davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10
A BOx OF DIAMONDS.

illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News.l
Well, as l said before, as it's Christ
mas eve, don't mind telling you
the story. It's good many years
ago now since it happened, before
the days Of the mail companies, and
Glasgow clippers, when a man had
to make his will and set his house in
order before putting his footon board
ship; and when once you, had passed
the Eddystone, it was almost n hun
drcd to one against you ever setting
foot again in old England, However,
here l am, laid up like an old hulk
for the remainder Of my days, with
nothing to fall back upon but my
memories of the past; and sad memo
ries some of them are, you may stake
yonr life was a ei6uhg man then,
and had been knocking about in the
Brazils and thc.Wcst Indies-evoTy-
where in SouthaAmcrica,' Il may say,
for l believe l made one Of the first
parties of Rnglishmen. to Gross the
Andes from Valparaiso to Buenos
Ayres, no light feat in those days, /
can tell you. l was a doctor by pro-
fession, and many time, by the ex-
ercise of my professional skill, l
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
will do. Now for my story:
AS | said before, l had been knock
ing around a good deal in South
America, and shipped as doctor on
board of an old tub of 4trader leav-
ing R1o Janelro, homeward DOund
for Bristol, with full cargo of cabin
passengers.
The Good Hope was commanded
by Captain McFarlane, hard-head-
ed old Scotchman. John Williamson
first mate, and a crew of thirteen, all
told, made up of Englishmcn, Dutch
men, Swedcs, and couple of.niggGs,
one of whom was the stewart's mats.
We sailed on the l4th. Of Dcceni6efs
u blazing hot day, with SCARCELY d
breath of wind to fill the8ails; but
the capssirt was apxieus'to get away,
ass Ynllsgs5Eegk was in port, and he
ISsa siIs b skiihg shis
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

the storys Or st'least to await its tsa-
sonable. confrmatiorts bcfore.acting
on his,rash conclusion. fIe was in
credul0us. One concession l obtain
ed, and that was that, all should be
kept a secret until our arriyal'in
port, and that Tshould not be pub
licly branded as suspected murder
cr before the crew,
A fortnight passed, weary fort,
night, during which l repeatedly en-,
deavored t6, shake the conclusion at
which Captain McFarlanc had Sc
hastily arrived. Suddenly, without
a moments warning, the captain fell
sick. He was suffering from a low
fever. / begged him to accept my
service.
."Never; you shall not poison me,
too
Days passed, and the captain got
worse and worse; he babbled in his
dclirium of poison, of stolen jewels;
and night and day watched at his
bedside, jealousy excluding every
body who might pcrchancc ovcrhcar
his rawlings and rise up in judgment
against me.
One day the crisis came. a few
hours would determine all. If he
died l was once more free man, free
from the imputation of foul crime,
free to carry out my honest intcn-
ton of fulfilling the dead mans
wishes, but also free from the dread
of exposure which to me would be
worse, as a bare suspicion, than death
itself.
If the captain could but sleep, his
life would be saved. How easy Ia
make that sleep his last-thC devil
was at my elbow, the laudanum bot,
tie in my hand, But at my sorcst
need the strength to resist was given
to me. l poured out the proper dose,
and advanced toward the cot in
which the captain lay, a strange
light was in his eyes. Rising sud
denly and throwing the bcd-clothcs
off his tall, lean, sinewy form, he
half lcapcd from the bed, and seia
ing the box of diamonds, which he
had throughout his illness never al
lowed from beneath his pillow, in
ono hand, he shrieked-
"Ncvcr, ncven Will you allow MT
to be poisoned like a dog! Help some
of YOU" The effort was too much
clasping the box to his bosom he fel
back on his pillow-a conyulsivC
shuddcr passed over his framc-h'
was dead.
don't pretend to analyac my feel
ings at that moment, My reason
wcll-nigh deserted me, / did no
stop to think of the possible consc
qucnccs. snatching the box from
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

