The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1850-07-18

Gray soon disposed of the body by hurting
it over the precipice. As it went numbering
through the scrubbed and Jagged rocks that
lined the chasm he perhaps felt remorse, but
it was only for a moment. With eager hands /
he opened the pOrtmantelu, and rolling out
the shining coin upon the leaves, for some
minutes he gloated over his wealth for the |
country was almost uninhabited, and his de-
mon spirit could rejoice over his richness I'M
disturbed
On returning home he deposited his i'll
gotten gold in the chest. His wife heard the |
ringing of the coin, and her quick mind told
her that Charles Gray, her husband, he to
whom her heart had confded, was murder
er. She tainted. This wretch needed her
not, bat gloomily seated himself before the |
fire. From the floor en- which she had fallen, /
Mary rose an altered woman. The rose fled |
from her cheek, and grave in the forest
marked by Il single stone, tells you where
lies the broken hearted wife. Peace to her
memory! She Is gone where the blue
streams are never crimsoned with blood
where the dagger never flashed over the
head Of the devoted wayarer.
Charles Gray became a rich man. His
lands, broad and fertile, bore luxuriant har-
vests. A tall mansion rose among those old
woods, TO shelter the murderer's head
Strange to say he lived unsuspected. No
one cared for the emigrant in the country
from which he came.
! Years rolled away. Villages rosc on the
ruins of that mighty forest. The steamer
was heard with its perpetual thunder and
/ lightning ascending the Ohio, lovely resden-
ces, like gems summoned up by the enchan-
ter's wand from tha earth's bosom, studded
the banks Of the silver river. The suspicious
v,,f, Df'( FL
suspicous) rendered him fearful of discovery
rs emigrants were crowding into the Stale,
and entered the lands in the most unlre-
quented spots. The bones of Somers were
still exposed if they were found by any one
rambling through the bluffs, the dark affair
might be investigated and he meet with his
just desert. Sallying forth one evening" he
sought the wild precipice and descended by
the aid OF ropes 10 the spot where laid his vic
tim. The moon burned in midnight with the
lustre which she only wears on a winter
night when the snow reflects It's brightness,
and earth seemed to wear the pearly re bes of
angels. One by one the stars had appeared
through the arch above and around the hills
that swept the river, for nature is still lovely,
though tor few moments her beautiful form
may bear the record Of crime placed there by
man. A young gentleman named Wilson,
who was returning from visit to his '5ady-
love, passed by the precipice and observing
the ropes attached to a tree which stood by
his path, endeavored 10 trace the spot where
they ended. After a narrow search he found
them hanging against the rock that formed
the basis of chasm round which the waters
swept their crystal current.
in a few moments the young man perceiy-
ed the form of one whom he Immediately
recognized as Gray from his tail muscular
IL rure. He was gathering up some white
gnbsl, ances in bag, At last he seemed tC
5 have con, nleted his task and throwing The
BAG over his shoulder, attached the strings
to bis neck and bCdy, and commenced the as
cent. BY grasping The rocks with his hand
whenever they afforded sufficient protrn.
dag surface-and planting rs loot t T{; II
the assures, Gray had succeeded IN clIilDiIt
half way up the chasm. when stof> ping I
rest. the shelvy rock crumbIed under his lr-e'
! The murderer made violent struggle to sus
tan his position, but losing his balance he
plunged in the gulf
, One wild shrek told that the wretch haC
gone to judgment. ''Retributon" had peal
b; ed forth from the throne Of God, and the spir
it Of Gray stood before its Maker.