The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-02-18

man.
After this I prolonged his visits as
much as | could without causing him to
suspect I did so Intentionally. The |
things he wanted I generally had some
trouble in getting, and filed up the in
terval by remarks about the weather, the
country, the mines, the success of some
and the failure of others-in word,
anything I could think of to induce con-
versation, watching him furtively all the
while. He answered easily and readily,
and yet with that peculiar kind of reserve
that was not suggestive Of tending
toward familiarity. His replies, how
ever, evinced a man of mind and educa-
ton, and began to give him credit for
being thinker-perhaps practical and
selfish dreamer, if I may use paradox
ical term that best expresses my idea.
One day, [ scarcely know how, |
touched upon the general superstitions
of mankind, and, to my surprise, I saw
that he was interested. His eye changed
expression, and Enlightened, and emitted
strange and peculiar CLEAN; and my
attention being thus directed to his eye,
[ now bethought me that / had never
seen one exactly like it-one capable of
being SO apparently open down to the
soul while concealing so much. 1t was
off its guard now; the door was really
open to the soul of the man; and looked
in at the door of that opening, and saaO
that the soul of that man aU0s o. dark
one. A nameless fear came over me,
like an electric shock; I felt an electric
shudder of dread No wonder [ had not
been able to read him before; the man
had been wearing an impenetrable mask.
| had the key of the mystery, and to
him, and I used it. He~was interested
in superstitions was superstitious
himself. Why? Good men may be super
stitious; bad men always are, because
they carry hell of wild fancies within
them Thus it was with this man, as [
could see by his eye, and I made his
fancy work upon him. [ told him sto-
ries of sorcery, of witchcraft and magic,
of ghosts, hobgoblins and devils till he
became pale with fear, breathed with
compressed lips and trembled, in spite of
his great nerve and skill.
If good men, as have said, are some
times superstitious, why, you ask, did [
think this man superstitious also
First, [ answer, because I had acct
dentally thrown him off his guard and
read his soul; and secondly, because he
was not naturally nervous and credrlOus.
Fear could only arise from the self-con-
victed knowledge of past wicked deed.
The man was even then criminal
But let me hasten along to the denoue-
ment.
1t CHANGED that no other person was
present when this conversation occurred
about the superstitious fancies of men,
and as soon as we were interrupted by
the entrance of another customer my
dark visitor left somewhat abruptly.
After that he did not come so often as he
did before, and never renewed the con-
versation that had SO agitated him, and
never, in fact, entered into any other
that he could possibly avoid I kept my
f thoughts to myself, but made some cas-
E ual inquiries about him, and learned
that he had been so fortunate as to Sc
cure capital ''lead, " from which, with
. his partner, another young man, he was
: taking out gold in quantities that prom
ised to enrich both, and that both haC
the goodwill and esteem of all who
, knew them.
One dark night, about three or -four
weeks after this, was startled from
, my sleep by wild, prolonged shrieks
:. and cries of Murder murder help
,, help !"
$ I jumped, seized my revolver, and
Q darted out into the open air. The cries
s and screams still continued, coming
!; from a bend of the river about hun.
} dred rods below. In minute I was
/ joined by five others, all well armed, and
3 together we ran as hard as we could tc
Q the place from which the alarm proceed
, ed. When we arrived there at least
/ thirty men were collected in and around
s the tent of the dark man I have been
: describing, and he it was who had given
: the alarm. His partner and companion
/ had been murdered and robbed, and he
himself had been slightly cut across
the face and gashed on the left arm, and
he was all excitement, lamenting his
f dearest friend, and vowing vengeance
against the assassin. It was some time
7 before we could get at the particulars,
and we then learned that both had been
: sleeping side by side, when an unknown
l robber had crawled under the light can
vas, stabbed one to the heart, and taken
8 large bag of gold from under his head.
! With this he was escaping when the
present narrator awoke and seized him,
5 and received the wounds which had
compelled him to relinquish his hold.
| Lights were brought, and there, sure
/ enough, was the bloody confirmation OF
all that had been related.
shall make no attempt to portray the
intense excitement, the wild rage and
CONSERVATION which this daring murder
! occasioned. Every man felt that, if the
: assassin escaped without his just pun
ishment, there would no longer be Sc
curity for any one in our hitherto quiet
and peaceful valley, and solemn oaths
were taken to hang the wretch. If fO11nd