~ tt'"ai5 Ntl,,' aiitN sym
Bowling along as fast'as th6oid ship
could be made tc'step along, all stud
ding sails set, and, so far, clean bill
of health oh'board. -.
0h'the 21st, however; | was sitting
forward. getting a breath of air and
smoking my pipe when Bette, the
stewards mate, came up and suns
moned me aft to see one of our two
cabin passengers, Mr.. William. Girl
crson, who had been very unwcll
during the night, and began to be
afraid that he was in for II touch of
the fever. went aft and saw him;
but there did not appear to be any
very alarming symptoms just at pres
cnt, so l prescribed some cooling
medicine and left him,
lie was; however, worse the next
day, and the next, yet it was not a
case of yellow fever, and there was
something in the symptoms that, l
am not ashamed to say, fairly bafllcd
me-. On the oath he was so much
worse that | began to be seriously
alarmed, aud communicated my fears
to the captain.
ut is not yellow fever, of that l
am sure"
"Nhat is it then, Doctor?'
"Well, to tell the truth, can har-
dly say. Nothing that l can admin
lister seems to do him any good, and
he is evidently sinking rapidly.
"lIumph?" said the captain, "mys-
tcrious, 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 Il sudden and alarming access
of pain, andwas apparently dying,
adding that the patient wanted to
see me at once and alone. In obcdi.
encc to the summons l. went below,
and having shut the cabin door and
administered the necessary remedies,
asked the dying man (for there could
be little doubt he was dying the rca-
son for wishing to see me.
81 wish to see you because l feel
that ! am dying, and can putofE no
longer what | wish to say, if it is to
be said at ALL responded the patient
fccbly.
"Fctch me that box from off the
top of my sCa.chcst and liste-"
bought it, a small oblong mahog.
any box, and laid it by his side upon
the coycrlot, and Mr.. Grierson laying
his hand upon it and at the same
time dctaching a key from a chain
by which it was suspended around
his neck, with which his fingers
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

The relaxing grasp Of the corpse l
rushed from the cabin and fell over
Pete, tie negro who was just outside
@sce to the captain. He IS dead =
and sped-onward; but the powerful
negro had bis hand upon:my arm,
"NIassa Doctor not go 50 qpickT
Massa GEierson dead, Cap'R die, too
doctor goth box Of jewels. Giye
up dat box,9' and the negro seized
me in his grasp and struggled with.
nc tSf the possession Of the box.
at thatsnoheilt theslFeHgthl Of a
Ion Basin me; Il arssslea with my
'assaiIanty and, freeing myself. from
made Sor the companion
staiI had reached tire deck With
ISgh enti5 iie u6 but Pete
z I.II -. IL \ .t7lL -.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

ANY one passing along Howard
street, one pleasant morningip Jane,
would have seen him lying. under
one of the shade trees in his yard, a
pillow under his head, his feet on. n
bench, and a magazine in his hands
He looked the picture of comfort and
contentment, and the women who
were going around with pull;back
dresses on, sighed and wished they
were men.
The great City Hall struck the
hour of noon. The deep.toned echoes
tloated out on the still summer air
and touched a tender chord in the
Howard street mans heart, The
echoes sounded to him like funeral
whispcrs-like the whispers of the
night wind signing through the
grand, old wilderness.
"Ohl solemn bell" he said. ooh!
sad, solemn" " 80
That was all ne said about the bell.
A bumblo,bce settled down on to him
to look for sugar, and as he turned
partly over he gave the bee rub.
1t is bad thing to rub away any
kind of bee. He feels insulted and
gets annoyed at things which mud
turtle or a dove would pass by with
out a thought, The echoes Of the
bell were just dying away when the
Howard strectman gotup, He went
away from there, He didn't mean
dcr--hc went like rocket, Some
thing seemed to all him. He made
n limo for the house, went up stairs
at a bound, and as his wife asked
him the cause, he replied:
"Thundcr-oop! hoop!
as this house on fire." she asked,
as he tore around the parlor and up.
set things,
"lIcuse be-oopl hoop! Lordy" he
answered, as he made n circle of the
room and dashed into the hall.
The dog rushed after him, the wife
rushed after the dog, and the man
bounded out of the house,
care you crazy, Robert shriokcd
his wife, as she bchcld him pound
ing his legs with his new silk hat.
Two or three boys ran in from tho
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

