Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1876-02-03
..Fetcll me that box from off tn

4 r i
laying his hand upon it and at the
same time detaching a key from s
chain by which it was suspended
around his neck, with which his fin
| gers played nervously during his re-
cital, continued:
II am murderer. Ay! you may
stare, and think that my mind is wan
dering, but it is the truth. Twenty
five years ago--twenty- five years Of
misery-I committed the deed which
am now in the presence of my Ma
ker about to confess. was clerk
in banking house In London, and
the facilities and opportunities for
peculation 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 / was casting
about TO make my escape while there
was yet time. just at this iunctnre
one OF the senior clerks in the house
had to he sent down to Bristol in
charge of a very large sum of money
in gold, and / was deputed to accom-
pany him to guard the treasure. In
those times matters were 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,
,,,l,; ob et,rto6 fron, ono ,f tha niJ
inns in the city for the west of Eng
land. There was the sum of two
thousand guineas in the box, and the
idea suggested itself TO my mind
that if could become master of
such a sum | could get clear away by
some ship leaving Bristol for. foreign
parts before the bank could become
aware of the fact of my escape. But
how to get rid of my companion.
Briefly, for feel my strength sink
ing, and L must hurry forward to
the end of what l have to tell you.
| procured poison which | poured
into the leathern bottle in which |
carried my refreshment on the road,
and watching my opportunity, of
fered it to him to drink. He sank
back in corner of the coach and in
few minutes was corpse. Empty
ing the remaining contents out of the
window, and placing the dead man
In such an attitude as would lead peo-
pie to suppose he had died naturally
in his sleep, hailed the guard with
every stimulation of trepidatlon, and
stopped the coach. The outside pas
sengers got down, and q scene OF
great excitement occurred, At the
next village the local doctor, who, as
it happened, was a man of no great
skill, was sent for, and dexterously
insinaating g TO him that l had known
my co1npanioh to have suffered from
ing, iis vi with leifiaqHs sane9 some wears stand
professional acumen of the doctor
himself, that worthy was not long il
pronouncing it sudden death from
disease of the heart; and | was suf
fered, in view of my representations
as to the urgency of my mission t.
Bristol, to proceed on my journey.
This is the bare outline of my crime,
the details would only weary yOn,
and my time Is short. | succeeded
in leaving England and reaching
Brazil, where have amassed a for
tune. That fortune is within the box
which lies beneath my hand"
He paused, for violent spasm
seized him. and it was not for some
time that l could recover him suffi-
ciently to enable him to proceed.
Raising himself in bed with diff
Guilty, he unlocked the box, and dis
closed an array Of unset diamonds,
whose brilliancy fairly dazzled me.
.''Here are f50,000 worth of dia-
monds," continued Mr.. Grierson
81 have converted all my fortune
into these gems, and these | intend
to intrust to your care. Take this
box at once to your own cabin and
return to me for your instructions as
to the disposal of the contents
| hesitated, but he was impera
tive.
"Not word am dying fast and
IimpIore you to accede to my last re
quest.
| took the box, locked it, and left
the cabin.
As | opened the door l ran NJ
against Pete.
aWhat the devil are you doing
here?'
"Nothing, Massa."
/ passed on along the main deck
toward my cabin forward, and on m,
way met Captain McFarlane.
allow is your patient, Doctor?
"Dying. l fear. He can not las
long"
I passed on, and depositing th'
box in n place of safety, returned
Grierson was rapidly sinking, and il
a few broken sentences he instructed
me as to the disposal of his property
Ten thousand pounds was TO go to thu
bankers, Messrs. Holt and Wardly
of Lombard street, and the balanc'
to the family of the murdered man
whose name was given me, and who's
representative 1 pledged my word t.
do my best to discover.
Finally, binding me over not t.
disclose what l had just been told
except to the parties named by hin
lin his dying request Grierson re
lapsed into state of partial insen
sibility, from which l in vain at
tempted to rouse him, and before hal
an hour had elapsed the unhapp.
man was no more.
/ Going on deck, l communicates
the news to the captain, who gave tn
necessary directions as to the fune
i raj, which took place next day; ant
once more werwere plunging our wa.
i through the blue water as if nothin!
had happened.
j was an altered man. The strang
commission with which / had bee
intrusted weighed on my mind