Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-05-06

leased, by party of tourists who came to
visit the tower. This Is the first part of
\ the narrative"
| He paused, and wiped the perspiration
from his brow then he pointed to the
candle and muttered. "Thirty minutes
more, and then we fly"
Again the word "6y." p thought
1; "Its only word, nothing else. 1t
comes from the brain Of a half crazy
man."
As if he had OWNED my thoughts, he
| cried:
"I know you think me mad. No, sir,
am not mad. have read all the books
relating to lunacy, and found that mani
| acs have no control over their actions.
But IhdDe control over my thoughts and
actions, and IhGos set purpose to accom-
plish. Now to continue my story.
"On my return to the hotel 1 found it
was the student who had procured the
carriage. followed the fugitives. One
year they eluded my search. AT last a re-
| turned Californian miner told me in New
York that he knew woman living ia
San Francisco who answered my descr1p-
ton of Eeanora l hastened to that city
of the Golden Sands found her, sick,
poor, and deserted by the villain. Do you
| think l took her to my bosom againP No,
a thousand times mol found means to
make her stoneblind, Gold, my gold,
purchased men, tools, who performed the
| feat very neatly.
"Three weeks after, she died raving
mad. Look, here she lies; had her body
embalmed"
With these words he rose and removed
the lid from the eblong box.
A white, ghastly face, surrounded by
pale golden locks like the holy sheen of
madonna, seemed to start from the black
lined coffin. Two hands, upon the fingers
OF which glistened diamonds, were crossed
| over her half exposed bosom.
The aspect of the face was serene, as if
she was only sleeping From the cofIln
| my eye fell upon the candle.
The last strip of black was close to the
| flame.
Another fifteen minutes had passed
| away. Fifteen more and we are in dark
ness. Then vague hope crept through
my excited brain that had chance I'd
| escape
The voice of the Englishman reused me
from my thoughts.
| looked down. He was leaning az 4inst
the railing of the staircase; his watch he
held in one hand while the other was
! grasping a hammer
Again heard the word ely
Yes, hyw repeated he in u sharp tone
Then looking intently at the watch, he
continued his narrativet
81 took this box with me In my travels,
for now my only end and aim was to fol-
low the student, who hal left San Fran
cisco for the gold mines. There found
that he had started across the plains to
the Eastern States. Money procured me
an outfit and an escort of twenty men. l
| followed him from Plaeertille to Carson,
and from there through the Mormon city
to Fort Kearney. still followed, finding
fresh traces of him in every city and ham
let l passed through until / arrived in
New York, where learned that he had
embarked on steamer bound to Bremen
and Southampton. left New YORK on
the next steamer. On my arrival in Bre.
men described his personal appearance
to the Chief of the Harbor Police, and
promised large sum of gold if he should
be found. Three days after, i learned
that a man, answering my description,
had left for Prussia l followed, and first
saw him face to face in Dresden"
He stopped and looked at me with eyes
full of hatred. A cold shudder ran through
my frame; wanted to speak, but my
tongue refused to utter word, and my
throat felt as if vicelike grip was COM
pressing 1.-THE madman had distinctly
described the route took from the shores
of California to the frontiers of Bavaria.
The following words which the English.
man uttered confirmed what l had
thought:
"Yes, he and travelled in one coach,
ate at the same table, drank good health
to each ether, went together to this tower.
His name is Herman Caller, and you,
thrice damned villain, are the man |"
| sprang to my feet.
It's lie; | never saw your wife
never saw nor heard of you before met
you at Dresden. My name is Herman
Caller; look like the student you de-
scribed; but l swear to you by the eternal
God above us that am not the man you
saw at the fsot of this tower at the time
your wife left your
A terrible laugh came from his ashy
J lips as he swung the hammer around his
head.
every plausible, indeed, but believe
not word of it. Thou, fiend, art in my
power. 1t is just five minutes more, and
this candle dies. Then we, too, will die.
, But no, not die-we win fly into eternity
, with the noise of thunder and with the
flash of lightningp
|
shouted with impotent rage.
Ha, ha, ha, thou stupid fool. Cast thy
false eye towards that glass box. II con.
| tdi,as taoenty pounds Of percussion poaoder.
One stroke with this hammer, and we,
. together with this tower, will fly into the
air. Ha ha, ha, it will astonish the ma
tives of Bruckenau; it will arouse them
, from sleep. The falling stones will crush
in their dull skulls ! rejoice at this, for
thou vert born in that accursed town
Ha only three minutes more" cried he,
looking at his watch, which he held close
to the Pickering light of the expiring
| candle.
Three minutes more, and am in eter.
nifty Good God what fearful thought
/, who felt 30 happy, 80 full of life and
health. ], who came to Germany with
3 the certainty of marrying the girl loved
= in my youthful days. the maiden who had
waited ten long years for my return, be
cause she believed me true to my vows
Q And / have to perish Was there nj
means of escape? / looked down. A
. black chasm yawned at my feet, for the
4 mad man had removed part of thu
: stairs. | knew / was not able to lear
Y across that gulf-it would be suicide t
attemptit
Y IaoO minutes" came like death-knel
n to my ears. The Englishman was still
Y leaning against the railing and shadin,
i the candle with his hands in order to pro
: long its life. Where was now my hope @
s escaping him in the darknessY
!, My entire former life passed with light
} ming flash through my throbbing brain
0 remembered the joyous scenes of my boy
y hood, my first love, my departure for the
l to me, unknown lands beyond the oceaI
G thought again heard the words of m
a dear mother as she gave me her blessing
n BE a good boy, Herman, fear God, an
a do no one wrong" were her last word
9 as she pressed me to her bosom. Then
l departed. The voyage to the Unite
J. States, my struggle with poverty, I'm
a adventures in the far West my success
a in the gold mines of California, my ioy
IS full return to my fatherland-alI al
!, rushed and surged through my mind.
n "Ons more minuteI Pray TO God for III
I; iniquity !" came from below. But / coul
= not pray, though l felt calmer, as the lal
n moments were approaching.