~ ~ QCtalrreu. Az 'sne tHe4L
Village, tile local doctor. who, asst
happened, Yves 4man orgreat skill,
was senttor and dextcrously insinu-
ating to him that | had known my
companion to, have suffered from
heart disease Of some years. stand
ing, with many compliments to the
professional acumen Of the doctor
himself, that worthy MAS not long in
pronouncing it asudden death from
disease of the heart; and IwaSsufier-
cd, in view Of Interpretations as
to the urgcncy-d my mission to Bris-
tol, to proceed on my journey. This
is the bare outlinq of my crime, the
details would. only weary you, and
my time is short. l succeeded in
leaving England. and reaching Bra
I'll, where I have amasscda fortune.
That fortune is within thebox which
lies beneath my hand"
He paused, for violent spasm
seized him, and it was not for some
time that could recover lin suffi-
GENTLY to enable him to proceed,
Raising himself in bed With. diff
Guilty, he unlocked the boz, and dis
closed an array of unset. diamonds,
whose briliiancy fairly daz1cd me.
"IIerc are. 10000 wort of dia-
monds," continued Mr.. Gjerson.
81 have converted all my frtune in
to these gems, and these l intend to
intrust to your care. Take this box
at once to your own cabin ind return
to me for your instructions as to the
disposal of the contcnts.'yg.
| hesitatcd, but he vas impcta-
tive.
"Not word. l am dying fast and
l implore you to acccdc tsmy last re-
quest"
l took the box, locked /, and left
the cabin.
As l opened the door ] ran up
against Pete,
"What the devil are you doing
hcrc?"
Nothing, Massa."
Ipassed along tho main deck to.
ward my cabin forward, md on my
way met Captain McFadanc.
"How is your patient, loctor2"
dying, l fear. He can not last
long"
| passed on, and dcpeiting the
box in n place of safety, rtturned,-
Gricrson was rapidly sinking, and in
Il few broken sentences he instructed
me as to the disposal of hispropcrty.
Ten thousand pounds was to go to
the bankers Mcssrs, Holt and Ward.
ly, of Lombard street, and the bal.
oncc to the family of the murdered
man, whose namc was given me, and
whose representative pledged my
word TO do my best to discover
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

IN Gnerson. The bank
nd jchg since ceased to exist. ]
traced some vague rumor of a man
having died suddenly in a stage
coach while passing through an OBJ.
scurc. village in s6mcrsctshirc, but
could never obtain any clue to his
representatives. 1t was, perhaps, as
we'll that failed. l am still a poor
man, but would rather die SO. than
accept the possibility, Of becoming
rich at the terrible risk which al
tended the unlucky bcqsest of the
Box of Diamonds. 90"
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

played nervously du
continued;
I am a murderer.
stare, and think III
wandering, but it
Twenty-Five years q
years Of misery-I
deed which l am nov
Of my Maker about y
a. clerk in a bankir
don, and the facilitis
mites for peculation
too much for me to
circumstances occur.
vinced me that'discol
ly be much longer de
casting about how Il
cape while there was
at this juncturo on
clerks IN the el,VDuseEl
down to Bristol in (
large sum of money
was dcputed to acc
guard the treasure. !
matters were difers
from what they are
day, and we had tpI
in a box, strongly sec
ed with us'by the md
started from one 'of
the city for the We
There was the sum
guineas in the box,
gested itself to my
could become masto
l could get clear'aH
leaving Bristol sO{
fore the bank could
the fact of my csc
get rid of my com
for l feel my stTeng
must hurry forwa
what l have to tell
poison which K
en- bottle in wgob
freshment dnl the
ingy m oppo,rE1AHlHIss oppo,rE 4 II.
to dunk ,He gaa
ner Of thsscgas
.utes was q
.ren1aining,
dow, aud cin
such an attitude
to suppose.be ha
his sleep,
every siniul ton
stopped9te cor
:. ~ III
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10
1Yma Of hoIdinn "a C0urts.

Circuit Cornr-Frst Monday in April,
and first Monday in October.
County CoUK1-Third Monday in Janu-
ary; Third Monday in March; Third Mon
day in May; Third Monday in July; Third
Monday in November; Third Monday in
December.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10
BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES.

MAsoNiC-Minturn Lodge No. ID, mcctS
on the first and third Tuesdays OF each
month. G. SHREWSBURY, Secretary
odd fcllows--Point Pheasant Lodge No:
49, /. O, o. f., meets every Thursday
uight, in Fishers Hall. $. J, SmNDLE,
Secretary.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10
CITY DIRECTORY.

