Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-09-24

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| haZelbushes. and who bent back the
| branches and asked Else if she would
have some nuts. She took a handful and
then asked him what he was doing there.
He repIied that the pastor had ordered
him to die. but the task did not suit him.
and he preferred cracking nuts Just
then thew heard door in the house Open.
and NieIs said: Now listen, and YOU
+ shall hear q preachment." Directly after
they heard tthev could not see, because
the hedge was too nigh and too thick the
voice Of the pastor raised in anger. Niefs
answered insOlently. and a fierce quarrel
ensued. Finally they heard Soren cry,
4 will beat thee, dog, until thou liest
dead at nv feet. I" On this followed
| sounds as Of blows, and then Niels called
the DastOr a rogue and hangman. To
this the latter made no reply; but they
heard two quick blows, and saw the iron
blade Of Il spade and part Of a handle
swing twice above the hedgc-rOw, but in
whose hands they could not discern.
After this all was quiet in the garden
and. somewhat alarmed and excited, thew
hurried on their way.
Larsen depOsed that, on the evening
of tue dav following that of the disap-
pearance of NieIs, as he was returH;1g
! home very late from TolsTup, and pass
inc the clergvman'S garden, he heard
from within the sound Of some one dig
ring the earth At first he was rather
startled. but, since it was clear moon
light. he determined to find out who was
working in the garden at that late hour:
therefore he slipped off his wooden
shoes, climbed up the hedge, and parted
the tops Of the hazel bushes so as to see
To his surprise he saw the pastor in the
| green dressing-gOWn he usually wore.
and a white night-cap on his head, busted
in leveIing the earth with a spade. More
than this he did not see, for the pastor
turned suddenly round, as if some sound
had met his ear; and Larsen, being
afraid of detection, let himself down
and ran away. .-.
When the witnesses had thus deposed.
Morten demanded that the parson should
be arrested Wishing to avoid such
scandal, if possible, the magistrate pro
posed that they should go together to
the parson, where they would probably
receive satisfactory explanation of the
facts depOsed to. MOrten consented to
this, and the party set out. On APP
preaching the house they saw Soren
coming to meet them-when MOrten ran
forward and bluntly accused him of
numbering his brother adding that he
was coming with the magistrate to make
search for the body. The pastor made
him no reply but, courteously greeting
the magistrate, gave directions to the
farm-servants, who now gathered round
to aid, by all means in their power, the
search about to be made Morten led
the way into the garden, and, after look
inc round for some time, pointed to
certain spot, and called upon the men to
dig there They fell to work at once,
but when they had dug to a little depth
the ground proved so hard that it was
evident it had not been broken up for a
long while SOren had looked on quite
at ease and now he said to Morten:
"Slanderer what have you got for
your palms,"
Instead of replying Morten turned to
Larsen and asked him where it was that
he had seen the parson digging. Larsen
pointed to a heap Of cabbage-stalkS,
dried haulmns and other refuse and said
lie thought that was the place. The rub
Dish was soon removed and the men be-
gan digging at the soil beneath. They
had not dug long when one of them cried
out, Heaven preserve u.s." and as all
present crowded to look, the crown of a
hat was visible above the earth.
THAT is Niels' hiatt" cried Morten; |
know it well here is a proof that we
shall find him! Dig away!" he shouted
with fierce energy, which was almost as
eagerly obeyed.
Soon an arm appeared, and III a few
minutes the entire corpse was diSin-
tered There could be no doubt that it
was the missing man The face could
not be recognized for decomposition had
commenced and the features had been
injured by blows; but all his clothes,
even to his shirt with his name on it,
were identified by his fellOw-servants;
even leaden ring in the left ear was
recognized as one which Niels had worn
for years
There was no alternative but to arrest
the pastor on the spot-indeed, he will
ingly surrendered himself, merely pre-
testing his innocence.
Appearances are against me-" he
said; : surely this must be the work of
Satan and his ministry; but He lives
who will at His pleasure make my limo
cencc manifest. Take me to prison; in
solitude l will await what He in His
wisdom shall decree"
He was removed to the jail at Grenall
the same night, and on the following day
came the judicial examination. The
first three witnesses confirmed their
former statements on oath Moreover,
there now appeared three additional wit
nesses, VIZ: the pastors two farm-serv-
ants and the dairv-maid. The two for
mer testified that on the day of the muir
der they had been sitting near the open
window in the servants room, and had
distinctly heard how the pastor and
| Niels were quarreling, and how the for
! IL, 4
thou shalt lie dead at my feet" They
added that they had twice before heard
the pastor threaten Niels in the same
manner The dairy maid depOsed that,
on the night when Larsen saw the pastor
in the garden, she was lying awake in
{ bed, and heard the door leading from the
! passage in the garden creak, and that,
{ when she rose and peeped out, she saw
, the pastor in his dressing gown and night
cap go out into the garden. What he
: did there she saw not, but about an hour
: afterward she again heard the Creaking
! of the door.
, When asked what he had to say in his
: defense, the pastor replied solemnly:
SO help me God, will speak nothing
but the truth. | struck the deceased
with the spade, but not otherwise than
2 that he was able to run away from me,
: and out Of the garden; what became OF
, him afterward, or how he came to be
: buried in my garden, I know not; AS
for the evidence of Larsen and the dairy
maid, who say they saw me in the gar
den in the night, it is either foul lie OF
3 it is a hellish delusiou. Miserable man
that am! have no one on earth to
} speak in my defense; ii He in heaven
4 likewise remains silent, l have only tC
: submit to His inscrutable will"