The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-09-24
The Dead Alive.


very pious but rather austere and thrifty
man. He kept but one servant, an orphan
whom, as a child, he took to wait on him, and
afterwards taught her to read and write,
boasting of her fidelity and indulging her as
if she were his daughter. He was her only
friend. At sixteen Caroline de Burg was as
comedy a girl as eyes need see, with the gait
of peacock and skin like new milk; but
from her silent, almost naughty disposition,
the young men called her prude, the young
women-fool; though mothers, even of less
lowly station, would point her out to their
own giddy geese, and cry ''Take pattern by
poor Lima !"
Suddenly she appeared to grow timorous
and melancholy and one day was seen by a
neighbor to hurry from her masters house, in
fearful agitation. Peter Gortz pursued, but
missed her; the neighbor sought with better
fortune, and overheard her muttering to her
self, ''The virgin forbid | should be SO rash
yet-anything rather than than that! | can
bear it no longer" This man instantly seiz-
ed and questioned her on the meaning of those
words, but, as she only trembled, bIushed and
wept, he forcibIy led her back to her master,
who looked pleased at her return, and, on
what she said being repeated to him, mere
" laughed out, Il was too strict this morn
ing, perhaps silly wench, don't quarrel with
thy second father Lima was about to re-
tort, when Peter babe the other leave them.
Whatwas this PERSONS amaze, when, next
morning, his wealthy neighbOr ran to him,
all alright with the tidings that his house
had been robbed of gold and plate, to large
amount, though no locks were broken, and
his servant either murdered and concealed, Or
carried off alive, which seemed most likely,
as everything that had belonged to her was
missing, and no signs of contention had dis
sturbed her master in the night. The mena-
ces she had used tempted their nearer at once
TO suspect her, though the loser did not
She must it was supposed, have taken the
road to her native village. Officers of justice
pursued that route, and overtaking wagon
whose driver looked alarmed at their appear
ance insisted on searching it. There, indeed,
they found female answering the description
given them hidden, with her trunk, amid the
straw. She denied her name, but a sheathed
knife was found about her, on which it was
Craven SWELL" she cried, as if bewildered,
mo law can force my return to him." Not
needing her, they lifted out her box. '"Tis
heavy enough" said one, Significantly. 'Is
it ?' she screamed to the driver. This appeal
caused them to arrest him also. Falling on
his knees, he swore by all the saints, that he
only knew this girl as having hired him, in
the next town, to come privately to a certain
house, for herself and baggage; that he had
gone, stolen i'll, moved the box from her cham
Der to his wagon, where, by another bribe
she had induced him to conceal her. The lid
was forced, and, at the bottom of her ward
robe sewn into some articles of apparel, were
discovered a sum Of money, and several arti-
Giles Of silver, bearing the initials of Peter
Gortz. In positive distraction Caroline Shrek
ed, II refused to be his wife and told him |
would leave him. Oh he threatened to pun
ish me ?" "You had threatened, too" said
one Of her captors, and now, ofcourse, would
fam crlminate your accuser." ''Nay, then |
am lost indeed" she cried, and was convey
ed to the prison of the town she had just left,
amid the execrations of its assembled inhab-
itants who had never before heard of such
way as hers for requiting an offer of marriage
from a superior.
She was tried Immediately on her appre-
hension. Who could bear witness in her IA
vor? Who knew her character so well as
Peter Gortz himself? He gave his evidence
with extreme reluctance; everything tended
to prove her guilt. She was condemned to
die, without delay; yet the priest who attend
ed her could gain no ayowal of the theft !;
finding her so impenitent, he tried all the
power OF terror on her soul, with but the re-
suit of unnerving her for the awful fate she
was to meet. L cannot grace my story with
word in praise of her heroism. She begged
for time. she duplicated the Virgin to inter
pose and save her young days; she grovelled
at the feet OF her guards; her shrieks and
groans rung from the very scaffold, she
struggled with the executioner, till even he
was half overpowered by her pleading beau
ty.
At length her strength and reason failed
she became insensible. The fatal cord was
adjusted, and the poor wretch left to hang
for the usually appointed period.
Her body according to the sentence of the
law, was given for dissection. 1t fell to the
lot OF rising anatomist, named Ebreson,
who had 1t conveyed to the wonted scene of
his scientific vigils large arch cellar, be-
meath his house, chosen for its GOODNESS; its
air was noisome. and its walls discolored it
was lighted from the ceiling by an antique
lamp, whose rays fell on the instruments of
his lab0rs. and the still more terrifc-looking
preparations on which he had toiled. The
operator was accustomed to attire himself, for
these experiments, in dark dress, which
tightly fitted his gigantic figure, and left his
lean arms bare. His fiery eyes and cadaver-
GUS and strong features, set off by the black
locks which streamed over his shoulders must
have rendered him a frightful picture. Be-
fore him, on his table, lay the body of Caro-
line, partially covered with a cloth, often be-
fore used for similar purposes and, here and
there, stained from the dead. Ebreson, who
had hitherto been constrained to study from
such revolving remnants as his elders might
leave of their Church-yard spoils, was graft
he'd IN attaining an entire figure, SO recently
deprived of life. He had not attended Caro-
lines trial; though he had listened, with
sad shuddering interest to the account of her
early crimes and punishment He commenc-
ed his examination. The limbs were scarce
yet rigid; and when he barred the face. he oh
served that the manner of her death had
neither blackeued nor distorted it for the
first time was he aware of her identity with
one he had seen walk the world in maiden
pride; oft had he felt inclined to ask the
young things name. He knew it now-and
half forgetting his art, sighed forth, Had she
been as good as she is fair, this is not a breast
which | could laCerate"
He turned away to make some preparatiop !
for his horrid work, when a heavy siGh VII
seemed to bear on its breath the wos' M, w
cy y recalled him to the side - Coroi;,a -'iG
seized her wrist feeble ptterin% mis- VIZ
OFe aztec thrlllingly t" ms touch. ~
Tho s,,rossr- or eyes, gazed around hers
-ors IN, and all his accompanying hor
She sprung from the board and threw
herself at his feet; her own dsarray affected
her not, the feelings of this world she believ-
ed had passed forever; but in the most earn
est accents, she articulated Il know not
whether l am in the presence of God or a dew
il, but | am Innocent" sInnocent - repeated
Ebreson, in sepulchral voice. EYES," she con-
tinued, wringing her hands, lin pity torture
me not or say that this dismal place is but
purgatory-that do deserve, for | did car
ry knife about me- that Knight put an end
to my own life, rather than be his. but of the
f-.,. ...hi1l, ] s,,tt..ral -, 4.