Mayor-JANEs II. Corclt, JN. 2
Rccordcr-M. II. HALE.
Sergeant. JrwErT.
Conncimcn-Iohn w. English, Dir. W
=. Ncale, Robert Young, I. Suiblng, and
Col. Il. Il. Thomas,
Street Commissioned. l. GIDGs.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10
classification of Justices.

PREsIDENr-B. ], REDMOND.
Fmsr CLAss-Jabcz Beard, Lewis Bum
garner.
srcoNp Cl.Ass-John Cavet, Geo. Daug-
TlilnD Cliss-Iash NJ. Donnelly, wm.
Foraru Class -samuel L, Carroll, Janes
81 FlrTa GlAss W. II. Hogg, samuelsr.
ssyESfA Liss oiAas Huthhlson
NJ Phelps
EiuIfFr g,rAssr George W, Reee; Gep
w. Moredotk. f'- fSe =
ElST4 clAss sBnrwells s. Smith and q.
II, +. Van Matfe. .,'
TENTH CtAss-Wm. II Wallis" Jabc1
/, BEARD. NCopy-Prste:
jan.G-ly J.. KlNlBERLlNG, Clerk,
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

AND soLIClTORIN CHNNCEK7 4

|, AND soLIClT0RIN CHANcEKY, =
DRACTICES in the Courts OF Mason Rut-
| nam and Jackson counties. (0ifice
with Hon. Henry j. Fisher, and the eXclu-
sive use OF his very valuable law library
and the avails OF his experience in impor-
tant aud difficult cases.j Address! Point
Pleasant, Mason County, West Virginia.
dec. l6-ly-ch. jan. '76,
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

always giyc1it up, g4hc said as he sat
down on one of the stools.
@That,s right-that's honest" she
Whispered, -,"Draw right up here
and have Some breakfast"
He needed no second invitation
The way he went for the cold ham,
fried sausage, biscuit and coffee was
terrific to the woman.
""Ycs-I-unn-try-to 77bc- hon
est, he remarked between bites.
"Thats right. If found any mon
cy belonging to,you I'd give it up,
you bet, Have another cup of cof'
teoT
T.."Doa't-.care-idoo," he said, as
he jammed more ham into his mouth.
Even courtships have an ending,
The old chap began to breathe like
foundered horse, and pretty soon al
ter that he rose from the table.
'"You are a good man to bring my
LOST money back" said the woman,
as she brushed away the crumbs.
"oh, I'm honest, he replied, when
| find any lost money, ! always give
it up" =, :
"Wcll, III take it now, please" she
said as he began to button his coat.
"Take what?' he asked
"That lost money you found
81 didn't find any! III be honest
with you, however, if ever do, find
any around here"
"You oldliar Didn't you say you
found $50 bill herc?'
"No, ma'am. l said that no one
saw me pick up bill here"
"Pay me for them provisionsr she
yelled clutching at his throat,
I'm be honest with you'll havn't
u cent" he replied as he held her of.
She tried to tip him over into u
barrel of charcoal, but he brooke loose
and before she recovered from her
amazcmcnt he was 4 block away, and
galloping along like n stage horse
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10
How anqFo'SIeqI


Z Il. - a. -
{ tFfon, tlle Detroit Free PrcSssI (,
Tie d day a rnanTith q gaunt
Hook hated before an catihg st
the Centnl Market ana titst lol 4
sufgeyof tbO viands, no
wouans !
* q ana poof man, bng F'ltBs16a-
est,if IshaEetoJbe. buried En- a Pau
.pcr'S FieldSs y,
sWhatlss the matter noB,p asked
the wopsaGt Regarding him with sus-
picions
saw me pick upa $40 bill
hereby Ibis gtandeariy'th hismnping
butasIsaid before I'll Be honest N
s' $40 bin7pick uplR she whis-;
,percd, bringing a eblandlsmile to her
face. l
Sbsupposc,s he continued, '"that
some one passing along here could
have dreppedsuots bill, it seems more
reasonable tothipk that the ,laohey
was lostibS you.p S's
Don't talk quite soIoGd. = shesaid,
as she lesned over the Stand: fYoa
are an honest mas, ,,and11l haycyouF
name put ia the papers 50. they.khow !
IL I'm d hmd WORK lag widow, and
if sDa hadn't brought Eatk tbatn1o5
~ swsultl, iase gone hard with,m
81 aiftlo, cTiIdrenp y NJ
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

