Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-07-07
ELLSWORTH, MAINE, FRIDAY, JULY 7, 1865

cumstanccs and as he had done me no
wrong, could not out Of charity inter-
icrc.
With quiet conscience l fell asleep,
and did not awake till after daylight the
next morning.
looked toward my neighbor's bed
| There he lay upon the outside of the bed,
with his back towards me, and none Of
his clothes removed. The candlesticks,
the black bottle and the papers, were on
the table near him. l rose and dressed
myself, and glanced at the papers. They
Contained murderer's confession ev.
identity. The bottle was labelled poi
son." with a deaths head and crossbones,
but strong smell of brandy.
bent over the motionless figure on
the bed. He was asleep. The whole
thing was so mysterious that said moth
ing about it; but after eating my break
fast, and settling my bills left for home,
wondering whetherI should see in the
papers the next morning the "Murdercr's
Confession" | looked for it for soma
time; but as it did not appear, | began
to suspeca that something had been the
matter with my brain during my stay in
G.
Some weeks afterwards | went iuto the
Boston Musuem to hear a sensational
play which was that nj ght to be brought
out took my scat and watched the
development Of the plot. 1t was one OF
the "love-und-murder" stamp. l could
not help thinking how similar were the
circumstances to those Of the trial at G
| When in the last act the murdercr's con-
fession was reached, it seemed but rep.
elton of the scene in the double -bedded
room which have already described. -
There was the actor striking his head
with his hand and frantically out. t.tretchec
arms. and gazing into the future, utterins
these words which had been so deeply im-
pressed upon my mind:
Farewell, earth, where gold doth rot
me Of my love; and hail thou strange
unknown where she doth wait my com
ing :"
He then staggered towards couch
and fell senselcss upon it as becoming )
as could be expected Of suicide.
The applause was dealcning. Ny
ncehbor, whom had not particular
noticed before, clapped his hands, an'
beat the floor with his boots and cane Til
there was no breathing from the dust III
raised. was about to demonstrate
when my eyes assured me that he was NJ
other than my lean friend Of the double
bc.dcl room.
} The truth flashed upon me. l ha'
heard Of the poor authors minSlinS wit
the crowd, and going wild at the success
: Of their plays. But the opportunity wa
too good to lose.
My friend" said |, "you seem to con
slider the play master stoke"
"lndccd | do" he replied, hammerln
; away to keep up the applause. | kne'
) it weuld.
II think l have seen it acted before,
| remarked.
. "Neyer. sir--nevcr, assure you 10
| wrote it myself, and this is the frs
time it has been upon the STAGE
IL do not doubt your word, sir; bu
! perhaps you have forgotten the double
bedIcd room in the Hotel at C
where the "NIurIcrcr's Confession" frs
saw the light of two tallow candles p
) "Ah, yes! l recolect trying it OIL
that night, after had worked it out o
that murder trial.
"But why did you have your bran1.
bottle labelled "PoiSoa ?"
"Wcll, sir. the fact is that sometime
forget to put it away, and it lasts lougc
, with that label"
There was both philosophy and CON
: mon sense in the answer, and | was sal
islied.