Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-08-28

"Then won't waste invention: but
would you mind taking me to the spot
before go tomorrow ?"
He agreed TO do Sc, merely smiling Gu
riously at my rudeness. Accordingly we
went over the ground, saw the cottage, and
the spot where the poor lady had lain
asleep, and finally went down the cliff to
the rocks, down swiftly and up slowly,
with strange fantastic terror, as IL / were
carrying a murdered child back to Its
mother.
at is true" said vehemently, "he
came up there as he said; he couldn't have
forged that story yours is prejudice in
vinclble."
"I repeat" he said, slowly, that didn't
believe it."
then left the seaside, and went inland,
to the principal town of the county, As
was staring, few days after, moodily
into the rain out of the window of cof.
fee.room, my eye wandered to signboard
all but fronting me, bearing words which
| had no doubt seen before, but then for
the first time noticed, The NorthshiTe Herald,
established 1924. The thought gradually
suggested itself that might find In back
number the full contemporary account of
the events which were still in my mind.
/ sent over my card to the editor with a
request that might be allowed to refer to
an early file Of his paper and was soon
poring over the narrative in his back
office. found that had met with in my
Blackby friend a most faithful, if not an
impartial chronicler; but besides, l learnt
from editorial comment and from cores
pondence shrewd and foolish, how intense
had been the interest excited at the time.
read the afternoon away, and was pass
ing out, when the editor himself walked
in. With his courtesy TO thank him for l
could hardly escape abruptly, and natural
ly told him what had been the object of
my search.
"You know the sequel?" he asked.
"No was it ever cleared up?"
He answered by reaching down the file
of 1888, and turning rapidly over the
leaves, read;
A MYSTERY SOLVED AT LAsT,-Most of our
readers will remember how, four years ago, pub
lie interest and curiosity was thrilled by tragic
circumstance that occurred on our coast at the
thriving village of Blackby. We need hardly say
that we refer to the apparent murder of child
under circumstances Of the greatest mystery. 1t
is gratifying to us to be able to state on indubia-
BILE authority that events have, during the last
week, transpired that lift the cloud of suspicion
which, in the minds of some, had condensed upon
the fair name of gentleman by whom the sacred
ties of nature were enormously conjectured to
have been disregarded To us ii is doubly graft
flying to recolect that, although in the interest Of
justice we opened our columns at the time, with
out fear or favor to free discussion of ali sides
Of that painful question, yet we consistently
(they really had gone dead in against the poor
mani " ayowed our belief that slander would yet
regret the envenomed darts which she then
launched against the party in question. The facts
which we have to announce are these"
Then followed a long narrative, the
graceful flowing periods of which shall
take leave to clip.
A poor woman had been received into
the hospital of that town, MANNED by a
falling weight having crushed her foot.
She suffered intense pain, which was at
length relieved by amputation. In the
weakness that followed, she believed her
self to be dying, and declaring that she
had something weighty on her mind,
begged for a clergyman to be sent to her.
The chaplain from her lips took down, in
the pr sence of another gentleman, a con-
fession of which this was the substance:
about six years back l was married
to man who took to treating me i'll, and
l was very miserable. But after my child
was born he began to use me better. He
played good deal with the little one, and
that seemed to make him kinder to me.
-Four years back he went away from home
in the spring to look for work, and soon
after he was gone, the child was taken i'll
with convulsions sat up with it week
or more, and Just as / thought it was com
ing round, it had a very bad fit, which
frightened me so much, that, weak as was,
set off to carry it to the doctor. AS i was
going, it died just in my arms; but /
walked fast on, hardly knowing what ]
did All of sudden I saw little baby,
just the size of my dead thing, picking at
the grass, with a lady lying fast asleep
close by. l stole up, and the wicked
thought came into me that would steal
it, and leave my own there. When | saw
it was tied, gave up, but knife lying
open on the grass put the thought back
again and l cut the leather. stood still,
thinking whether | should do it, but the
child held out its arms to me, so picked il
up. But knew at once that they would
come after me, and find it by its clothes
so | ran off with the two, and then ]
changed their things and put the dead ba
] by down under wall. / did not think
about the poor lady, not till long after
Many's the night since I've been awake
all night crying for thinking of her, but
/ then l only thought of myself, and hoped
my husband wouldn't come back before
there was time for the child to grow 6
bit out of his mind. And then that made
me think how the lady, when size came Il
wake, would know the other wasn't hers
And then l did what can't die with.
shut my eyes, and dropped heavy ston
on its poor little dead face, and then rollet
the stone and it down the cliff God for
give me, I've dreamt about it till fancie
couldn't live another long day withou
telling somebody But then l was afrai
J wi ha IN htTuh ha ar
er knew: and he and always treated tn
child well, and it grew up strong and di,
not seem to miss anything. But couldn'
die without saying it, and you, gentlemen
must do what is right"
There is little more to tell. The womal
recovered. The story was attested befor
a magistrate and the child was restored.
l couldn't resist going to Blackby.
really wished to convert my obstinat
friend from an opinion which l felt a
, along to be unfounded: but l wished sti
: more to deal killing thrust at his concei
( 1t was visitor on the side of visitor againf
inhabitant, and | determined not to spar
} him. broke IN upon him in the evening
and found him in the same chair, follow
: ing the same pursuits.
} "Back again p
t "Yes." And we we're soon chatting di
] cursively.
"By the way" broke in, az was rigl
: about the Blackby tragedy after al"
"After all the pains you took to 6
q wrong?"
Z at was all cleared up, as l said it coul
! be- II was woman who committed II
s murder, or rather there was no murde
), but a woman had changed the childre
# and beaten in the head of the wrong one
J, Really" he said, "you are making
:, very mysterious story of it give yourst
q time"
e at have cleared up all the mystery" +"
r replied; and then related to him Il
?, facts had collected Now l ende
"confess that once in your life-yOu we
young man then, allow-you formed
y hasty Judgment l told you that "
y were mistaken in thinking the mi
e guilty"
j. "And don't remember that / deni