Middletown transcript., 1871-10-28

phoscd in the tones of gentleman. :. that
nothing can savc Joe johnson from the
rope? Poor fellow Il does look like il.
But, Professor. Joe johnson is fortunate
enough to have in me devoted friend,
as well ns brother. have undertaken
to save him, and he shall be saved Ia
order to accomplish this end. it will be
necessary to remove from the face Of the
earth not only tho stomach OF his misera-
bic wife yondcr, but also my dear profess
sor--l'm sorry to be obliged to say ii, for
| believe you were my brothers teacher
aud friend-yourself as we'll" saw that
he was in deadly earnest.
g Your death must apparently result
from accidental least so II must seem to
the authorities. My brother is 10 jail.
and they will not suspect me-"
What terrible deed was his brain hatch
ing? Was he going to murder me? The
boarded knowledge Of a score Of years
would have given for power to utter but
one single cry.
| He took me in his arms and placed me
in chair, and bouad me to it, aud then
from side pocket he produced another
rope.
Was it myself who was to hang instead
Of Joe johnson
No; yes. He placed the line pully-
like over an arm Of the hanging chande-
lier. This was too slight support even
for one Of my slender frame. il was not
to be hanging then.
| To one end Of the rope he attached
weight, and raised il, by pulling the other
six or eight feet from the foor The loose
end hc attached to the sink Was h.
mad? Did he mean TO draw me under
this weight. and send me out Of this world
in novel way BY letting il fall, and dash
! ing my brains out
To the sink end he attached long yell
low string.
In Ter the weight on the floor be placed
tho can Of nitro ccrinc. ! recognized
the yellow string; it was fuse. and
would burn sixty minutes Itwould burn
across tho marble slab--there was no hone
of ignitng any substance that would VA, Ii
my friends
" Dc You begin to see through il 90
said Joe Johnsons brother.
| believe | cursed him with nv eyes. |
could only breathe through my nostris
the great yeias were swelling and growing
hnt in my forehead
Drawing match from his pocket, he
lighted and applied it TO the fuse. tha,
little tyrani that gnse man an hour 10
live md killed him at the eud Of ii-,ha,
little irresponsible terror that. less mcrci-
ful thnn Providence, told a man the Sec
one be was 10 die, If fright and horror
spared him tn itself
Slowly the flame crept. snake-likc, a.
round the twinc
. In an hour. aail the prisoners broth.
er. :" yeu will be in heaven or hell. |
will watch with you for half mn hour and
iha other half you will spend alone
lie sat down some minutes in chair.
watching the fame. Then he arose and
took the piece Of porcelain with the mur.
dcrer's mark thereon from the table, and
shook his head gloomly.
:, am chemist enough to know it is
,rsenic,' he said. :. Yes. those bright
metallic eyes. brtrayer Of the guilty
Science. thu woaldst kill my brother,
Thou shalt save HIM Let us see in whose
hands thou nrt most powerful. Hero is
man who. by thy aid. bids the poison.
sprite uprse and write in brilliant char
nc,ers a foul confession on this piece Of
porcelain. But behold. q science Il is
no sooner written than. BY thy aid the
whole confession and thy chosen servant
are annihiln,ed Let the good Professor
use his chemicals. the bad brother only
asks-a little can of ni'ro-glyeerinee -
| heard this speech, indeed but grea,
henvens il was my eyes and not my ears
that were busiest then. For. from be.
meath the table. covered BY the crimson
cloth Of which have before spoken. and
which | faced, appeared the head of a
child. The hair was rumplcd and the
blue eyes were just opening from sleep
The intelligent forehead was wrinklcd
strangely Il was my boy. Billy was
afraid he would cry papa y II be did
the implacablc man would add tho mur.
der Of the child to the murder Of the fa-
tLer
But my boy did none Of this. lie had
| suppose crept under the table unknown
to me. and fallen asleep there. l tried to
tell the little fellow to hide again. and
wait for the final half hour when my tor
mentor would be gone. Whether he un-
derstood me or not. aided by what he had
heard. did not know; but he quickly
withdrew his curly head. first kissing his
hand to me and then shaking his fist a,
the schcmer watching so deliberately hi.
dumb Gre agents.
The hall hour wore slowly away. oil
heavens! what agony did | suffer! Not
for myself. but for my child A slieht
noise might discover his presence; the
match might run its tcthcr sooner than
Was expected. He might be murdered or
blown 10 atoms.
Tho fusc burned on-on. The half
hour IL mp! The brother Of the murderer
rises to 60! Joy |! !!
Commit your soul TO Gods keeping !"
he said. !. You who hold the evidence
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