Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1899 — AUNT HANNAH'S SECRET. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AUNT HANNAH'S SECRET.

CHAPTER Vl.—(Continued.) * “1 have just left the scene of the trt,<edy, madam; but knowing the torture ?our minds must be under, I could not go ,to my home until I had seen you. Your, son stands not'ln the slightest danger. True, he may remain In custody for some weeks. The coroner’s jury will to-morrow doubtless hold him for trial, on certain circumstantial evidence that to the inexperienced juror will seem conclusive. Your son may even come to trial in criminal court, but, believe me, not a hair of his head shall be injured, and he shall return to you, his entire innocence of the crime charged against him fully established, the honored name he bears untarnished, and more, he shall one day present to you as his loving wife the fair girl who, even though she saw his bent form standing over the lifeless body of her father with the reeking weapon in his band that bereft him of life, yet has full confidence in his innocence, his honor and integrity, the daughter of the murdered man.” “Poor Hattie!” exclaimed the widow. ■“You innst go to her, Jennie, with the dawn of day. This is terrible for the poor girl. Why, Mr. Sellars, my son had two objects in visiting Mr. Deßosette’s home to-night. One, aa you doubtless know, was to take up his note. The other was to ask his sanction to the union of which you have referred.” “He had obtained that sanction,” said Sellars. “He had also taken up his note and had it in his possession.” “I know,” the widow said. “He had informed me. And then, the bag of gold. It seems incredible!” “Did your son return to the house, madam, after he had received the bag of coin, and before going to the banker’s!?” “He did not. He left us at half after nine, and when he returned he was in the custody of Sheriff Cobb. You know he expected to leave for Baltimore on the four o’clock train to attend to some business matters he has there with a commission house.” t**He so informed me,” said Sellars. “Mr. Sellars, I suppose we may visit my brother in the county jail?” “Certainly, Miss Jennie, and I will try and induce Sheriff Cobb to place him in the debtor’s room, which is more commomodious than an ordinary cell, if he is held for trial. ¥ou had best visit him between eight and nine o*clock this morning. Tell him, of course, that when the right time comes Lang Sellars will establish bis innocence and unlock his prison doors. But first, 1 have much to do, to fasten this crime where it belongs. There is double mystery here, at least. I have the key to one. I shall them all, only it will take time. And now, all that 1 have said was for your earft alone. A single word that my suspicion rests on other than Robert Campbell might doubly increase the difficulties of the work I have before me —might, in fact, cause guilty parties to take to flight ere I have the various links in a chain of evidence that will bring them to the gallows forged wel! together, and send me scouring . clear across the continent; therefore ” “Our lips shall remain sealed, Mr. Sellars, but our gratitude to you ” “Wait, madam, until I have deserved it. Now yon, Roger?” “I’s iak the grave, Mars Lang—jes’ lak the grave.” “Right, Roger. And your maid here?” “Oh, I will answer for Chloe,” said Jennie. “I dunno a ting, and never did,” said the sable Chloe. “Afil want is my young master back, so the bressed mistress and my Miss Jennie kin dry dar eyes.” "Why, don’t you see, Chloe, mother is smiling now, and I —l am another girl already.” “Well, good-night, ladies,” said the detective. “I an) glad to have been able to relieve your minds of much anxiety.” “Good-night, Mr. Sellars, and may God aid you in your endeavors to bring to the bar of justice th?guilty wretch who murdered my husband’s old friend. Oh, if Duncan was alive, what a ••shock this would be to him. And his son—his boy, held for the crime!” “Herbert Russell was held for the murder of Dr. Taylor, madam.” “True,” said the widow, as Sellars passed from the room. Jennie accompanied him to the door, bade him good-uight, and watched his form as it disappeared in the darkness that so often precedes the dawn of day. “What a reputation that man has as a deteeter of crime,” she thought, as she walked back through the hall. “Throughout the South, at least, he stands without a peer. Well, he deserves to.” "When she joined her mother she found her preparing to retire in a chamber adjoining the sitting room, tears coursing their way down her cheeks in profusion. “Why, mother, dear, you are weeping yet.” “But now, my child, the tears are happy ones compared to those of but a halt-hour ago. Come, join me in my room for a short repose. --At