The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1869-12-09
IDAHO WORLD.
A STRANGE FATE.

The Kansas City (Mc) Times gives the 'o''
lowing account of an old Californian:
A man died in Kansas City several weeks
ago, whose life had been weary ohe-a"u'
maybe, harder than he could bear-tor 10 thcse
who knew him there were few niltS VI
brief death struggle that was NOT natural. ~
is not, however, to penetrate tno snauows -, u
ths tomb. nor to stand sprculating about his
daath. he'd. that we repeat here what was told
ms Yesterday by the man 8 friend and companion
through many sorrowful years.
George r. was born in Kentucky and
came to Copper county, Missouri, ut the age of
SIXTEEN This was in lS4S. Soon his parents
died and he was left alone aud pennlless. LII
1856 he went to California, entered the mines
with the zest of q boy, worked hard, was sue.
cessful, bought land near Sacramento CITY, ana
soon became rich and prosperous man, In
1853 he met the woman, wh" through no fault
of his, was to exert such sad influence upon
all his after life This woman was SAID To De
beautiful accomplished, pure and loVea0ie
He met her, was fascinated. proposed. ne
wedding day had been suggested, II IL hau NOT
been decided upon, and for one bret lionth the
sun If happiness shone out solacingly before
the Glands closed over it forever. Preceding
the wedding it became necessary tor Il
Tn return 10 the mines and to arrange some bu-
siness there claiming his immediate attention
He went became involved in d quarrel win
man he had never seen, was attacked, ana 10
save his own life killed his antagonist lie ana
not know it then, nor until after ms trial WAS
over, nor until after he went again 10 Sacra-
mento to see the only one he had ever loved.
1t is unnecessary to depict the interview; the
terrible remorse On one side, the frcnZiru re-
proach and regrets on the other. Al last The
sister grew trighttully cam--so calm indeed
that she told of her brother; how ne had lett
home If the first news of the gold discovery I;
how he had not written; how Wild stories had
come back of his recklessness and dissipation (;
and at last the dreadful day when he lay dead
at the feet OF her lover. Rs grief was
no less bitter than that of the sister, and :"
when she said to him: I" | will love you till |
die, but will never marry you on this earth,
because my brothers blood is ON your hands,
he sold out everything he owned in California,
and came back to Missouri, first pl"dglng each
other that they would correspond AS regularly
as the condition of the mails thea permitted.
She wrote once and no more. In month al
ter her first letter she, too, had gone t" JON her
brother in the eternal world his second
blow fell heavier than the first, tor the poor
man had some hope while the woman lived.
Now he was alone forever. Presently the war
came and he enlisted in the Confederate arm!
GLOOMY and taciturn, he spoke Only at rare m
tervals, but ever did his duty as man aud a
soldier Later IN the war even the boon ui
speech was denied him. In the hot charge up
on the graveyard Fort, at the battle OF Helena
Arkansas, q MIME bullet passed through beth
of his cheeks and cut his tongue evenly oil nj
bout midway its length. After that he never
spoke an intrlligible word, JUDGED, be cared
very little to speak. In subsequent battles h,
seemed tr, ing hard to throw his lite away and
was noted in his command for the most rrch
less audacity At Jenkins Ferry he came
near getting what he secm.d 10 desire. Tor h'
was badly shot in the head, the skull being trac
tured and the brain exposed. He recovered
insomuch that the wound healed, but the poor
tried man had commissions until he died. 1t /.
supposed that these commissions impaired hi
mind to q certain extent Tor h. frequently de-
clared that he saw the face OF the woman ht
had loved-thc face OF the woman whose mem
ory had never left him during all the bitter and
sorrowiul years of his life. But ne is at res
now Let US hope that his soul has joined II
the sprit-land the soul of QUE who went on
into eternity under the shadow OF a very gr"a
darkness