The Rangers | Page 4

D.P. Thompson
with a gun or pistol under his great-coat. Ha ha! The judge is a sly
one."
"One word about that case of murder, to which you have alluded, Mr.

Patterson," interposed Jones, after the jeering laugh with which the
sheriff's account was received by Haviland and Peters, had subsided. "I
have heard several mysterious hints thrown out by our opponents about
it, which seemed to imply that the prosecution of the prisoner was got
up for private purposes; and I think I have heard the name of Secretary
Brush coupled with the affair. Now, who is the alleged murderer? and
where and when was the crime committed?"
"The fellow passes by the name of Herriot, though it is suspected that
this is not his true name," responded the sheriff. "The crime was
committed at Albany, several years ago, when he killed, or mortally
wounded, an intimate friend of Mr. Brush."
"Under what circumstances?"
"Why, from what I have gathered, I should think the story might be
something like this: that, some time previous to the murder, this Herriot
had come to Albany, got into company above his true place, dashed
away a while in high life, gambled deeply, and, losing all his own
money, and running up a large debt to this, and other friends of Brush,
gave them his obligations and absconded. But coming there again, for
some purpose, a year or two after, with a large sum of money, it was
thought, which had been left or given him by a rich Spaniard, whose
life he had saved, or something of the kind, those whom he owed beset
him to pay them, or play again. But he refused to play, pretending to
have become pious, and also held back about paying up his old debts.
Their debts, however, they determined to have, and went to him for that
purpose; when an affray arose, and one of them was killed by Herriot,
who escaped, and fled, it seems, to this section of the country, where he
kept himself secluded in some hut in the mountains, occasionally
appear-ing abroad to preach religion and rebellion to the people, by
which means he was discovered, arrested, and imprisoned in
Westminster jail, where he awaits his trial at the coming term of the
court. And I presume he will be convicted and hung, unless he makes
friends with Brush to intercede for a pardon, which he probably might
do, if the fellow would disgorge enough of his hidden treasures to pay
his debts, and cease disaffecting the people, which is treason and a
hanging matter of itself, for which he, and fifty others in this quarter,
ought, in justice, to be dealt with without benefit of the clergy.--What
say you, Squire Haviland?"

"I agree with you fully," replied the squire. "But to return to Judge
Chandler's communication: what steps have you taken, if any, in order
to sustain the court in the threatened emergency?"
"Why, just the steps that Chandler knew I should take--sent off one
messenger to Brush, there on the ground at Westminster; another to
Rogers, of Kent; and yet another to a trusty friend in Guilford,
requesting each to be on, with a small band of resolute fellows; while I
whipped over to Newfane myself, fixed matters there, and came round
to Bennington to enlist David Redding, and a friend or two more; as I
did, after I arrived, last night, though I was compelled to leave them my
sleigh and horses to bring them over, which accounts for my begging a
passage with you. So, you see, that if this beggarly rabble offer to make
any disturbance, I shall be prepared to teach them the cost of attempting
to put down the king's court."
"Things are getting to a strange pass among these deluded people, that
is certain. I cannot, however, yet believe them so infatuated as to take
this step. But if they should, decided measures should be taken--such,
indeed, as shall silence this alarming spirit at once and forever."
"I hope," observed Miss Haviland, who had been a silent but attentive
listener to the dialogue, "I hope no violence is really intended, either on
the part of the authorities or their opponents. But what do these people
complain of? There must be some cause, by which they, at least, think
themselves justified in the movement, surely. Do they consider
themselves aggrieved by any past decisions of the court?"
"O, there are grumblers enough, doubtless, in that respect," answered
the sheriff. "And among other things, they complain that their property
is taken and sold to pay their honest debts, when money is so scarce,
they say, that they cannot pay their creditors in currency--just as if the
court could make money for the idle knaves! But that is mere pretence.
Continue reading on your phone by scaning this QR Code

 / 175
Tip: The current page has been bookmarked automatically. If you wish to continue reading later, just open the Dertz Homepage, and click on the 'continue reading' link at the bottom of the page.