The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-11-09
\ THRILLING INCIDENT,

hlng IrOm the Ccmple' 6Icu SDOV0s
A THRILLING INCIDENT.
Near the hamlet of Udorf, on the banks
of the Rhine, not far from Bonn, there yet
stands the mill which was the scene of the
following adventure
One Sunday morning the miller and bis
family set out as usual to attend divine
service at the nearest church in the village
of Heassel, leaving the mill, to which the
dwelling house was attached, in charge of
the servant maid, Hanchen, bold-hearted
girl, who had been some time in his service.
The youngest child, who was still too little
to 60 to church, remained also under her
care.
As Hanchen was busily engaged in pre-
pairing dinner for the family, she was inter.
rupted by visit from her admirer, Helm
rich Botteler. He was an idle, graceless fel-
low, and her master, who knew his charac-
ter well, had forbidden him the house but
Hanchen could not believe all the stories
she had heard against her lover, and was
sincerely attached to him. On this occasion
she greeted him kindly, and not only got
him something 10 eat at once, but found
time in the midst of her business to sit down
and have a gossip with him, while he did
justice to the fare set before him. 4..
AS he was eating he let fall his knife,
which he asked her to pick up for him. She
playfully demonstrated, telling him she
feared, from what she had heard, he did
little enough work, and ought at least to
wait on himself. In the end, however, she
stopped down to pick up the knife, when the
treacherous villain drew dagger from I'M
der his coat, and caught her by the
nape of the neck, gripping her firmly
with bis fingers to prevent her screaming |;
then, with an oath, he desired her to tell
him where his master kept his money,
threatening to kill her if she did not comply
with his demand.
The surprised and terrified girl in vain
attempted to parley with him. He still held
her tightly in bis choking grasp, leaving her
no other choice but to die or betray her
master. She saw there was no hope of
softening him or changing his purpose, and
with full conviction of his treachery, all her
native courage awoke in her bosom. d.
Affecting, however, to yield to what was
inevitable, she answered him in resigned
tone, that what must be, must only, il he
carried off her masters gold, he must take
her with him, too, for she could never stay
to hear their suspicious and reproaches, en-
treating him at the same time to relax his
grasp Of her throat, for she could hardly
speak, much less do what he did while he
held her so tight. At length he was in
duced to quit bis hold on her, reminding
him that he must lose no time, as the fami.
~ would be returning home from church.
"Here," she said, reaching to him an axe
which lay in one corner of the room, "you
can open it with this, while I run up stairs
to put all my things together, besides the
money I have saved since have been
here" ..s.tqt ts.t .rl
Completely deceived by her apparent
readiness to enter his plans, he allowed her
to leave the room, only exhorting her to be
as quick as possible, and was Immediately
absorbed in his own operations first open
ing the box and then disposing of the money
about bis person.
In the meanwhile, Hanchen, instead Of
going to her own room, crept softly along
several passages till she again reached her
masters chamber. 1t was but the work Of
q moment to shut and bolt the door upon
him; and this done she rushed to the other
door of the mill to give the alarm. The on
ly being in sight was her masters little boy,
child of five years Of age; to him she called
with all her might:
"Run run to meet your father as he
comes from church; tell him we shall all be
murdered if be does not come back"
The frightened child did as she bid him,
and set on running the road she pointed
Somewhat relieved by seeing that the child
understood her, and would make her case
known, she sat down for moment on the
stone seat before the door, and, full of griei
and thankfulness for her escape, she burst
into tears.
But at this moment ashrill whistle aroused
her attention. 1t was from her prisoner
Heinrich, who, opening the grated window
above her head, shouted to some accompllce
without to catch the child that was running
away SO fast, and kill the girl.
Hanchen looked around in great alarm
but saw no one. The child still continued
to run with all its might, and she hoped il
was but false alarm to excite her resolu.
ton, when. just as the child reached hol-
low in the next field 1.-THE channel of nat.
ural draia,) she saw q rufian start from tue
bed of the drain, and snatching the child
. in his arms, fastened with him to the mill
in accordance with the directions of bis &C
/ complete. In moment she perceived the
full extent Of her danger, and formed bel
plan for escaping it. .,.6+.sie..g =,
| Retreating into the mill she doubled