Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-04-02
For the Enung.
From the ST. Albans Messenger
A Strange Impulse,
AND wuAr cAME OF FOLLOWING IT.


With your permission will tell story
for the special benefit Of the boys who read
! your paper. have long been the personal
friend Of many Of them, and accustomed to
tell them stories | wish still to keep up
an acquaintance and TO do them good My
story this time must be short and sad. In
order to find the subject Of it, my reader,
come with me to the city Of Cleveland,
Ohio We arc in the house built for bad
men-the Jail. Lctus 20 to the murderer's
cell The bolts and bars are removed and
the great iron door swings open, and brings
TO our view lad Of nineteen. A short
time since he was as free and as happy as
you are now He was employed to do work
with his pen in rolling mill in Tennessee.
Ills parents are very respectable members
Of a Christian church in the town Of Solon,
Ohio. He was a scholar in the Sabbath
School there, aud many hopes were enter
tained that lie Of usefulness and honor
was before him But now alas he is in
the cell devoted to murderers. His high
hopes, the expectations Of his many friends,
all are gone forever. See how forlorn he
looks His home, with dear father aud
mother, aud friends and comforts, he can
never see again. HE happiness, worse than
all, is gone forever Poor boy | pity
him. He must soon die | suppose.
What is the matter2 How came such a
boy in such a place will tell the story
in substantially his own language Last
December came home from Tennessee to en-
JOY a merry Christmas with my friends
did enjoy it as well as any of you. Near
my father's--a mile and half away
there has always lived an odd but innocent
old bachelor, by the name Of McConnorghy,
who cutiyates farm and raises exceeding
ly nice cattle. He has lived alone in a
log cabin with no company but his cattle
and his cats. Soon after | came home, a
boy living at my homc speaking of the old
bachelor, made a remark like this; "that
man lives there alone 50, should think he
would be afraid some one would kill him
for his money"
As soon as the boy said that, thought
in my heart, | will 90 and shoot him
That awful thought kept coming up, "I'll
90 aud shoot McConnorghy % | don't
know why--I eau give no reason for it, |
was not in need Of money | knew it was
all wrong Still thought it would be a
nice thing to have my pocket full. A
strange impulse took me to do the deed SO
after all had gone to bed and the house was
still | got up, drew on fathers rubber
boots, and with noiseIess step, went to the
cheese room, got my rife, loaded it with
three balls and hastened away to the cabin.
| came up to the back window in the snow
and looked in. There sat the old man alone
with his cats, warming his feet to 90 10 bed.
| drew my gun aud fired, and Immediately
ran for home.
The next day ventured back aud into
the but to sec what | had done, and get
my money! There lay the old man in the
fire, where he had fallen, bis face horribly
burned and mutilated by the cats thrust
my hand into his pocket, got hold Of his
purse, and with knife cut the pocket out,
and again ran for home. | counted the
money and found had seventy dollars
But oh my innocence and all my fancied
pleasures were gone forever. am Dlur-
derer A little Of the money used.
The rest burned up, lest by it should
be found out tried to hide my crime,
but my sins have found me out"
Such is the substance Of the story he
told few days ago in court, all of which
had been laid to bis charge and partially
proved against him. Should he live long
enough for law to take her course, he must
die on the galows But he is pining in
his wretchedness, and will probably soon
die Of quick consumption, The awful ag-
ony Of his poor mother, will not try to
describe.
So much, dear boys, follows from Civ
ing ones self up to the eadings of a
blind impulse, temptation of satan l
pray you take care where you step!
"Your sin" should you fall into it, "will
find you out" Young Chamberlin, the
murderer INDUCED the vain hope that
his deed Of darkness would never come
to the light As great mistake as to
think that that money was going to make
him happy.
The detectives in moment discovered
by his tracks in the snow, that when he
shot the old man, he stood with his right
foot forward consequently it was done
by somebody that is left-handcd. with
that thread they unraveled the whole
tangled story, charged the boy with it and
he plead guilty.
UNCLE ELAN.
FREEDoM, Portage Co., Ohio, Mar. 10.