Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-04-19
VOL. 71.-3627. NO. 81.

and shrank back into the gloom. Through
y. Martins Lane 10 the Strand, down the
strand to the turning TO Waterloo Bridge,
still followed him. | saw he was going to
cross the bridge on foot. ! crossed the street
and got ahead Of him, aud, in the middle of
the bridge, hid myself behind the parapet.
By-and-by my man came along, slowly walk.
ing his hands behind him, and his eyes bent
upon the ground. When near me he paused,
and looked towards 81. Paul's, whose huge
bulk loomed up still huger as the moonlight
tried 10 struggle through the fog. was
near enough to hear him. lie said %
mighty monument, the pride and glory of
an empire, thy renown is gone forever. All
! see around me, though the work Of centu-
ries, is but the amusement of a child, the
labor Of day. How powerful am here
| stole up behind him, without noise in
future ages my name shall be --' - my
stiletto fell between his shoulders and he
dropped like a lamb. His pockets yielded
up coil Of wire and bundle of papers,
aud his body went over into the river. Ahi
! knew how TO do IT, | had done it often
before at Fenara, on the Po.
The secret was mine. ! was frantic
with excitement. | hurried home TO my
apartments, double-locked the door. turned
was the wire-the identical wire--which
had swung cannon in the air, not two hours
before. | was impatient TO test its powers.
| seized an iron poker from the hearth,
wrapped the wire around it, poised IL aloft,
let go, and it fell clattering upon the floor.
Again | tried, and again IL fer. | tried
different articles, ! wound the wire IN every
imaginable shape, and still with the same
result. Morning found me haggard and ex-
hausted with my labor and unsuccessful.
Business at the office prevented further at
tempts until evening | worked fruitessly
until midnight, when suddenly thought OF
the papers had also seized. Fool that
was, not TO have thought of them before.
They undoubtedly contained an expana-
ton of the secret. tore them open with
eager fingers All were blank, except one,
and it contained the following Knowing
the uncertainty of life and the dangers of
travel, ] have on this day (July 9TH, 1860
placed IN the vaults of a reliable banking
house in the city Of ---- a sealed packet
containing the details aud explanation Of the
means by which the laws of gravitation are
rendered imperative. In case of my death
or failure to return, the officers of said bank
have explicit instructions TO open said packet
on May lst, 1876 and spread the facts therein
contained to the world. My knowledge is
at present confined to myself, but will not
long continue so, as | shall soon proceed to
Europe, to impart my information TO the
most renowned scientific men in the world.
My only object in making the bank de-
positary, is to provide against accident, and
secure to the world, beyond all peradven-
ture, the benefits of this mighty secret
"There was no name nor signature. AT
ter this, labored for months in vain to dis
cover the secret workings of the wire until
at last it occurred to me that the stranger
had said at st. Georges Hall that the wire
itself had no power, but was only the means
of communicating a power. lnfuriated TO
the last degree, | threw the coil which had
cost me so much misery, anxiety, and sus-
pense, into the Thames, one night, where it
could tell no tales, When | am dead, the
company who assembled at st. Georges
Hall on that eventful night may be requested
to cease their painful wonderings at the
failure of the mysterious stranger to return.
lie will never come back gentlemen. The
Thames received his body nearly eight
years ago"
This finishes the case at present. But in
what clearinghouse is the invaluable packet
of papers deposited, who was the man, aud,
in May, 1876, will the ancient but lost secret
Of suspending the law Of gravtation become
again known TO the world