The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, July 12, 1881, Image 1

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    TOL. XV.
THE TIMES.
"An Independent Family Newspaper,
IS PUBMSIIBDEVERTTUESIUT BT
P. MORTIMER & CO.
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A SILENT VOICE!
Sweetly the evening bells ring out their cnll,
Hlowly tlio deepeulug twilight shadows fall
O'er dreamy earth and sky.
The cricket chirps In solemn changeless tone,
Thrilling my heart with sadness as alone
In weariness I sigh.
Sweet are the voices that the twilight brings,
pearet the sadness that to memory clings
For happy thoughts come too.
Of golden dreams of youth too bright to last,
Sweet visions of an unforgotteri past,
When lores dear song was new.
But when the darkness deepens Into night
And all my golden dreamBhave taken flight,
Jly heart grows wild with pain.
The midnight only hears my bitter cry,
No answering voice sends back a soft reply,
I cry la vain, la vain.
Love's pleading voice will come to me no more,
Save in sweet echoes from the Bilent shore
Where cherished memories dwell,
Or In the breezes that round me blow
Breathing In accents sad,though soft and low
The painful word, farewell !
A Detective's Strategy.
I HAD of late frequently beard extoll
ed the beauty of a woman bearing
the stage name of Loin, who was a sing
er of ballads at a variety theatre. Hap
pening to pass the theatre one evening I
dropped In just prior to the moment of
ber appearance. Truly her beauty bad
not been spoken of in terms of exagger
ation. She was, Indeed, very beautiful.
At the conclusion of ber song a large
bouquet was flung on the stage. It
came from a private box, In which was
seated an elderly man, whose dress and
appearance betokened bis wealth. She
was recalled and sang again, and I saw
ber smile an acknowledgement toward
the box.
A fancy struck me to see what Lola
looked like when oft' the stage, and I
made my way to the stage entrance. I
noticed a carriage drawn up near by,and
it struck me that It belonged to the gen
tleman In the box. I found the stage
entrance guarded by a doorman. I was,
however well acquainted with bim, and
he permmitted me to enter and I posted
myself In a position where she must
pass near me in going out. I had not
been there long when I beard footsteps
slowly drawing near, and voices In low
conversation.
" Well, what do you say, Harry "
" You say be ba9 proposed."
" Yes."
"He is rich? There isn't any doubt
about it V"
"No."
" Then ," be paused sulkily.
, ' I hate to give you up, Lola, even for a
week. But I suppose you'd best marry
Lira, though. They say he's got the
heart-disease and you'll be a rich
young widow before a great while."
" And then it will be plain sailing for
os," said the woman. "I'll tell him
'yes,' then."
And with a parting kiss be hung back
allowing Lola to pass out alone, where
she was met by James Bristol.a wealthy
retired dry-goods merchant.
Instantly I comprehended the situa
tion. Bristol bad become enamored' of
Lola and wished to marry ber, having
no suspicion of ber true character, or
that this man, Harry Evans, was ber
lover. .
I saw her enter bis carriage to be
driven to her home.
Thinking it all over that evening in
the privacy of my room, I wondered
whether I'd better attempt to enlighten
Bristol.
' Pshaw I I'd be a fool to try it," I at
NEW BLOOMFIELD, PA., TUESDAY, JULY 112, 1B81.
last decided. , " She'd swear It wasn't so,
and the old fool would believe ber in
preference to me."
I thought no more of the matter until
one day several weeks later, when I saw
their marriage announced in the papers.
They had been married the day follow
ing the conclusion of ber engagement.
These circumstances, with tbe lapse of
time, bad nearly been obliterated from ,
my memory, when they were recalled
one day, about a year later, by seeing a
notice of the death of James Bristol.
He had died of "heart-disease," tbe
announcement stated.
It would be impossible for me to say
why I so far interested myself in the
matter as to take the trouble to ascertain
the precise clrcmstances of his death.
I had a vague desire to know that was
all the Incentive I ever knew.
I learned that Bristol bad brought an
elegant house and grounds on the boule
vards, near Fort Washington. He bud
been found dead In a small summer
house on the grounds by the coachman
stricken down with heart disease.
Wandering about the grounds, I final
ly approached the stables and struck up
a conversation with the coachman.
" I fancy she won't break ber heart,"
said he referring to Mrs. Bristol.
"Why?" ,.
" Well, she didn't love bim any too
well," said the loquacious fellow. " He
worshipped her, though. There's a
younger and better-looking man who
comes sometimes that she likes a heap
better."
