--but after ths
fnost diligcnt search nothing more waSfoant


When tAe news reached Ca,npden tn
place was 50 alarmed that men. womer
and children i'm multitude hassened Z.
search the surrounding nsighboEiood fel
Mr. Hafrison's dead kcassrs Bun III
search wss made ia vain. His wisess fear,
! for her husbands safety. which were yer,
great before, we're now much increased
and as she had sent the servant, Jolr
Perry, the evening before. to meet hi,
msster, and he had not returned all taa
night. she suspected that he had robbcl
AMI then murdered him.


In consequence Of these suspicious. or
the following day Perry was examined
before a justice of the peace concerning
the cause OF his staying out all n gh.. on
the evening he went to meet his master
The account he gave of bis behavior was,
that when his mistress sent him in the
evening. he went down Campien Field
toward Charringsord On his way there,
he met man living at Campdcn. named
William REED, and spoke to him, and told
him his errand. He alse told him that
as it was getting late. he was afraid TO gc
farther. and would therefore go back, and
return with him.


He then accompanied him back to Mr.
Harrison's t-gate. where WIN. Reed
left him. and that he then remained for
some time standing outside the gate
While he was waiting there, man named
Pearce passed by. AS he new this per-
son. he went with him little way among
the fields, and then returned with him to
his masters gate. where they parted. As
he was ashamed to 20 into the house, and
tell the servants the cause of his return,
he went into the hcn-roost and lay down.
Here he remained for about an hour. but
was unable to sleep. While staying here
he heard the clock strike twelve He then
determined to go again in search Of bis
master. He had gone some way toward
Charringford, when great mist arising
he missed his way. and, therefore, lay
down for the rest Of the night under q
hedge.


When the day broke. he proceeded to
Charringford, to the house Of Edward
Plastcrer, and inquired for his MASTER
Plasterer told him his master had callad
on him on the afternoon Of the previou.
day, and that he had then been paid three.
and-twcntt pounds for rent. but that Mr.
Harrison did not stay long after he had
received the money. lie tn N went to in
quire OF William Curtis, who lived near
the same place. Here he was told tha
his master had called on Curtis the da,
before but as Curtis had not been a
home. Mr.. Harrison had left without see.
ing him. 1t being then about five O'Clock
in the morning. he rrtraced his steps to-
ward Campdeu. aud on the way back had
met his young master, as has been pre-.
viously stated On Reed, Pearce, Plas-
terer and Curtis being examined. they
confirmed everything that Perry had sta
ted about them to b. true.


Perry was then asked BY the Justice how
it was that he was afraid to go in search
of his master at nine in the evening, when
he was bold enough to go there at mid.
night To this he replied that at nine il
was dark. but that at twelve it was moon,
light. He was then asked how i, wa.
that on returning home twice, after he had
been sent to meet his master, he did no
90 into the house to ask if he had com,
back. He answered that he knew hi.
master had not come home. because ther,
was light in his bedroom. which wa.
never to be seen there so late when he wa,
at home. Notwithstanding the plausible
manner in which Perry accounted for the
way in which be had spent the night, i
was not thought advisable to liberate hin
from custody until further search had beer
made for the body of the missing man.
He therefore continued in custody fol
about a week. during which time he wa.
again examined. but no further ipforma
ton could be obtained.


1t having been rumored tI,at during his
restraint he told some one who pressed
him upon the subject. that his master had
been killed by tinker. and that he bad
said to others that he had been robbed
and murdered by gentleman's servant,
who had hidden his corpse in bean-rick
at Campden. further search Was made
there, but with no result. At length Per.
ry declared that If he were again exam.
ined before the Justice he would disclose
secret, which he would tell to no one
else. On being again brought before the
justice who had previously examined him
he confessed that his master had beer
murdered, but he denied having done the
deed The justice then told him that il
he knew that his master had been mur.
derei, he must know by whom the dee,l
had been done. At last Perry confessed
that be did know.


On being further urged to confess eve
rything he knew about the matter. he de-
clared that the murder had been commit.
ted by his own mother aud brother. OI
hearing this, the Justice cautioned him Il
consider we'll what he said. assuring hin
| at the same time that he feared that it va
Perry himself who was guilty Of his mas
ter's murder, and 1t the same time tolt
him that he ought to be careful not {,
draw more innocent blood 90 his head, fo
what he had said might cost his mother
and brother their lives. But the prison
er continuing to assert thar he spike moth
ing bus the trAth. the Justice desired hin
TO declare how and where the deed wa
done He then confessed that both hi
mother and brother had tempted him. eve
since he had been in his masters service
I: to steal for them : reminding him hov
poor they we're, and that il was now il
his power to relieve them by simply Civ
ing them notice when his master went 3.
/ collect the rents, for they woald ther