The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-10-22
STORY OF GRISELL COCHRANE.

STORY OF GRISELL COCHRANE.
The Cochranes are an old family il
Scotland. They rose to distinction il
the iii zenith century. and have Away
been remarkable for courage and inge
nuitv. Sir William Cochrane was eie
waited 70 the peerage rs Baron Cochran,
in l64,. and advanced to the dignity o
Earl Of Dundonald in 1869 His grand
son was Sir John Cochranc, of Ocliltree
who. along with Sir Patrick Hume, OF
Polwarth, was concerned in the politica
troubles which, in the reign of James ii.
brought ruin on the Stuart dynasty
While Hume was SO fortunate as t
escape abroad, Cochrane was taken pris
oner in the rising under the Earl OF
Argyle. and, being conducted to Edin
burgh, was ANONYMOUSLY lodged in the
Tolbooth, on the 81 Of July, 1885, there
to await his trial rs traitor. The day
OF trial came, and, as matter of course
he was condemned To death.
Sir John tochrane was married, and
had a family of several sons, and at least
one daughter, Griseil, about eighteen
years of aye.
While lying under sentence of death in
that gloomy folbooth Sir John Cochranc
was permitted to see members of his
family. Afraid, however, OF duplicating
his sons, he forbade them to visit him
until they could take a last farewell on
the night previous to his execution. His
daughter, however, was allowed to come
a> often and stay with him as long as she
pleased. The chief subject of their con-
versation was an appeal made to the
hing for mercy. Although several
friends interested themselves in trying to
procure Il remission of the sentence, there
were no sanguine expectations that they
would be successful. AS the time wore
on Grisell,s fears increased to intensity;
and without explaining herself to any
one she resolved to make bold attempt
II postpone her fathers fate, if not to
save him. \ short time before the death
warrant was expected by the Privy Coun-
Gil in Edinburgh she mentioned to her
father that some urgent affair would
prevent hnr from seeing him again fn~ q
few days.
Next morning, long ere the inhabitants
were astir, Grisell was some miles on
her road to the Borders She had at
tired herself as Il young scrving-woman,
journeying on borrowed horse to the
house of her mother. SO equipped, and
we'll mounted, she on the second day
reached in safety the abode of her old
nurse, who lived on the English side of the
Tweed, four miles beyond the town of
Berwick. In this woman she knew she
could place implicit confidence, and to
her, therefore, she revealed her secret.
She had resolved, she said, to make an
attempt to save her fathers life by stop
ping the postman, an equestrian like her.
self, and forcing him to deliver up his
bags, in which she expected to find the
fatal warrant. In pursuance of this de.
sign she had brought with her brace of
small pistols, together with Il horseman's
cloak, tied up in a bundle, and hung on
the crutch Of her saddle, and now bor-
rowed from her nurse the attire of her
ter-brother, which, as he was slight
made lad, fitted her reasonably well.
At that period all those appliances
which at this day accelerate the progress
of the traveller were unknown, and the
mail from London, which now arrives in
less than twelve hours, took eight days
in reaching the Scottish capital. Miss
Cochrane thus calculated on delay of
sixteen or seventeen days in the cXecu.
ton of her fathers sentence-a space OF
time which she deemed amply sufficient
to give fair trial to the treaty set on
foot for his liberation. She had, by
means which it is unnecessary here to
detail, possessed herself of the most
minute information with regard to the
places at which the postmen rested on
their journey, one of which was small
public house kept by widow on the
outskirts of the little town of Bel
ford. There the man who received
the bag at Durham was accus-
toned to arrive about six o'clock in
the morning, and take few hours re-
pose before proceeding farther on his
journey. She arrived at this inn about
an hour after the man had composed
himself to sleep. Having put her horse
into the stable-which was a duty that
devo!ved on the guests at this little pub
lic-house, from it's mistress having no
hostler-she entered the only apartment
which the house afforded, and demanded
some refreshment. "Sit down at the
end of that table," said the old woman,
"for the best l have to give you is there
already; and be pleased, my bonny man,
to make as little noise as you can, for
there's ane asleep in that bed that like
i'll to disturb Miss Cochrane promised
fairly, and after attempting to cat some
of the viands, which were the remains OF
the sleeping mans meal, she asked for
some cold water.
What said the old dame, as she
handed it to her, rye are a water-drink.
er, are ye: It's but an ill custom for a
change-house.'
81 am aware of that" replied hel
guest, land therefore, when in public
house, always pay for it the price of the
strong potation, which cannot take"
Indeed! well, that is but just" re.
sponded the dame; land think the
more of you for such reasonable con
duct"
is the we'll where you get this water
near at hand:" said the young lady
"for if you will take the trouble t.
bring me some from it, as this is rather
tepid, it shall be considered in the reck
oning."
1t is good bit off," said the woman
"but cannot refuse to fetch some fOl
such a civil, discreet lad, and will be a.
quick as can. But, for any sake, TAXI
care and don't NEEDLE with these pistols,
she continued, pointing to pair OF
pistols on the table, for they are load
ed, and am always terrified for them
Saying this, she disappeared; ant
Miss COchrane, who would have con
trived some other errand for her had tn
we'll been near, no sooner saw the doc
shut than she passed, with trembling
eagerness, and a cautious but rapi
step, across the floor to the place wher
the man lay soundly sleeping, in one Q
those close wooden bedsteads common il
the homes of the poor, the door of whicl
was left half-open to admit the air, an
which she opened still wider, in the hop
OF seeing the mailbag, and being able t
seize upon it. But what was her disma
when she beheld only part of the il