Instantly my thoughts reverted to her
old lover, the variety actor Harry
Evans.
" Oh well," I carelessly said, " that's
not anything. There's many a woman
who thinks more of another man than
her husband. But it doesn't follow that
there's anything wrong."
"No," he answered, and then winked
knowingly, as much as to say, " But
in this case it's diil'ereut." -
" Hid you ever see anything out of
way?"
"Not myself. But you must know
that the cook and me'a agoln' to be mar
ried, and s"he can be kind o' free you
know, in telling me what goes on In the
house ; and she says she's seen the same
fellow about the house when he
shouldn't been ; that's all."
Now, all this amounted to nothing.
Had I not overheard that short conver
sation in the theatre, I should not have
given this idle gossip a Becoud thought.
But the trifling matter of overhearing
that short discussion was destined to be
the unimportant circumstance on which
weighty matters were to hinge.
I determined to obtain a look at .the
body of Mr. Bristol, and finding out
who his undertaker was, I gained ad
mission with him to the house. And
Imade a discovery.
Less than a week after the burial of
Mr. Bristol, I saw an advertisement in
the paper for a man as coachman, and
ills wife as cook, inserted by the young
widow.
Ha! I can understand this. She
wishes to get rid of her old servants and
take new ones, who have no Idea what
has occurred.
, Ten minutes later I was at my house,
in deep discussion with our cook, Kate,
an intelligent Irish girl.
Dressed up In her best, and I attired
In a very loud suit, we presented our
selves at the residence of Mrs. Bristol.
As we entered her presence, I thought :
" There's no great sorrow in her face,
anyhow.
She bad an album in her lap looking
over some pictures.
" H 1" she said, glancing up ; you've
come in answer to the advertisement ?"
"If you plaze mim," I answered, and
stooping, I pretended to pick up from
the floor a man's glove, which I ex
tended to her as I said :
" Maybe as how you know the owner.
I'faith, but it's stained with something
blood is't?"
; She snatched the glove quickly from
ny hand, glanced at it, and then jecov.
ering her composure, tossed it carelessly
on the table beside her. But I saw she
never took her eyes from it or gave me
a chance to tarry It away again.
She questioned Katy and myself at
some leogth. I made myself appear
exceedingly stupid, and Katy did tbe
same. She evidently wanted around
her people who were not too bright, and
this being the best of recommendations
we were engaged.
I on nd that the cook and coachman
were alrendy gone, and Katy settled
down in the kitchen and I atsumed my
position in the stables at once. When
my work was finished for the day I sat
with Katy in the kitchen, pretending
to read, but In reality with my ears wide
open to bear what transpired about me.
The door bell rang. Coming ito the
kitchen afterwards the waiting unnld
said it was madam's cousin.
"Her lover," I thought but suld
nothing.
I began to furtively eye the girl. It
would be next to Impossible to take up
the espionage I proposed without her
being aware of it ; and yet I hardly liked
to take her into my confidence. Happi
ly she solved tbe problem for the present
by declaring herself very tired.
" If you will go to the door in case
anybody rings, I'll go to bed," she said
to Katy, who glancing at me, and cor
rectly interpreting my look, answered
In the affirmative. Once she was fairly
out of the way, I took oil' my shoes and
softly went up stairs. They Lola and
ber cousin were in the sitting-room
where I had seen her. I managed to
get near enough to hear what was said,
even though they conversed In very
low tones.
" You've got your new help?"
"Yes."
" Have you done well ?''
"Splendidly, I think," she replied.
" They are both as dumb as can be,
though they understand their work, and
wouldn't tumble if a bouse fell on
them."
" By the way, I have lost one of my
gloves. Have you seen it?"
" Yes, here it is."
I peeped through the crack of the par
tially opened door and saw him take It
eagerly, and a look of relief crossed his
face.
" I didn't know what had become of
it. Little things like the losing of this
glove,1 might do us much . damage.
Hallo here's a spot on it ! Blood 1 I
didn't thluk'he spilled a drop. There
was none seen on him ?" he said anx
lously. "No,' she answered. By the way
Harry, did you get that new crochet
needle?" .
"No, but I'll do so to-morrow.
Where's the handle?"
" In the workbox in my room."
I waited for no more.
My espionage was of shorter duration
than I had reason to expect.
Leaving the bouse I hurried to tbe
nearest telegraph office and sent a dis
patch to headquarters.
In an hour four officers were at my
side. I admitted them to the bouse and
led tbe way to the sitting-room.
They did not hear us, and were talking
In the most loving strain.
