Year: 1871

The faihting mau told him. in a whis-
per, that if he would take his hand, and
draw him gently toward him, he would,
perhaps, be able to turn himself little, to
his great relief.


My brother did give him his hand, &C.
cordingly, and the fainting man, instead of
taking it, seized his arm above the elbow,
with gigantic hand, in a gripe like q
vice, and jerking him under. sprnng over
him, so as to pinion him fast. He had
carried in his hand the end of the belt,
which he had removed from around his
own body while waiting for his prey, and
with dexterity acquired, no doubt, by
long practice, in moment, with the now
disengaged hand, he drew it and bucklcd
it around the boys arms and body at a
single jerk, with q pressure so powerful
that he could scarcely breathe, much less
disengage his arms


In another moment, with his knee on
the boys chest, and one broad hand placed
right across his mouth, so as to stife his
screams effectually, he hitched round what
had seemed to be his hump, but what
proved to be, in fact, bundle, from which,
with the other hand, he took out, with the
quickness and neatncss of skilled mani
pulator, two things, one sort of cushion
about eight inches square, covered with
chamois. leather-I have that horrible
relic, no doubt intended to aid in the pro.
cess of suffocaton, still in my possession
the other was the renowned pitch plaster.


My brother had no idea what he intend
ed, for the disclosure in Edinburgh had
not yet enlightened and terrified people of
all ages throughout England.


The miscreant kept his face close to his
victims, with his powerful eyes fixed on
his. His dark lean features and long beak,
and the thick hair that hung forward like
a sooty plumage round them, and the long
s;newy y-ncck that arched over my poor
brother as he lay at his assailant's mercy,
gave him. in the fascinated gaze of the
boy, the appearance of moustrous bird of
prey.


l dare say this ghoul had an actual pow
er, such as many men are said to possess
Of controlling the springs of action, mental
and bodily, by some occult power of the
eye. To my brother, it seemed that it
needed perpetual and desperate struggle
Of will to prevent frightful trance from
stealing over him.


For a moment the wretch's hand was
slightly raised from the boys mouth. He
intended, no doubt, at this instant, to in
troduce the pitch!plaster, which was to
stop both mouth and nostrils. But my
brother, now struggling frantically, utter
ed two piercing ye!ls, which compelled the
murderer to replace his hand before he
had accomplished his purpose. He was
evidently now transported with fury Up
to this he had been operating as methodi-
caly as spider. He looked so fendish
that my brother fancied he would cut his
throat, or otherwise dispatch him ut the
moment.


His plans, however, were different. He
had no idea of losing sight of his interests,
much less of his safety. No principle of
his nefarious trade was better established
than the absolute necessity of leaving no
trace of actual violence upon the persons
of his victims. Even the knee with which
he held his prey was padded so carefully
that this young boys breast did not ex-
hibit the slightest confusion, although so
long under pressure which held him at
the verge of suffocation.


Rapidly, and with more success, the
villain again essayed his final sleight.
One dreadful yell escaped, and the deadly
pitch. plaster was fixed on mouth and nose.
and another sound or respiration became
impossible.


The leafy bushes above and about him,
the figure, the face Of the specter, began
to swim before his eyes. He saw the man.
still on his knees, rise with start and
pause, with his eyes askance, and his dark
hand to his ear. In the next instant he
had disappeared.


In his struggle the boy now rolled from
the lair in which he had been attacked
into the open path, where he lay perfectly
insensible.


When consciousness returned, which
was not for some minutes, three men were
about him, drenching his head with water.
and all endeavoring to extract a word Of
explanation but for long time after he could
not speak syllable, nor for some time
even hear distinctly what they said.


Not moment was lost, so soon as he
was able to describe what had happened,
in directing pursuit, wherever any results
were the least likely. All my brother
could say as to the point toward which the
assassin had directed his flight was that, as
his sight failed, he thought, though very
distinctly, he saw him pass away obliquely
in the direction Of the lane in which he
had observed the donkey cart.





1t must have belonged to an accomplice
who was there by arrangement. Every.
thing had been prepared to carry away
the body Of the poor fellow, which would
have been secured in the sack, enveloped
in the carpet, and covered with straw, aud
thus secreted in some lonely lookup yard,
until at dead of night it would have been
carted away to the dissecting.room. The
boys hat thrown upon the water would