Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1867-07-06

"Ies; see that you are On the
track. That is the place. There was
the foulest murder committed at that
spot-the foulcst I ever knew or heard
tell of in the whole country
The priest needed little pressing to
repeat it.
You will wonder at my being able
to tell you" he began, '-iur such tales
generally come to us through the con,
fessional Secrets told IS there are in
violabie; We eannot dare to repeat
them"
Then this Was not confessed. to you?"
I asked, with sonie slight ,!isappoint-
ment for if the priest had heard the
story second hanI could uot count on
its accuracy. | had hoped that he
would reveal solne Of the "secrets
Of the prison-hcuse' One hears
50 many fearful tales, told with
such exaggeration, that. one becomes
skept icai or Indifferent One suc! story
from. the lips OF the priest who has re
ceived it from the lips Of the criminal,
would nutweigh all the added horrors Of
the newspaper reporter.
/ But the priest reassured me.
This WAS confessed to me; it came
to HE undtr the seal of confession, aud
that seal shall not be violated. If the
minister Of justice had suspected that
such confession vas made to me, and
had asked me about 1t, | could not have
betrayed the culprit. Such case has
never been known amongst US. Crimes
have been communicative have known
the criminals, and we have seen them
living in impunity. 1t was the will Of
God that this man should not escape. "
"Some one had seen him ?"
"Not living eye"
"He told it to some one beside you p
''I'o no living soul"
"Then how was he detected ?"
at pleased God to make me the
humble instrument of his vengeance.
1t is no violation of the seal of confes.
sion to tell you that this man came to
me. Many who were in the church
and saw me will tell you that, in the
middle of his tale, | tainted from horror.
What did this prove? We are subject
to the same weakness as other mortals.
| The confessional is sometimes close aud
hot; | recovered in moment, and nc
help was needed"
"But | suppose that some one had
observed you and came to listen p
"pray spare me such unchristian sur
Hlses Did not tell you that no one
heard that had recovered before any
one called attention? ? 1t was not by
such means that the murderer was
brought to Justice
Ny patience began to fail me. The
worthy priest noticed it and tantalized
me DO logger.
Your questions only hiuder my story;
do not interrupt me and you shall heal
everything The daughter of one OF
the innkeepers at Zell was betrothed to
a young man in the village you passed
on your way hither. They were to have
been married in a week, when the
young man disappeared. No one had
seen him 90 from the village; no trace
Of him was found anywhere. His moth,
er, widow. searched all the woods,
went to all the places ruut.d, asked,
hunted, brooded day and night, and at
last got distracted, No one was suspect.
ed of having made away with him ; the
girl had no other lover, as far as she OF
the rest of the world knew the young
man had no enemies All that remain.
ed was mysterious disappearance, a
girls hopes blighted, mother driven
to despair. You are going to interrupt
ne: let me beg your leave to reserve
your questions.
"Some time after man of this place
who was occupied as woodcutter on
the pass, came to confess to ME. | do
mot tell you what he said ; l will not
breathe hint about it. Suffice it that
at one point of his story I was so over
come with horror, or by the heat of the
confessional, that was unconscious for
moment, and when | recovered |
made firm resolve that the wretch
should be brought to Justice.
"iIe was lingering about the church
when | came out, and signed to him
that | waited to speak with him. There
wa. al uncomfortable look in his face
as he approached ne he serutinized
me out OF the corners of his eyes to see
what | wanted. But | rcassured him
at once | III de no allusion to what be
told me. Ny son. said, 4 am walk
ing over the Gierlos, and if you are 60
ing that way | shall be glad Of your
company The road is lonely and
gloomy, and there are strange, wild
people who DO not regard even the mes
senger of heaven. Not that | fear
Iaught for myself; but what would be-
come of nay poor flock if [ was taken
from them? You, MY son, L know
may be trusted
"He was fattered at my confidence,
but still he tried to get off. After one
or two excuses, which | overruled, he
consented to accompany me.
"Iou know the road which we ira
versed. As We began to mount, and
the way became lnpelier, l pointed to a
cruciix on one of the trees, and re-
minded him that We were still under
the protection of our Master. who
could commit crime even here, ask