Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1876-01-28
A BOX OF DIAMONDS.

4 r. L s.
WELL, as I said before, | don't minG
| telling you the story. It's good many
years ago now since it happened, before
| the days of the mail companies and elias
gov clippers, when man had to make
his will and set his house in order before
putting his foot on board ship; and when
once you had passed the Eddystone it was
almost hundred to one against you ever
| setting foot again in old England. How.
ever, here am, laid up like an old hulk
for the remainder of my days, with moth.
| ing to fall back upon but my memories OF
| the past; and sad memories some of them
are, you may stake your life. | was a
young man then, and had been knocking
about IN the Brazils and the West Indies
everywhere in South America, / may
say, for / believe [ made one of the first
parties of Englishmen to cross the Andes
from Valparaiso to Buenos Ayres, no
light feat in those days, [ can tell you.
| was doctor by profession, and many "a
time, by the exercise of my professional
skill, / have saved my own scalp among
the savage Indians OF the Pampas. | am
not going, however, to tell you anything
about the Indians now-some other time,
perhaps-a slice of lemon? Thank YOU
and sugar; that'll do. Now for my
story: .u05&eg4alnfEv
AS said before, / had been knocking
around a good deal in South America,
and shipped as doctor on board of an old
tub of trader leaving Rio Janeiro,
homeward bound for Bristol, with full
cargo and a couple of cabin passengers.
The Good Hope was commanded by
Capt McFarlane, hard headed old
CO Tub,, Ni11iopooo, f;Yot ~, oto
and crew of thirteen hands, all told,
made up of Englishmen, Dutchmen,
Swedes, and couple of niggers, one OF
whom was the stewards mate. We sailed
on the 18th of December, a blazing hot
day with scarcely breath of wind to fill
the sails; but the Captain was anxious to
get away, as Yellow Jack was in port, and
he had no mind to keep knocking his
heels in quarantine any longer than he
could help. We. had, however, hardly
got clear of Raza Island when a breeze
sprung up, and we were soon bowling
along as fast as the old ship could be
made to step along, all studding sails set,
and so far a clean hill of hoalth on board
On the 21st, however, | was sitting
r'ard getting a breath of fresh air, and
smoking my pipe, when Pete, the stew
ards mate, came up and summoned me
aft to see one of our two cabin passengers,
Mr.. William Grierson, who had been very
unwell during the night, and began to be
afraid that he was in for touch Of the
fever. / went aft and saw him, but there
did not appear to be any very alarming
symptoms just at present, so / prescribed
some cooling medicine and left him.
He was, however, worse the next day,
and the next, yet it was not a case of yell
low fever, and there was something in the
symptoms that, | am not ashamed to say,
fairly baffled me. On the Oath he was so
much verse that began to be seriously
alarmed, and communicated my fears to
the Captain. ssst...
"Itis not yellow fever, of that am
sure' 7taa aa r.
What is it then, doctor? '' ts
"Well, to tell truth | can hardly say.
Nothing that | can administer seems to
do him any good, and he is evidently sink
ing rapidly" ay.f arL4a
" Humphp' said the Captain; "mys-
FERROUS, to say the least of it. Does he
know of his condition?'
The conversation was cut short by the
arrival of Pete who informed us that Mr..
Grierson had been seized with sudden
and alarming access of pain, and was APP
parently dying, adding that the patient
wished to see me at once and alone. In
obedience to the summons went below,
and having shut the cabin door and ad
ministered the necessary remedies asked
the dying man flor there could be little
doubt he was dying) the reason for his
wishing TO see me.
g / wish to see you because I feel that
am dying, and I can put off no longer
what I wish to say, if il is to be said at
all 2 responded the patient, feebly.
g Fetch me that box from off the top OF
nv sea- chest and listen ---" ~
brought it, a small oblong mahogany
box, and laid itby his side uponthe cover
let, and Mr. Grlerson laying his hand
upon it and at the same time detaching a
key from string by which it was sus-
pended round his neck, with which his
fingers played nervously during his re-
cital, continued:
II am murderer. Aye yon may
stare, and think perhaps that my mind is
wandering, but il is the truth. Twenty
five years ago-twenty- five years of mis-
ery-I committed the deed which am
now in the presence of my Maker about to
confess. / was clerk in banking
house in London, and the facilities and
opportunities for population offered me
were too much for me to withstand, but
circumstances 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 juDcture one OF
the senior clerks in the house had to be
sent down to Bristol in charge of a very
large sum of money in gold, and was
deputed to accompany 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 maileoach, which
started from one of the old inns in the
city for the west of England. There was
sum of 1000 guineas in the box and the
idea suggested itself tOsmy mind that if |
could become master of such 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. BrieHy-for !
feel my strength sinking and l
must hurry forward to the end of what
I have to tell you'll procured poison,
which I poured into the leathern bottle
in which | carried my refreshments on
the road, and, watching my opportunity,
offered it to him to drink. He sank
back in corner of the coach, and in a