The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-06-30
Democratic and Conservative
State Ticket.
4 Prison Story.

Nearly seventeen wears ago, early ~
the winter, a wealthy and respected Gen
tlcman, named Peyton, of Cabell coun
ty, in the State of Virginia, was mysteri
ously murdered in his own house, and
as justice could not detect, nor suspicion
indicate the murderer, the victim went
to Judgment unayenged by human law
The kinsmen of the dead and his many
friends spoke long and bitterly OF the
deed of blood, and speculated vaguely
as toi its purpose, but years rolled on
without revealing the arm that had
dealt the bastard blow, and at last the
crime was forgotten That is it was
forgotten by man, but in the breast OF
the assassin dwelt a sleepless guest
remembering all. Conscience slept not
when the deed was done, and from
thenceforth the guilty wretch was
doomed to tread the earth with one sent,
ence ever sounding in his cara life
for life y
There could be but one sequel. On
an afternoon in the summer Of 1860 a
miserable-looking man drov, into the
the CITY Of st. Paul, Minnesota, in a
small cart drawn by yoke OF steers,
and at once inquired for the sheriff He
was not an old man, yet his brow was
furrowed with wrinkles. He did not
appear to suffer poverty, yet all his as
pect was poor and wretched. When
saluted his only response was an inquiry
for an officer of justice Some one
directed him TO q magistrates Office
whittier he went with the air of a man
on his way to the scaffold. 4 deputy
sheriff received him, and surprised by
his manner, asked his business. The
answer was: Arrest me: am
charged with murder!
Then he told the story OF his guilt.
Six years before, the murder of Mr..
Pcyton was his crime. He had resi-
dencc in Ohio at the time; but, to
escape the tracking OF justice, he fled to
Wisconsin, and there worked on the
Black and Chippewa rivers. Afterward
he worked in the Lower Sank rapids, on
the Red river, at Pemhina, and finally
went to Minnesota In all his wander
ings there was terrible accuser within
him, hearing one word murderer in
the rustling of forest leaves, in the roar
OF the angry river, III the cracking Of
tall prairie grass, and in the hum of the
market place. In every man who adj
dressed him, he saw possesSor OF his
secret in ever house where he would
rest there came red stains on the floor
The hand of justice had not branded
him with an iron grasp, nor the law
sentenced; vet to him the bright sun,
the relentless eye OF justice glared upon
him wherever he crouched, and con-
science was q law that had tried and
doomed him.
Thus hunted through the world by
spcctrcs breaking from the grave of vir-
tue in his own soul, he had at last
resolved to bear death rather than
madness, and demanded from his fellow
men the righteous penalty Of Il deed
making him coward, compared with
whom the timid hare were fearless.
After hearing his confession the sheriff
at once took the unhappy man into
custody, and telcgraphed the authori-
ties of Cabcll county, Virginia. to send
for him. The prisoner gave his name
a. STANLEY, and desired the officer to sell
his cart and steers that he might have Il
little money to supply his wants while
awaiting trial In due time there came
requisition from Virginia, and Stanley
was taken back to the scene Of his
crime, where, upon his own repeated
confession, he was sentenced to impris-
onmcnt for life In that prison he
lately died, rcmorsetul to the last, and
a. sincere pcnitcnt as ever offered
atonement for the shedding OF blood
.Nr,. York VorM