Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-13
A Human Match-A Sad Story.

| "A PERSON VINO says ne mas Deen un
justly (?) accused of doing to death one
Jacob P. Nilsson, furnishes the following
statement Of the case to the Sunday
World. We copy it with the simple re.
mark that it borders on the credible:
For several months we had been living
in Denver, Col, enjoying the salubrioas
air of that place, engaged together in bus
mess. Nilsson was my partner, but I can
assert, without fear of contradiction, that
l watched over him more as if he was my
younger brother. He was occasionally
somewhat eccentric-given TO states Of
respondent feeling-Which frequently
threatened to develop into melancholia
These sentiments at length obtained such
nearly complete mastery over him as to
cause me the most poignant emotions.
Day by day did l sorrowfully perceive
how, instead of fighting, struggling
against this desolate state of mind, he
yielded to it with scarcely any resistance.
My soul was grieved, panied, but what
could 1 do?
At length happy thought occurred to
me-so happy that considered it in the
light of an Inspiration. 1t was to take
my friend Nilsson off upon hunting
tour. The excitement of the chase, the
continual motion, the sense of a wider,
| freer life derived from being constantly
| in the open air would, f1attered myself
fondly, soon restore the faded bloom to
his cheek, the sparkle to his eye, and the
old-time springiness to his step. Delud-
ed being that was! Little did l dream
the possibility of such confusion to our
| trip as that which arrived.
Nilsson readily assented to my PROPOSE
ton. A short time sutficed to make our
| e., o., Al do
parted for the plains, bidding all our
friends a warm farewell. In addition to
my hunting implements / took with me
few of the more harmless implements of
the pharmacopia, in case that sudden i'll
ness should attack either of u.s. Better
were it for me had | never seen the inte-
rior of medicine store.
For some days our success was equal
ed only by our pleasure. Game Of every
| kind was abundant. We had no difficulty
In securing deer, antelope, and grouse as
many as we could by any means dispose
of. From early in the morning to sunset
We shot, rode, or walked, admiring the
beauty of the country, and enjoying, in
fact, delightful holiday At night we
would build fire, cook our food, make
some coffee, and take the principal meal
of the day That disposed of, we would
light our pipes, loaded with killikinick
of true Indian kind, largely composed of
dried willow leaves, and, sitting in the
merry, leaping light of the fire, discourse
of philosophy, literature, art and science.
One night he complained Of sore
| throat. l offered him some medicine,
but he declined 1t, saying that he had no
| faith In drugs. Next day it was worse,
and upon the third evening his palate
and tonsils were in such ahighly-inflamed
condition that he was forced to retract
his refusal and accept my aid. gave him
a large dose Of chlo1ate of potash, and the
beneficial effect was plainly perceptible
the following morning. This neglect,
| however, required that the dose should
| be repeated many times, 50 frequently
that my stock of the salt was speedily ex-
| hausted but as his sore throat was cured
in the process that made little difference
| to me-
| All this time his melancholy. though
slowly dissipating, still hung around him
| like thick cloud. He was often gloomy
and sad; so gloomy sometimes that even
wild materialistic assertion could not
arouse him to semblance of his former
self. This was moarnful spectacle to
me, and | therefore determined to induce
! a brighter mental condition. Since argu-
ment and conversation were of no avail, |
determined upon holder stroke. It was
with some little reluctance that | decided
upon acting as did, but desire for the
welfare OF my friend conquered all
scruples. I persistently and slyly fed
him with phosphorus. Let no one blame
me for that. Phosphorus is life pro-
Queer, gives health to the body, activity
to the brain, and best of all, brings with
it good spirits.
Under this treatment, carefully gradu-
ated, Of course, was delighted to observe
| how Jacob blOssOmed out. He became
gay, vivacious, light-hearted as any skip
| ping antelope. His conversation was a
would sometimes dance CUBA" by the
| hour from sheer excess of glee.
Continuing our hunting, we lad by this
| time come down to the southwest portion
of Colorado, upon the border line between
that territory and Arizona. Here the
| ground is extremely volcanic. On every
side rise huge masses of primeval rock,
shattered and torn by the violence of ex-
tinct earthquakes, ju.ting in strange for
nations of irregularly shaped crags. The
soil is barren; nothing meets the eye bat
the fantastic shapes of the rent rocks. l
did not wish to linger in this spot; self
| justification forced me to say that; but
Jacob insisted upon it. What fatality iu-
spired him with the idea will never be
known. Something in the appearance of
the scene seemed to affect him as con-
genial. He leaped and ran over the i'm
mence boulders, and upon the slanting
sides of rocks from very wantonness of
mirth, apparently rejoicing in the aspect
presented by this bare desolation.
Two days had we stayed in the vicinity
of the volcanic section On the succeed
| ing day we were to retrace our steps for
| Denver, laden with game and recollec-
tions of most agreeable vacation. The
time came to start, our horses and mules
were ready, the latter burdened with all
our paraphernalia. AS we passed slowly
among the boulders, winding in and out,
our eyes were simultaneously caught by
a cloud of what looked like dense steam
arising from the west.
Whats thats' exclaimed Jacob. "Let
us go and see."
| NO." expostulated. eve have set
our faces hOmeward; do not turn aside.'
| My remonstrances were in vain; l
might as well talk to the wind as to my
headstrong friend. He insisted upon go
ing to see what was the cause OF this
cloud, and the difference here originated
which ended so miserably. He persisted,
I resisted, until finally he cantered off
alone saying that he would go there ''any-
how" Of course followed him, lead
ing the mules.
! Arrived at the nlace we discovered