The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-02-29

confession and thy chosen servant are
annfhilated. Let the good professor
use. his chemicals the bad brother
only arks a little can of nitro-glyeer-
ine.'
heard this speech, indeed but,
great Heavens it was my eyes and
not nly ears that were busiest then /;
for, beneath the table, covered by a
crimson cloth, and which / faced, ap-
peared the face of child. The hair
was rumpled, and the blue eyes were
just opening from sleep. The intelii-
gent forehead was wrinkled strangely
1t was my boy Billy. was afraid he
would cry "papa" If he did, the inn
placable man would add the murder
of the child to the murder of the faith
or.
But my boy did none of this. Its
had, suppose, crept under the table
unknown to me, and had fallen 10
sleep there. I tried TO tell the little
feliowLto hide again and wait for the
final half hour when my tormentor
would be gone. Whether he under
stood me or not, aided by what he
heard, did not know, but he quickly
withdrew his head, first kissing his
hand lightly to me, and then shaking
his fist at the schemer watching SO be-
ligerently his dumb fire agents
The half hour wore slowly away.
Oh, Heavens! what agony did l suffer!
Not for myself, but for my child. a
slight noisc might discover his pres
ence; the match might run its tether
sooner than was expected; he might
be murdered or blown to atoms.
The fuse burned on-on. The half
hour is up. Tie brother of the MUIR
derer arises to go. JOY! s9a
:. Commit your soul to Gods keep
ing,n he said. "You hold tho evil
dence of my brothers guilt-nothing
can save you now" la $50 -
With that he turned to take his hat
from off the table covered with the
crimson cloth. beneath which hid my
priceless boy. SomethfSsg attracted
his attention.! He held out his hands
and leaned forward. l thought he
mad discovered my boy! No, he was
lifting something in either hand-the
wires of the electric battery. In an
other instant my boy had leaped from
under the table and was turning sthe
crank fast and furiously.
The murderers brother was in the
power of my boy. He could not drop
the wires; he was helpless. How my
boy cried for help. The old college
rung with his voice. The prisoners
brother added his voice to my boys
In his agony. He begged, he be-
seached-all his nerves were racked-
great waves of galvanism leaped,
surged, trembled and Jared over eve
ry sensitive nerve and fibre. Still, my
boy was inf1exible, and shouted and
turned faster. Unperceived upon the
marble, in track of the burning fuse,
was pool of infammable oil. In an
instant great length burned away.
1t would last just five minutes and no
longerl n
"Father!e shouted my boy. & If no
assistance comes, this villain must die
with us. dare not let him free. Help q
helpiI
Alas! could not answer him.
Thank God! But some one else did.
The fuse is burnt up. The rope is on
fire-the nitro-glycerine! The door
opens Tom Richards, on midnight
visit to the sick, had heard the cry he
he comprehends all; he seizes the can
of nitro-glycerine in his hand; the
weight descends indeed, but not on
the death-dealing oil. No, down it
goes through the Office fioor-down,
down, like an evil spirit, to give back
a dull metallic echo from the stones of
the cellar beneath.
We are saved .,t..
Joe johnson, the prisoner, was
hanged; but his brother remains un-
punished by the law, for he stabbed
himself with knife, and thus escaped
the hangman's rope. -