y - =
street, a strange dog came in and got
up u fight, and all things eoirpirod
TO make a lively time.
"He's got the colicla yelled one Of
the boys.
"0r the tremersp shoutedanothcr,
'.see that hatP called n third.
eBOys, 60 out Of hsiola whispered
the painting man as he stopped using
his hat, They went out, and as he
lilnped iGto the house, his fearful
wife asked:
@Now, then, will you tellne what
has happcned2o @
@No, ] won'f'' he shouted, and hO5
didn't, She fell intolIysserics Ot 10
thought that he had used his brain I
t6b much, apd.had suddenly boe6nie
st ass
~ n - rI- ~. 40 ~ ~ lII.-4
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

tOx eyer the
and ih the
aianiSp fell. like 4
ays in tho black
sec1 ny movement,
ne, spfang for.
eh re box a. it fell. "a
Aid ! Vas alone: on
PilIitY 81 ll which every
aksn ce seemed q
nnef fme and sissd ne
o utter efen one rfy
recovered 5self
la Pete and die dia:
st one fofog.Is. 4
sed atoitnd dee was. de,
ia by TIE the wheel
A. 81 4. Y Ill. ~ - l1.il (. . = ilsf1, -
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

The wife of cx-Presidcnt johnson
died at the residence of her daughter,
Mrs. Judge Paterson, near Grecnville,
Tenn, on the night Of the 18th Of
January.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

Spinner who is in Florida, writes
his signature in the sands of Il bayou,
and the alligators come up to look at
it aud Immediately got the jim,iams
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

Salutatory of the new editor of the
Modisonuillo (Ky) Southwest: Good
morning. We intend publishing a
democratic paper. If you don't like
it you needn't read it,
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

$40 ), and Informed lilo clerk that
.oleseh tiioasand 81 ths Kinds
ofbugnbIc bees settled sighs down on
himsia q body:
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

A railroad brakeman, in Texas,
found a wallet containing $1,000 and
restored it to The owner Within
forty minutes after that, the brake
man fell OF the cars and was killed.
The moral is plain enough
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

y MlS FecltAl,
@ you may
mind is
the truth
Renty-6ye
pnitied The
thspresenGe
- - - -
:oAsesss was
bhseinLaa4
ha eppoFRl
ned me were
lthsMnG but
y ,Nhm con
geould Aayd
7ed, and4 was
emy@ @
Ai1l
annloL
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

OrPIcE-Main Street, DR.. Moore's Build
ing-Entrancc on Second Street.
The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-02-10

TERMS:
The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-11-16
THE PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST.

THE RESULT STILL IN DoUBT-THE REPUBLICANS con-
FIDENT.
There has been substantially no change in the
political situation since our last issue. The Re-
publieans are confident that they have carried
south Carolina, Louisiana and Florida, and only
ask a fair count. The Democrats, according to
their statements, are equally confident as to Lou
isiana and Florida, but weaker on South Carolina
virtually giving the State TO Hayes, but claiming
Ii for Hampton.
In South Carolina, Democratic counsel have APP
Piled to the Supreme Court of tie State for writs
turning Board from throwing out the votes Of
any county or counties in counting the returns,
and generally restraining the Board from exer-
cising judicial functions. The application is also
TO prevent Dunn, Cardozo and Hayne. who are
State officers and candidates fer reelection, from
sitting in the Board on account of their having
in such capacity to pass upon their OWN claim.
rhe:Court passed rule appointing to-day for a
reply from the Board and discussion upon the
question raised. No additional figures have been
reported from South Carolina, and everything
rests in suspense pending the action of the Cour
in which the legal issues have been joined.
Hat the meeting Of the Cabinet on Tuesday. tht
Presidential problem was freely discussed. Ev
cry member Of 1t and :the President, expressed
the opinion that Hayes has been elected baset
upon dispatches received ny them.
While there is nothing decisive in the nforma
tlon received from the facts adduced and thu
overwhelming testimony published. we are salts
fed that all three OF the doubtful States have
been carried by the Republicans.