The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-02-10

Of his condition" .,i.s:sss s:, .<s<,y>
The conversation was cut short BY the
arrival of Pete, who informed JUS that Mr..
Grierson had been seized with cas sudden
access Of. pain, and was apparently dying,
adding that the patient wished TO see me
1t once and alone. In obedience ia. the
I went below, and having shut
the cabin door, and administered the nee.
cssary remedies, asked the dying man
(for there could be little doubt. he MAS
dying) tho reason for his wishing to see
me. - ~, - - ,
II wish to see you, because L feel that
I am dying, and I can put of no longer
what l wish to say, ii it is to be: said at
ALL responded the patient, feebly.4 4, h'1
"Fetch that box from of the top Of my
sea.chest. and ,listen-"'s:,2.5m
I brought it--a small oblong mahogany
box-and laid it by his side upon the
coverlet, and Mr.. 6rierson, laying; his
hand on it, and ut the same time dctach.
ing key from strin9 by which it was
round his neck, with which
his finger played nervously during his re-
cital, continued: H. =
II am murderer. Aye! you may
stare, and think perhaps my mind is wan.
dering, but is is the truth, Twenty-Five
years ago-twenty. five years Of misery
I committed the deed which am now, in
the presence Of my maker about to con.
TESS. Twas clerk in a clearinghouse
in London, and the facilities and opportu.
mites for speculation offered me were too
much for me to withstand, but circum
stances occurred which convinced me
that discovery could hardly be much
longer delayed, and l was casting about
how to make my escape while there was
yet time. Just at this juncture one of
the senior clerks in tn. house had to be
sent down to Bristol in charge of = very
large sum of money in gold, and I was
deputed to accompany him to guard the
differently conducted from what they are
in the present day, and We. had to take
the money in box, strongly secured and
sealed, with US, by the mail coach, which
started from one Of the old inns in the
city for the west Of England. There was
a sum Of 1000 guineas in tho box, and
the idea suggested itself to my mind that
If l could become master of such . sum !
could get clear away by SEINE ship leaving
Bristol for foreign parts before the bank
could become aware Of the fact Of my es-
cape. But how to get rid Of my compan.
ion. Briefly: for I feel my strength
sinking. and I must hurry forward to the
end Of what have to tell you. Ipro.
cured poison, which I poured into the
leathern bottle, in which carried my re.
freshment on the road, and, watching my
opportunity, offered it to him to drink.
He sank back into corner Of the coach,
and in a few minutes was = corpse.
Emptying the remaining contents Of the
bottle out Of the window, and placing the
dead man in such IN attitude IS would lead
people to suppose he had died naturally
in his sleep, l hailed the guard with every
stimulation Of trepidation, and stopped
the coach. The outside passengers got
down, and q scene Of great excitement
occurred. At the next village, the local
doctor, who as it happened was man of
no great skill, was sent for and dexter.
ously insinuating to him that had nown
my companion to have suffered from the
heart disease Of some years standing,
with many compliments to the profes.
sional acumcn of tho doctor himself, that
worthy was not long in pronouncing it q
case of sudden death from disease Of the
heart: and I was suffered, in view of nv
representations as to the urgency of my
mission to Bristol, to proceed, ION my
journey. This is the bare outline of my
crime, the details would only weary you
and my time is short, succeeded in
leaving England and reaching Brazile,
where Ihave amassed . fortune.> That
fortune is within tho box which lies be.
meath my hand"
He paused, for violent spasm seized
him, and it was not for some time that
could recover him sufficiently to enable
him to proceed. -.
Raising himself in bed with difficulty,
he unlocked the box, and disclosed an
array of unset diamonds, whose brilliancy
fairly dazzled me.
''Here are $4,000 worth Of diamonds, -
proceeded Mr.. Grierson:3 -'Ihave CONVEX.
ted all my fortune into these gems, and
these intrust to5your care. Take this
box at once to your, cabin and return to
me for your instructions Is to the ?dispos.
al of the contents"
I hcsitated but he was imperative.
mot word. am dying fast, and
'mplore you to accede to my last re.
quest"
I took the box, locked it. and left the
cabin. ~. i II
As opened the door, ran up against
Pete. ,....'' -.
What the devil are you doing here g.
''Nothing, Massa.''
passed on along the main deck tow.
ard my cabin forward, and on my way
met Captain McGarlane.
'How is your patient, Doctor p az
"Dying I fear. He cannot last long"
/ passed on, and, depositing the box in
place ofsatety, returned. Grierson was
rapidly sinking, and in few broken sen:
fences he instructed me as to the dispos.
al of his property. Ten thousand
pounds was to 60 the bankers, Messrs.
Holt & Wardlcv. Of Lombard street, and
the balance to the family of the murder.
ed man, whose name was given me, and
whose representative I pledged my word
to do my best to discover. - -
; Finally, binding me ov,r not to dis.
close what I had just been told, except
to the parties named by him in his dying
request, Grierson relapsed into \ partial
irsensibility, from which I in vain At.
tempted to rouse him, and before half an
hour had elapsed the unhappy man was
no more. ....l.
Going on deck ] communicated the
news to the captain, who gave the nee.
essary directions as to the funeral, which
took place the next day; and once more
We were blowing our way; through the
blue waters as if nothing had happened.