eight o’clock you must bear the glad tidings to your brother that he is under the watchful care of Lang Sellars, the great Southern detective, who has promised to restore him to us.” CHAPTER VII. - Sheriff Coßb, when he had taken Robert Campbell into custody, was thoroughly satisfied that the young man was the banker’s murderer. Of that there can be no doubt, but it is also certain that in his haste to do so hf was actuated by o fear that Sellars would rob him of the glory, as he considered it, by taking him into custody himself. Since the rescue of Herbert Russell from the very trap of the gallows a year previous, Sheriff Cobb had been very jealous of Carolina's great detective, and he had no desire that he should have the credit of having apprehended the Murderer of Banker Deßosette. Nit a suspicion of Herman Craven, the man who. In slippered feet, bareheaded from his slumbers at the dead hour of night by the ringing of his door bell and shouts of m order, had » m,

Herman Craven had denounced thbanan whom he found bent over his uncle’s lifeless clay with the bloody knife in his hand, as his murderer. Herman Craven was the dead man's nephew; the cashier of his bank; the prospertive husband of hia daughter. At least, Herman had told him that it was his -uncle's wish that they be nnited. Herman had cashed thousands of checks for him, which checks he had accepted in payment of taxes. It was plain to Sheriff Cobb that Robert Campbell bad sought that night to gain the banker’s consent to his marriage to his daughter. The banker had utterly refused his sanction, and forbidden him to pay hia addresses to the girl. The girl loved, or fancied she loved, him, but would not become hia wife without her father's consent. Perhaps he had ordered Robert from the house. Anyway, the banker removed, the young man hoped to make Hattie his wife and obtain the fortune she would inherit. “Nothing could be plainer,” thought Sheriff Cobb. “He was prepared for such an emergency. He had the sheath knife with him. It may have been hi an unguarded moment and in a fit of passion that he thrust its biade to the banker’s heart, or the deed may have been coolly and deliberately executed. One thing sure, the blow fell quick and sudden, hot in bis anxiety to make certain that his victim was dead the young man tarried too long. The cries of the banker reached the ears of hia nephew and those of his daughter, who sped down the stairs and confronted him with the evidence of his damnable crime clatcbed in his hand. “A moment more and he would have been gone, the sheath knife with him. In the morning the banker’s body would have been found stiff and cold. Who murdered him? Robert Campbell would have undertaken to fasten suspicion on the young cashier, as he does now, and perhaps with a greater prospect of success. But the bag of coin? He did not have it with him when he entered the house. Bnt bow did he obtain that note? He may have had it and secreted it somewhere after be struck the blow, and before he withdrew the knife blade from the banker's breast.. It may be discovered in the house. Again, he may have had an accessory, who fled with the coin. At all events, 1 have the start of Lang Sellars on.this ease. I have the man who struck the fatal Wow. He belongs to one of the first families in the State, but there is no ‘wrong man’ this time. All I will require will be a little time to find the gold. Robert Campbell ia a candidate for the gallows!” Thus thought Sheriff Cobh as he made -his way home after seeing his prisoner incarcerated in jail. The cries of the widowed mother and sister of the prisoner yet rang in his ears; but there was only one path for him to follow—the path of duty. At eight o’clock on the morning of the nineteenth Jennie Campbell entered the office of the county jail and made known her desire to see her brother. . “Follow me. Miss Campbell,” said Jailer Filyas-, an undersised, corpulent little man. “There are no orders not to admit yon, and if there were you should see your brother, even if he is in jail on the charge of murder. lam sorry for you, miss, indeed I am. Who would have believed it?” “Don’t speak of it, Mr. Filyaw, if you please,” said Jennie. “We have every confidence that my brother will be able to establish his innocence.” “I hope he may,” said the jailer. “I hope he msy. But what have you there?” “Merely my brother's breakfast in this basket,” said Jennie. “He is not need to prison fare. My mother being somewhat prostrated, did not accompany me, and I did not bring my maid to-day.” “Bless you,” said Filyaw, “I should not feed-Robert Campbell on prison fare. The best my own table affords should be his.” “Oh, thank you, sir, bnt either my maid or I will come every day while my brother is here in jail.”

