The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1850-11-06
NO.XXXI.
TIE FATAL SECRET.
ny DANIEL wEgsTER.

4 An aged man without an enemy ia the
world, in his own house, and in BIZ. Jed, is
lmadc lbe victim or a ,butcheIy mhrdef for
mele pay. Deep sleep has failed on the
Idcsiined yiclin, aud on ali beneath bis roof
I 4 heafhraI old mqh 10 whom sleep was
sweet, The frsl sound ,sIimbersS Of thr night
held hin in their soft but strong embface.-
! The assassin enters, through lie window ala
ready prepared, in al unoccupied apartment.
With noseIess loot he PAGES the lonely hall,
PhaF lighted by the n-he winds up The
asee u, Of the stair and reaches the door Of
the chamber. Oe this he moves the Iock bV
sdll and continued pressure, Iiliit iurns on ;is
hinges without nnisr and lie murderer now
enters and behoids the victim before him.
! The t0om wos uncmmhuly open 10 the adS
nissl"n Of lighi, Tho faee Of lhe INNOCENT
sleeper was tufneG from Tue mnrGe er, Sni
the beams OF the mron resting on the gray
locks ofhis aged temple, showed HIM where
ITO strike. The falaI blow is given, and The
victim passes. without a struggle or molion,
fran the Fepose af sleep 10 the repase Uf
hdeath! Ills the assassinls purpose TO make
sure work and he plies The dagger, though
it was obvious that life had been destroyed
by The Llow ofihe budgeop, lie even raises
tlIe ag ed ann, That he may moi ,laii 10 his aim
~ the heart, and replaces It again over the
wounds of The poignard! To finish The pic.
lure he explores the wrist for the puise!--
lie feels for it, and aqcerans that il beats
no lnngeI! It Is accomplished. sFFhe deed
| is done. He retreats, retrates his steps to
the window, passes ont il.rough II ashe came
lin, and escapes. He has ddne the murder
no one has seem him. nnear has heard him.
The secret is his own, and il is safe. .hs'
Ab! gentleman, that whs dreadful mis-
take. Such secret can be safe nowhere.
The whole creatinn Of Godhns. neither nook
nor corner where the gt.ilty can bestow il,
and say il is safe. MOI TO speak of that eye
that glances throug all disguise, and beholds
Everything, as ia tho splendpr of the moon,
Isuchsecrets Of guilt are never free from de-
ten'l1n, even by men, True il is, generally
speaking. that "murder will our."' True it
iii, that Providence has SO ordaaed, and does
so govern things, that those. who break The
great lave heaven by shedding mans blood
seldom succeed in avoiding discovery. Es.
pecially in case eXcling'sp much attention
as this, discovery must and will come sooner
Or later. .a. .,....-.,L :
A thousand eyes turned al once 10 ex.
plore every man, every Thing, every circum-
stance connected with the time aud place;a
Thousand ears catch every whisper; a thou>
sand excited mingts instantly dwell on the
scone, shedding all their light and ready 10
kindIe the slightest circumstance into blaze
Of discovery. Meantime The guilty soul
connot keep is own secret, II is false It~
sell. 1t abofs under lis guilty possession,
and knows uot what 10 do with it. The hn-
man heart was MOI made Tor lie residence Of
such an nhabhanl, Il finds itself fpreyed on
by toyment which it dare no, acknowledge
TO Gad1o: man. A vulture is devouring il,
and il can ask 10 sympathy or assistance,
Eeither from heaven or earlh. The secret
(which tile murderer possesses comes 10 poe
sess him; and like the evil spirits of which
we read, il overconeso him, and leads him
wher ever il will. tIe feels il heating ,at
his heart, rising To his throat, and demand.
ing disclosure. He alink The whole world
seesqit in his face, reads il in his eyes, and
almost hears lis workings in lhe silence of
! h 3 thoughts. Ii has becpme Lis master. Ii
betrays his discretion, it breaks down his
courage, il ennqpers ,his prndencs.a When
suspicion from without begins ~ embarrpss
! him. the fatal secret strpggles with greater
VIOLENCE toburst furih, i must be confess
ed, i will be confessed, and there is 90 re,
/ iugq from cpniessian hul SUICIDE, and suicide
4 " ceuRSSlVht 8t. f 4Ht tuftfth 81, q -.f.-