St. Mary's beacon., 1858-07-22
A Romantic Story.

S~~@~As~e@S@O
The following extraordinary narrative from
n late number of the Cleveland, Ohio, Herald,
is said by good authority to be literally true.
The reader will admit that an air of rrGiseSs-
Nance pervades the narrative, such as Is seldom
found in a manufactured story:
Some twelve years ago. two young men,
named China aud Paule, lived in a small viii
lage not far from the sea coas: in the extreme
west of England. Both were miners and
and worked in the same tin mine near the viii
lage. Both paid their addresses to the same
maiden, though not with equal success. Gil
ma prospered S. well with lis snit that day
was appointed far their nup;ials, and in due
course Of time the bars OF marriage were asked
in the village church on the first Of three
Sundays prescribed by English cannon law.
Before the second Simlay came round the
rivals met at wrestling match in the village,
and il CHANGED that the turn came for them to
wrestle together. P,ulc Was excited and en-
deavored stren0usly u give his successful rival
iu love wicked fall" but his eagerness
worked his defeat. Tic was thrown to the
ground amid the shouts cf tI,e villagers. On
springing to the gruund he swore that he
wOn!d be revenged, and that China should
never tnarry his intended bride. From that
day he took to drinking deeply, and was fierce
IN MS lmpTecattOllS Dl MS rival.
The day before that fixed for the marriage,
Paue told all his friends that he would be at
the wedding and would find means to prevent
Its taking place. Knowing his determined
character, China appeared alarmed at the
threat, and got some friends to intercede with
Paue. but in vain,
Late that night China left the house of his
intended bride frr his own cottage. The way
lay ACROSS patch of barren moor, where there
were several open mine shafts, which had been
deserted, and the ,ttnms Of whose black
depths were now covered with several Eathoms
| of water. About the same hour Paule was
seen crossing the same patch Of moor from
another direction. 4 miner, who passed
little later towards the mine where he worked
it being his turn for night work-averred
the next day that he heard a noise as if of a
dispute and scufle, but il Was too dark TO
distinguish any one.
The marriage was to take place at eleven
o'clock in the morning at the village church.
Long before that hour the village was scene
OF great excitement. The hat and neckerchief
of Paule, the latter torn and Gloody, had been
found near the deepest OF the abandoned Dit
shafts, and of Paule himself nothing had been
| found nor had he been seen since he went TO-
ward the moor on Che preceding night. The
ground where the articles had been found bore
traces of a scuffle having taken place, aud to
crown the whole, two buttons recognised as
belonging to Clima's coat were discovered
among the earth and stones. To these omi-
nous facts China coulG only reply that he met
Paule at the place mentioned, during the night;
that high words were succeeded bt a scufie
and that he had had beaten Panle, who retired
cursing him. This account was not considered
satisfactory, and China wns taken into custody
to await fa:ther developments.
Several days passed away; an examination
was made of the pit and the surrounding local.
ity, but uo trace could be found Of the BODY.
It was urged, however, that If a stone were at
tached to the body before it was thrown into
the pit, so rs to sink it, there would be no
probability of its ever being found. After
several examinations before a magistrate the
accused was released from custody, but only
to he Stunned as a murderer BY the whole
community. In the meantime, the intended
bride became sick through excitement; a vio-
lent fever was succeeded By wasting illness.
and after lingering for some months, she died
of a broken heart. These accumulated ills
were too much for the unhappy object of gen.
eral suspicion, and in less than twelve months
after what should have been his wedding day.
| he became the inmate Of an insane asylum
where he still remains hopeless maniac.
Among the relatives of China was a sister,
married to farmer, who, three years after the
| unhappy occurrence related above, removed
to this country and settled down on a farm in
| northern Illinois. A few days since, this sis-
ter, while about taking the cars in Chicago for
home, she suddenly encountered the supposed
murdered man? Her excitement was intense
Drawing him on one side, she made herself
know to Paule, and was Immediately recog-
nisei by him.
The explanation given by him of his disap-
pearance, vas, that he ret China On the
80. ID Es.E O. .-rsf e.i = ss.Nz aseJ ~