They passed front the office through the hall into the corridor of the prison. Fi!yaw blew a sharp note on his whistle and a turnkey came forward and unlocked and swung open the heavy iron door of the structure, handing the jailer a bunch of keys as he did so. They passed within and the heavy door closed with a clang tNat grated on poor Jennie'B nerves. Two rows of cells confronted Hemone to the right, the other opposite—with a passage between them and an Iron stairway at the further end of the passage. “Hey, you jailer! Does my case came off at September court?” was the first greeting that reached their cars as they advanced. “I think not. Wortell,” was the reply; “but don’t worry about it. It will come off soon enough.” “Got any ’bnccer, Man Jailer?” were the words that greeted them from another cell. “Here, Pompy !” and Filyaw passed half of a ping through the Iron ban of his cell. “Tank you, Massa,” and the negro grinned as though he was happy. “Why do you keep negroes here, Mr. Filyaw?” “All, Miss Campbell, who violate the law, free born or slave, white or biaok, are liable to imprisonment in jail. Pompy now is a free negro. His offense is not very grave. He merely stole a hog, If his accusers tell the truth.” “Da lies, Man Jailer; da lies. I rubber stold dat hog. He coined to my tater patch, an’ was rootin’ dem up. You reckon I gwiae let someone etoe’s hog waller on my taters, an’ den ’low him to go tree? Cides dat, I only got seben dollars for de hog, an’ I offer de owner half of it.” worry, Pompy; I have engaged nonwi occupied cm-

-T.-oeX*) - ----- ■ ..; v ' •49k p’-e.w*. IsssrtdiMi a. imJk "ifwir waruer w >» w w—ff worn,” saifi SailerFlfcawc. “T Jbfi statlUte HsHto «ff,«wkflniiift tore to in Ha bedstead, sprang «e to tout, and lurnih. **** Filyaw bad tom MUitammjtmP* iJuter for twenty ps»; tot tons sttmfl fin to tered. '“lLaag (Srilhnrs sfooriM flic oaflhff toto this case. I'osn'tttolitwwsissmaffllnmcan ’Campbell guilty rtf murder.'” Little Aid Filya w know tow (top* to great detective was attmtetty ifaftmantofi to the-case. Twas in sad despair diiuigito, ton-aba-ter,” said Rdbert. gwrfbgps few uritauttea after Filyaw tod Xhium to topmtnsm. “Iffy reliance was mi Shilton. ami 1 thought to tod aftamdsmid ana. Tanagood pews reassures one. 0 anti 'tvnomfi tn> lie to jail until such (time n* to its aftfte to place tome to any stead tto mimdtowtt of m.v doarr old friend. BrowlM tote film, but to will do lit, isud wfafij m torsWirik around Ihim from wtoirih to nmnun hwsq». Now lot 'its talk mo injure atom Hite master. Ton know fho ifaiqmtat totes (flan* at ten o’clock, iflomm wtohomfllhortmto there. If necessary, (promise mm toft yon yourself will remain tonne amd Hcsg> her from attending, At worild tomoanodh for one of tor years and ronstste nattnre 1 shall surety beheld to'court, and I wconfiA spare her the pain of seeing am iconwjadl to jail again.” “She thought yon woPlfi toil so, Bbtentt, and will remain art tome. rSwtmdl Aston will he with tor. 1-ttolltoafttoAaomaft, my brother, and though yon iurc twtonarf to jail, knowing wtot the tfutnre will Ante* forth, I am content, and ttfiwn A unttat to with Hattie, your future wufte.” “Bless yon, my stater!!” The brother and stator sat side ttgr side on the iron cot odhon flPifcyirw toga hi ogwued the door, and 'toe (intake: <tff «cdftitss And been very mtnih dophoefl. “Ready. Iffiss iCampbell?-” to- atabsfl. “Yes, Mr. Filyaw, tuifl very Hunted! to yon!” “Entirely welcome. A jjitat twwiswfl a message from Attorniy Ah dirt*, mud ana exited ing him at toe .jail winy onomnft. He may tty tto warm ;n icanfesnion from yon, Robert. A woiild amt *w> Aiim.”’ “Thank yon, Filyaw, Amt A am gnlfey of no crime. Flense admit him.” “A don’t (believe .yon uwo. Amt tome I lawyers are dangerous sotnotfanes. Madid yon not like to see ILsng SWlfans?; Torn remember how to sowed toe ilfte off Bnrbert Russell *t toe Host union nm. Four to occupied to is wnry mourn far some time!” ‘t faawo so message for SWltars!” suit Robert. ‘W 'course., iff to tolls virtnatarity and wishes tto see one, aiftmfc Atfaag hot be stated tost night total to tonqptft Sheriff 'Cobb tod upprObmilled tto mgjbt man!" “He did! He <did!!” *e»riluunefl FDyww, moving nervousfy ?ow.arfl tote ‘door. '“Atom ( would sot give iniudh for your llito. <&ad help you. sir!” Retort and his stafatr 'iwdlamged assures. He kissed her -gooftlfay imfi At fOUmrod The jailer took Aits tifitee. “Neither The A mother mer staasr aw heartbroken!” t hough: «s to watched A»or Hrite form ipsss from waw, “but if A.aug ■Sellars amide touft stuxnmmfi the son of ©imcon 'Oantritoll will 'die *t felon's deirth on The gaßows!” (To to cansiniwflrt