Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-10-02

escape, wishing me better luck
You see that [ hurry over this reci-
tai. The recollections that it awakens
are not of such nature that [ care to
dwell long upon them. I was very
grateful and full of JOY at finding my
self alive and free. With only twelve
! forins, which the doctor had given me,
was not rich; but [ was only thirty
Blk years old reached the Rhine, and
obtained passage on a coal boat, in re-
turn for which was to do some light
work. [ went to Holland where every
! ing myself to grocer in Amsterdam,
L obtained employment in his shop,
where by zeal and activity [ soon won
his good opinion. He also adulterated
his merchandise, but he was prudent,
and did not trust SO delicate a business
to clerk, as L had done.
However, at the end of year L had
gained his confidence to such an ex-
tent that he proposed to initiate me in
to its mysteries. But [ had SO many
reasons for regarding such a custom
with horror, that [ honestly declined,
at the same time showing deep repug-
ance to fraud of any kind. Wonderful
to relate, probity, which is too often
neglected in this world, proved for me,
as it always is, an element of success.
And, by the way, let me assure you
that this element is not yet worn out.
My master, seeing that was an honest
man, said to me:
"Herman (this was the name I had
assumed), now appreciate you fully
we shall never part"
He confded the cash-box to my care,
and at the end of the second year he
made me marry his daughter. She
was very quiet girl, twenty-eight
years of age, and endowed with all
those qualities which distinguish the
women of Holland. Her name was
Trudie.
/ was happy when toward the end of
the third year my patron, who was now
my father-in-law, and of whom I had
become the partner, gave dinner to
his son, Capt. Thomas Cromme, who
had just returned from Batavia. Ihad
never seen him. My wife could not
contain her Joy, for she deeply loved
her brother I was much surprised
when, on being presented to Capt.
Cromme, / recognized the face of an
old acquaintance. [ concealed my
emotion, but the sailor was more frank
"Hallo is that you, Prochinet 2
he cried for he had twice transacted
business with me at Lausanne, and had
even sold me some very bad tea.
/ feigned astonishment. His father
told him that my name was Herman,
and that in me he beheld his brother
in-law. Thomas Cromme appeared to
be convinced. But my voice troubled
his mind, and my Swiss accent added
to his perplexity, and it was with q
very bad grace that he concented to ad-
nit that [ was not Prochinet, This
singular incident disturbed my tran
guilty. The captain remained a month
at Amsterdam. He told his sister,
who repeated it to me, that [ resembled
| a grocer of Lausanne as nearly as one
drop of water resembles another, and
that he was surprised to find in Ger
many two persons SO exactly formed
after the same model. [ had said that
[ was from Strasbourg, and that my
par ents were Swiss, which accounted
for my Swiss accent. He asked
questions which put me to the torture.
At last was relieved to learn that he
had gone.
But it appeared that his suspicious
had extended to his family, for they
told me that he had returned to the
Indies, when in reality he had gone to
Lausanne. The Investigation which,
unknown to me, he had made at Stras-
bourg, had convinced him that [ had
told falsehood, and he determined to
know the exact truth.
of T ha 1aorpo1
that Claude Pochinet had been hanged
few weeks previous to my first ap-
pearance in Holland. So clear fact
would have been sufficient to any other
man but Capt Cromme had the OBJ
stinacy of the true Hollander. He
found that my first wife, whom they
told me had died while [ was in prison,
had on the contrary recovered, and was
yet living, which of course made me
guilty of the crime of bigamy. He
visited me, and, by dint of question
irg, learned my throat was ossified
This gave him ray of light, and, pur-
suing his investigation still further, he
discovered the young surgeon who had
saved me, and from him obtained a
full confession.
He returned to the widow Pochinet,
as she was called, and abruptly offered
to restore her husband to her. The
poor woman, who well knew that [ had
not intended to poison her, was nearly
overcome. The captain on his part
began to feel the difficulties into which
he had thrown himself. He thought
of his sister, his father, his family.
He remembered, also, that he was
rendering a very unwelcome service to
my first wife, for it would be necessary
to inform her that [ was married again.
He could not bring himself to tell her
this, so he contented himself by say
ing:
Madame Pochinet, am just start
ing or Amsterdam. If you wish to c.
company me, [ do not deceive you,
will show you your husband"
His proposition was accepted, and
one day I, who suspected nothing of
all this, beheld before me Capt. Crom-
me-, who said to me
" Come here a moment, there is
some one who wishes to speak to you. "
These were his very words.
"But, said ], in astonishment, [
thought you were in Batavia"
He did not answer, but conducted
NE to the Hotel des Armes de Manson,
which was few steps from our house.
We entered room, and there saw
woman, who threw herself on my neck.
L was SO surprised that [ could not re-
strain an exclamation.
Why, Rose are you alive?"
[ did not then observe tde move.
ments of the captain, who hastened
out. Ny wife and / had about quar-
ter of an hour for explanations, during
which [ had not ventured to tell her
that, believing myself a widower, [
had married again, when the captain re-
turned. He was followed by four po-
licemen, to whom he pointed me out,
saying;
''There he isl" Then, apostro-
phizing me, he said: "You might
have murdered, pillaged, robbed; you
might have given Batavia up to fire
and blood. and I would have pardoned
it all but to have been hanged-that
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