It fairly chilled my blood to think
that it was possible for them to talk so,
when the man they bad murdered was
hardly cold in bis grave. We heard
them kiss each other, and when we en
tered the room suddenly, she was sit
ting beside him, his arm about her waist.
They started up at our entrance and
both turned pale.
" John," said Mrs. Bristol, angrily,
speaking to me, " What does this
mean ?"'
, " Simply madam, that you and this
man here are prisoners."
"How? What for?" she Baid in fal
tering tones. . . . . .
" For murdering your husband 1" I
sternly said. " For murdering the kind
old man who rescued you from a life of
misery and shame, and made you his
wife, unworthy as you were.
With a shriek she fell buck on tbe so.
fo, and lay there quivering and moan
in. Hf rry Evans at first laughed scorn
fully and, seemed disposed to brave it
out; but as he heard my calmly spoken
words, and realized that I spoke only
what I knew to be the truth, a change
took place in him. He never thought
of the woman now ; he only thought of
himself of how he could escape the
penalty of his awful crime.
I saw him glance about him, and to
ward the open window, and I uttered a
few words to my companions.
They started towards him.
His face took on a desperate look ; he
snatched out revolver, and fired two
shots point blank at the officers. Evans
had fallen awkwardly, and lay sprawl
lug on the ground. One of the officers
lighted squarely on him, driving the
breath from his body, and placing him
horn liu combat. With the handcufl's
on hi in they marched around the house,
through the front door, and into the
sitting-room again, where one of the two
other officers was engaged In staunching
be flow of blood where oue of Evans'
bullets had entered bis companion's
shoulder.
"Don't give yourself away !" said
Evan's to the guilty woman. "They
can't prove nothing against us."
' Can't they ?" I remarked. "Well,
we'll see."
The body of Mr. Bristol was exhumed,
and a coroner's Jury empanelled. And
there, while the guilty pair stood by, I
sprung the mine, and unravelled the
history of their guilty crime.
'Harry Evans wasat your house, Mrs.
Bristol, the day of your husbands' death.
You surreptitiously administered a
small quantity opium to your husband.
He complalued of feeling sleepy soon
after, and you suggested fresh air. He
fat down in the summer house and there
fell asleep.
Here I held up a handle of a crochet
needle, made of gold, and bearing the
words :
"Lola ; from your husband."
"Gentleman, you observe that the
needle has been broken. See If you can
find it In Mr. Bristol's head."
Instantly the defiant manner ofEvans
vaulshed. He saw that the game was
up.
With a pair of pincers the missing
piece of the crotchet needle was drawn
from the old man's bead. The present
the token of love he bad given ber
had been made the instrument of bis
death. Most persons know that the
skull is not one solid bone, but is divi
ded in three parts. A pin, properly
directed through the place of juncture,
penetrating the brain, will cause Instant
death.
While Mr. Bristol was sleeping heavi
ly In the summer-house, Evau9 had
plunged the needle into his brains, and
then broke It oil'. The fracture at the
point of breaking was peculiar; there
could be no doubt that needle and handle
belonged to each other.
Besides, there was his glove. I had
found It not when I handed it to the
woman but several days before, In the
summer-house. At the moment of
puncturing the brain a single drop of
blood bad spurted upon it.
Tbe glove was proven to be his very
easily. It was a brand sold by A. T.
Stewart & Co., and tbe salesman remem
bered Belling this pair to Evans.
The evidence could not be gainsayed,
and they were committed to answer the
charge of murder, although before the
day of trial they cheated justice by poi
soning themselves.
Thus you see how It is verified that a
small thing sometimes brings great re
sults. On hearing the conversation that
night In tbe theatre, and the employ
ment of a little strategy first in gaining
entrance with the undertaker, when tho
mere accident of touching the head of
the dead man and pricking my finger,
gave me the clue, afterward in gaining
admission to tbe house in the character
of a coachman, led as you will see, to
he discovery of a most hideous crime.
The First Trophy of the Revolution. .
FROM a paper writen by the late Theo
dore Parker, and read before the
New England Historic Genealogical So
ciety, we learn the following particulars
regarding the gun presented by him, in
his will, to the State of Massachusetts :
Both Hancock and Adams were stay
ing at Lexington with Rev.Jonas Clark
an eminent patriot, on the afternoon of
April 19, 1775, when several British
subordinate officers were seen riding up
the main road in the town. This excit
ed the suspicious of men who knew
them to be British soldiers although
they were disguised.
