The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1869-02-19
CRESCO HOWARD CO., IOWA, FEBRUARY, 49, 1862 WHOLE

EDIkO All L, lO, lOOC'
weeks since, will be remembered by
our readers. It was taken frcm
Matthew Hale Smiths Sunshine
and Shadow in New York." to
which it was accredited.
@ A SUICIDE.
One night an officer, in citizens s
clothes, was walking on the Battery.
His attention was directed to a
man walking back and forth on the
old sea wall. His appearance in
dicated great sorrow and despera-
tion. The officer thought he intend
cd suicide. He went up to the man
touched him lightly on the shoulder,
and in a kind tone said, "Not to-
night; not now. The water is cold.
You must not leave your wife and
children. Don't do it tonight. I"
Aroused as from a rcveric, in angry
tones the man demanded of the
officer, ''Who are you?" In an in
stant they recognized each other
The suicide exclaimed, "Good God!
is it you? How came you here 4?
How did you know what 1 intended
to do? Let us go and sit down.
You shall know why I propose to
throw away life that is not worth
keeping. 1 am daily in hell. I
can endure my tortures no longer
l determined tonight to seek rest
beneath the quiet waters. You
shall hear my tale, and judge for
yourself. ;"
A DARK STORY.
Seated on a bench by the side of
the office, the young man told his
griefs. lie said, Il came from my
mountain home in New England, to
seek my fortune in this city. My
mothers prayers and blessing fol-
lowed me. | resolved to do no dis
honor to those who loved me and
looked for my success. l entered a
largo mercantile store, and for a
time did the menial work. I was
industrious and ambitious. and re-
solved to rise. I did cheerfully and
and faithfully what was allotted to
me. Ny advance was slow at first.
[ gained the confidence of my
employers, and have risen to the
Iposition of confidential clerk. l
married n noble-bearted girl, whom
IL love better than life, and for q
time all things went we'll with me.
''One day, while at the store, l
received letter written in a fine,
delicate hand, asking for loan of
money for short time. The writer
regretted that necessity which
made it noedful for her to ask for
the loan but she was greatly re-
duced, had money to pay, and could
not escape from her present difficulty
unless her friends (underscoring the
wcrd FR1ENDs) would loan her a
small sum, say fifty dollars. for
short time. The letter was signed
by a name unknown to me. The
letter limited at some indiscretions
of mine. and threatened an exposure
unless the money was forthcoming.
On inquiry, I found the woman to
be one of those cold-blooded and
heartlcss wretches that abound in
New York, who live on black mail.
She was notorious woman, and
passed sometimes under one name
and sometimes under another. I
had seen her once, in company with
some associates, but that was many
years ago. She kept list of all
her acquaintances, even of those
who were casually introduced. My
name is on that list, Since the
fatal hour I saw her, her eye has
never been off from me. She could
afford to wait. She has watched
my rise, and when I dare not re-
fuse, has made levy on me. Mnder
the spccious pretext Of loan.