Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-06-04

on was to man accustomed to an outdoor life
5 he fulfilled all his duties with the most praise
. worthy punctulity. Not murmur, and still
less a curse, was ever heard to escape his Inns
and t was only in the silence of the night that he
gave way to his sorrow. when he thought of his
dear ones at home, who were threatened with
coming ruin, by being deprived of their natural
protector. Yet Holderlin felt, withal that al.
though he closed his ears to the reckless talk Of
t his fellow-prisoners, he was not likely to grow
: a better man in the house of correction. He
grew to hate mankind-not only his comrades
the jaiCrs, and overseers, but all who were free
, and happy, even including the worthy chaplain
to whose preaching he was obliged to listen
every Sunday. And this state of mind seemed
to be aggravated by the return of spring, moi
r only because confinement is more irritating a,
that season, but because the house of correction
belonging to the canton of Aarau, being situated
} IN the town of Baden, couple OF miles from
Zurich, whittier invaids repair 20 enjoy the ben.
eht of the hot springs, the prisoners, who then
began to be set at work in the open air, are liza
Die to be seen and recognized by the company
visiting the place.
One day, when Holderin was at work, light
chaise came along the road, in which sat the
schoolmaster of his own village and his sick
daughter. Our poor prisoner felt irresistibly
impelled to inquire after his wife and children,
when second thoughts reminded him he must
not speak to any one without the overseer 5
leave, to say nothing of the shame be felt at be-
ing seen III prisoner dress, and he turned his
face aside as they drove past. A stolen glance,
however, convinced him that he was recognized,
ior both the father and daughter turned round TO
look at him. Maddened with impotent rage,
Franzi dashed his hammer down on a a piece of
rock that split to shivers, one of which hit fell
low-laborer, who screamed aloud with pain
The overseer came to the rescue with uplifted
stick and took Hclderin so rudely to task for
his unseemly behavior that 1t was only by an eff
fort that the latter restrained himself sufficiently
not to serve the overseer's head as he had done
the block of stone. Ever since this occurrence,
Holderlin's spirit grew more and more chafed
from day to day.
He had been about three-quarters of year in
prison, when one Sunday, at chapel, as he hap
pened to throw listless glance his fellow
prisoners, he startled with surprise on perceiv-
ling amongst the worst class of the inmates of the
house the villanous countenance of his brother
Iln-law, Stopp, who returned his look with one
expressive OF the very worst passions of degrad-
ed human nature. 1t was evident that Stopp
must have committed capital offence, since he
belonged to the section of prisoners condemned
to incarceration for life; and it became Holder
| Inns sole aim to endeavor to discover of what
crime he had rendered himself guilty.
In order to obtain this piece of information,
| Hoderlin grew more talkative, both with his
companions and jailors; and at last he found
the opportunity to inquire of one of the over
seers the cause of his brother-in-law's incarce-
ration.
L should not tell you by rights, Holderin,
said the oyerseer; bat can't help plying you;
for the mark you left on Stopps ribs and should
er did not prevent his ill-using his wife more
than ever afterwards; and not long after his re-
covery, he shut her up in the dust-hole, where
he left her TO perish. That's why he is here
and here he will remain as long he lives.
| On hearing these dreadful words Hoderlin
turned as pale as death; and no sooner had he
recovered from the first shock, than he began to
rave against the law, which he had deemed too
severe against himself, but that seemed now far
too merciful towards his sisters murderer. Nay,
ne considered himself called upon to Iectify such
fragrant injustice, by carrying into execution
the sentence of death he considered his brother
in-law had so richly deserved. This was not
however, so easy to compass, as the prisoners
. lcondemnad for life were studiously separated
from the other inmates, ana Iveu In III uppa,
story of the house of correction. 1t was only
in chapel, therefore, that the two brothers-n-law
met, and certainly in frame of mind anything
but consonant with the place they were in
Holderin had again grown reserved and moody
and was brooding necessarily over his revenge
which he would perhaps have accomplished
had not providence mercifully frustrated his
design
One night, towards the end of December
lay tudt uo was
with Stopp, when the cries of Fire! suddenly
started him out of his sleep. The prisoners leap
ed out of their beds, and some were laundering
at the door of their cells, while others had bro
ken the panes of their grated windows, and were
: calling aloud for help. Volcanoes OF smoke pen
etrated through the door of the passage leading
to the cells, nearly sitting the inmates and the
cracking of the burning woodwork might be dis
tinctly heard from within. Cries of anguish re-
sounded through the building, and the prison
ers, rendered desperate by their situation, were
battering away at the door with the table and
. other pieces of furniture, while others were en-
degvoring to remove the iron bars from the
windows. But no sooner had the door given
away beneath their united efforts than the smoke
and flames drove them back, and they wero fair
to replace the door as well they could to serve
as a screen between themselves and the burning
, staircase.
Holderlins first thought was that his brother
in-law, who, probably harbored the same re
, Yengefu feelings as himself, had set the place
on fire to destroy him, and it made the prospec
of death seem doubly bitter
BY this time the street was lit up by a fear
full glare, and the crowd had assembled in from
] of the prison: from every window of which tbs
: poor wretches were stretching out their arms
and crying, help! help!' in full chorus. Severa
ladders were placed against the wall, but non'
of them reached to the second floor of the burn
, ing house, and consequently the means of es
, cape, namely, sledge hammers and crowbars
could only be handed through the window
grating of the first story. With the use OF these
{ implements, the more fortunate inmates Of th'
> first floor had quickly descended from their per-
ilous situation.
. 1t was not until his comrades had reached the
ground in safety, that Holderlin left his ce,su
being lis self-imposed punishment for the muir
derous designs he had harbored against his broth
er-in-law. On reaching the court, he row per
ceived the desperate position of the prisoners II
, the upper floor, amongst whom was Stopp an(
their agonizing cries for help were the more DIS
i, tressing from the impossibility of assisting
them, owing to the want of proper ladders
Their cells were already lit up with glare
while the inmates were working away at TIT
! window bars with desperate energy; and thu
, beams were cracking over head, and the tiles be
: ing scattered about, when breach was a
: length effected in the totteTing wall, and they
contrived to let themselves down with rope
they had hastily made out of tie sheets. Six
teen prisoners escaped in this manner, when thu
. roof fell in and buried the rest with one might,
/ crash.
, The rescued prisoners were now conveyed Il
/ the nearest bathing establishment, where q
> warm bath proved welcome restorative, They
: afterwards par.ook of wine and Strengthening
: food while those who had met with accidents
! were kindly attended, and their wounds dress
ed by the good Samaritans of the place. Every
body praised Holderlin for his self-devotion ane
energetic efforts in rescuing his comradesi bu
he received such praises in a humble spirit, IN
wardiy praying that his willing sacrifice Of hi
9 life might be accepted in atonement for the mur
der he had contemplated.
II When the fire was at last mastered, and the
! rubbish cleared away, the bodies Of fifteen pris
oners were found amongst the ruins. Holder
Inns brother-in-law was amongst the victims
! and as Frsnzi looked upon his blackened anC
mutilated remains, still small voice seemed to
. to say to him in the words of Scripture, Ven
! gance is minet
! 4 few months after these events, a ship was
! ploughing the ocean, on its way TO California
In snug cabin sat and his wife, anc
I their two children. They both bore the trace:
NJ thair faeax. yet thouDh seri