In the night, intelligence was brought
to Messrs. Hancock and Adams that a
British expedition was on foot, destined
for Lexington and Concord, to get pos
session of their persons, it was supposed
and to destroy the military stores at
Concord. They gave the alarm to the
proper persons, whom Captain Parker
grandfather of the eminent divine had
NO. 28.
selected for that work, and he sent men
through tbe town to give notice for as
sembling the militia. Tbe church-bell
was also rung.
Captain Parker lived about two and
one-half or three miles from the meeting-house.
He had been there late in
the evening, and conferred with Han
cock and Adams, and made arrange
ments, In case it was necessary, to call'
out the soldiers. He went to bed late'
that night, and 111. About two o'clock
he was culled up by the men referred to
above and went to the meeting-house
(the Common Is just behind It.) He
formed his company a little after day
break. About one hundred and twenty
men answered to their names, armed
and equipped. But as the intelligence
was not quite certain, he sent out other
scouts to obtain information of the ad
vance of the enemy, and dismissed the
soldiers, telling them to be within call
and assemble again at the beat of drum.
They dispersed. Not long after one of
his scouts returned and told him . the
British were near at hand.
He ordered the drum beat in front of
tbe tavern close by the Common. Sev
enty men appeared, were formed into
four platoons, and marched on to the
Common. His nephew, Jonathan Har
rington, the last survivor of the battle,
then a lad of sixteen, played the fife,
which, With a drum, formed the only
music.
He formed them in a single line, then
wheeled the first and fourth platoons
at right angles, stepped In front and
ordered every man to load his piece with
Eowder and ball. When this was done
e said :
" Don't Are unless fired upon. But if
they want to have war, let it begin
here."
He then wheeled back tbe two wings
into a continuous line, and stood a little
in front of the end of the right wing.
Soon the British came close upon them,
and some were soon terrified and began
to skulk off. He drew his sword and
called them by name to come back, and
said he would order the first man shot
who should run away.
All bright young scholars know what
followed the fire of the British, the re
turn of the fire by tbe Americans the
killing of eight of his company, his
order to them to disperse and take
care of themselves. After they were
gone, the British soldiers gave three
hurrahs, and stopped half an hour and
ate their breakfast and then resumed
their march toward Concord.
After they were gone. Captain Parker
and bis men came back, took up the
dead, looked after tbe wounded, etc.
Captain Parker saw a British soldier
who had loitered behind, a little drunk,
seized him and made him a prisoner.
He was completely armed, having the
musket stamped with the royal arms, a
knapsack, blanket, provisions, cartouch
box,witli sixty rounds of ball cartridges,
etc. Captain Parker kept them as the
spolia opima, as did also bis son, and
then the Rev. Theodore Parker.
The late Governor Andrew, it will be
remembered, on receiving It on the
State's behalf, In tbe presence of the
Legislature, Jan. 22, 1861, kissed the
gun and said :
" I am proud to be the humble Instru
ment of its transmission to the Senate,
in whose chamber it is requested by the
will that it may be preserved.
The weapon Is placed in the Senate
chamber, on the left of the drum and
other relics from the battle of Benning
ton. -B-
Their Curiosity Satisfied.
A well on the Pew & Emerson lease,
near Davis City, was stirred up by a
torpedo Wednesday afte'roon. Curlous
ity led several ladies and gentlemen to
the place to witness the result. Tbe
ladies were elegantly dressed and brist
ling with interest. They took a position
at a distance of about fifty feet from the
derrick. After the torpedo bad been
discharged down in tbe hole near China,
the oil bubbled in a fitful way out on to
the derrick floor. Each succeeding time
the volume, rose higher. As it fell In a
pretty spray the sun's bright rays kissed
the little drops of oil and caused them to
glow with all the varied splendor of a
kaleidescope. " Isn't that just too
splendid for anything?" cried the fair
ladies in the utmost delight, suiting the
clappings of their soft, white jeweled
bands to their enthmlastio utterance.
Presently a subdued gurgling was heard
at the well. In a jift'y an immense vol
ume of oil shot out of the hole, cracked
in fury against tbe sides and top of the
derrick, and squirted in all directions
far above and beyond. Tbe rain of oil
that followed covered a radius of seventy-five
feet from the derrick. The ladies
took to the woods, but not in time to es
cape tbe shower. The rank vegetation
In proximity to the derrick was painted
in oil, but still it looked sick. As tbe
ladles gazed at the extremities of their
skirts, dripping like an old gum-pipe at
a water-station (to lay aside gallantry
for the accuracy of the chronicles of
times) It must be stated that they bore
close resemblance to the vegetation.