Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-05-30
THE UNFORTUNATE PASTOR.

from UTeuace, III tue % utlanQ penlnSu
la He was man of excellent mora
character, generous, hospita bic and dill
igent in the performance of his sacred
duties; but he was also a man of con
stitutionally violent temper.
At AtIngyorstrup, a village not far from
Veillby, dwelt cattle farmer, on,
Morten Burns. who by means anything
but honest and honorable, had acquires
considerable property, and who was il
i'll repute as reckless self-seeker anC
oppressor of the poor. This maj
Morten thought fit to pay court to the
pastors daughter, but the suit was re-
jected by both parent and child, and
either the refusal or the manner of it
so irritated the suitor that he swore
secretly to be avenged on both.
Some months later, when the short
lived suit had been forgotten, the pas
tor, being in want of farm servant
engaged Niels Burns, poor brother
of the rich Morten, the discarded lover
Niels soon showed himself to be an
utterly worthless fellow, lazy, impu-
dent and overbearing; and the result
was constant recurrence of quarrels
and mutual recriminations between
him and his master. Soren. on more
than one occasion, gave the fellow q
thrashing, which did not at all tend to
improve the relations, destined TO come
to speedy close. The pastor had set
Niels TO dig piece of ground in the
garden, but on coming out he found
him not digging, but leisurely resting
on his spade and cracking nuts which
he had picked, his work being left un-
done. The pastor scoldcd him angri-
ly; the man retGrted that it was no
business of his to dig in the garden at
which Soren struck him twice in the
face, and the fellow, throwing down
his spade, retaliated with a vol
ley of abuse. Thereupon the old man
lost all self control, and seizing the
spade, he dealt the fellow several blows
with it. Niels fell to the earth like
one dead, but when his master in great
alarm raised him up, he broke away,
leaped through the hedge, and made
| off into the neighboring wood. From
| that time he was seen no more, and all
inquiries after him proved vain. The
above was the pastors account of the
| fact.
Ere long strange rumors began to
circulate in the neighborhood, and as
matter of course they reached the
pastor ears. Morten Burns was known
| to have said that he would make
the person produce his brother, even
if he had to dig him out of the earth. /"
Soren was intensely panied at the cal
nmny implied, and instituted at his own
expense quiet search after the miss
ing man-a search which failed alto
gether. Even before that failure was
known, Morfen Burns, in fulfllment
of his threats, applied to the district
magistrate, taking with him as witness
es one Larsen, a eottager. and q labO-
rer's widow and daughter; on the
strength of whose testimony he de-
clared his suspicion that the pastor
had slain his brother. The magistrate
| represented to him the risk he ran in
making so serious charge against the
clergyman, and advised him to weigh
the matter we'll before it was too late.
But Morten persisted in his design, and
the statements OF the witnesses were
taken down.
When the witness bad ddeposed, Nor
ten demanded that the parson should
be arrested. Wishing to avoid scan
dal if possible, the magistrate, who
was friend of Soren's proposed that
they should go together to the parson-
age. where they would probably receive
satisfactory explanation Of the facts
deposed to. Morten then consented to
/ this, and the party set ont. On ap-
preaching the house they saw sOren
coming to meet them-when MOrten
ran forward, and bluDtly accused him
Of numbering his brother, adding that
he was come to make search for the
body. The pastor made him no reply.
but courteously greeting the magis-
trata. gave directions to the farm SER
wants, who gathered round, to aid by
all the g;saps in their power the search
to be mads. Morten led the way to the
garden, and after looking round for
some time pointed 70 certain spot,
and then called upon tee pen to dig
there.
They had not dug long when one Of
them cried out Heaven protect Us y
and as all present crowded to look, the
crown OF a hat was visible above the
earth. THAT is Niels' hat" cried
Mortes: l know it well here is a
security We shall find himl Dig away!
he shouted With fierce energy, and was
almost as eagerly ob'yed. Soon an
arm appeared, and in few minutes the
entire corpse was disinterred. There
| could be no doubt that it was the miss
ing man. The face could not be reeog'
n ized for decomposition bad com
me need and the features bad been IN
iured by blows, but his clothes, even
unto his shirt with his name on it, were
identi .fed by his fellow servants; even
a leader ring in the left ear of the
corpse " as recognized as one which
Niels had worn for years.
There was no alternative but to ar
rest the pastor on the spot-indeed he
willingly surrendered himself, merely
protesting his innocence. Appear
ances are against me" he said. sure
" this must but the work of satan and
his ministry; but He still lives who
| will at pleasure make Isy innocence
manifest. Take me to prison in soil
tude and in chains | will await what
/ he n his wisdom shall decree"
When asked what he had to say in
his defense, the pastor replied, solemp.
ly. so help me, God, | will say Aoth.
ing but the truth. [ struck deceased
with a spake; but not otherwise thas
he was able to run away from me, ane
outof the garden; what became ofhin
afterwards, or how he came to be buried
in my garden, / know not. As for the
I evidence of Lawson and the diary
maid. who saw me in the garden in The
night. it is either a lie or delusion
Miserable man that L am! | have nj
one on earth to speak in my defense
that | see clearly. If He in HEAVIER
likewise remains silent, l hav'
only to submit to His iuscrutabl
will"
When some weeks later, the tria
[, came on. two more fresh witnnesse
rere produced. They declared that ol
the aforementioned night they were pro
eeesing along the road which run
from the pastors garden to the wood
when they met a man carrying a sac
ON his back. who passed them ar
walkod an in the direction Of the gard