Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-10-25
"Arrived at the stream. the VAN.

I My wife was anxious, but she trusted
| my judgement. A third of the way
across, the water was over tho hubs
of the wheels. A little more and ii
would have reached the body of the
wagon. I begun to be alarmed
feared that had left the true track.
Presently my horse stumbled and
staggered, having evidently stepped
on moving stone. The wagon
swayed and tipped, and the flood
poured in upon us. My wife slipped
and in moment more we were in
the water. With ono hand 1 grasped
the harness upon the horse and with
the other I held my wife. I was thus
1 struggling when wild cry from her
1 lips startled the very air. Our child
was washed away.
i ooh, my soul! I cannot tell you
what Isufiered during these moments,
1 could not help our darling. If left
j my wife she was lost. clung to the
horse aud clung to my shrieking wife
i-shrieking to God for mercy for her
/, child. In the distance upon the boz
som of the surging food I could see
our little ono, her white dress gleam-
ing in the sun, being borne swiftly
away. A moment more and saw q
man plunge from the bank into the
river. saw this much, and then an
! intervening point of land shut out
the scene. The horse was now rapid
ly nearing the shore, and ere long my
wife and | were on dry land, with the
horse and wagon. AS soon as was
sure my wife was safe, I left her to
care for the horse, while posted of
down the river bank in quest of the
swimmer and tho child.
"You may well understand that all
this time was frantic. I was 4 ma
chine being operated upon by surg
| ng and agonizing emotion. How
long or how far l wandered do not
know, but at length I met man. wet
and dripping, with my darling in his
arms, my darling safe and sound. He
told me that he had caught the child
within a few rods Of the falls. and
that in landing he had cleared the
fatal abyss by not more than two
yards. He was young man, not
moro than 25, handsome and stalwart.
He said he had seen my wagon tin,
and was coming to my assistance
when he saw the child washed away.
Il threw my life into the balance, ,
said he, with gentle smile, sand,
thank God. both the lives were
saved 7
~ asked him how l should ever re-
pay him. He stopped mo with an
imploring gesture:
"'If you talk of more pay than
have already received he said, If
You can rob me of the only solid re-
ward l can claim, mercy! if saving
the life of such chcrub Is not enough
of reward in itself, then hard is the
heart that Graves for more And with
moistcned eyes he told me that he had
a child of his own at home-an only
child Of very nearly the same age.
~ asked If he would tell me his
name. With a smile, he answered
that his name did not matter-he was
not sure that he had name. l then
asked him if he knew me. He nod
ded and said he thought l might be
Mr.. darlington. of Walbridge. When
l told him he was correct, he said tha,
he must hurry home. And with tina,
he turned away. / was too deeply
moved to stop him, and when he had
disappeared l started to rejoin my
wife with the dawning impression
that the man might be slightly de-
ranged. But my darling was safe
her broad, fleecy cloak had floated ou
and kept her head above water-4
went on my way rejoicing, resolved
l hAt ~ nS n M
child should not be forgotten.
~ will not tell you of the emotion
of my wife when she held her child
J once more In her arms. We reached
Shireton before night, and fount
quarters at a comfortable tavern.
"On the following day Laban Sar
furt called upon me and was abou
! to spread his evidence for my inspec
! tion, when interrupted him. tol,
him l could not accept his confidenc
until had made up my mind to tax
} his case in hand. Something seemed
/. to whisper that there was DANCE
ahead. l did not feel comfortable il
9 that mans presence. felt as though
ne was trying to buy me. The cour
would sit in tour days. 1 told him
. would give him final answer in tw,
: days from that.
, "That evening l made confidan
} of my wife, and asked her what
/. should do. IF take the case.' l said
: 4 am sure Of $1,000 She babe m
> do what was right. God has beel
]; livery kind to us, she said, slet us lool
r to Him for guidance
AFTER this / called on the. clergy
! man of the place, whose son had beel
G my classmate in college, and whom
I had once before visited. He receive,
a me heartily, and by and by 1 aske,
0 him about William Acton. The re
D suit of all he told me is summed NJ
in his closing sentence. Said he:
n am sure William Acton was philli
!, Acton's child-in fact, know it-an,
: / think the father and mother wer
d married. Betsey died very soon afte
9 her child was born, and we know tina
Y Philip always treated the boy as
b legitimate child and that he love
J. him as such can confidently affirm
8 "On the following morning, afte
I breakfast, as sat by the window j
the bar.room, saw coming from III
: street the man who had saved m
s child. He was walking slowly, lik
n one in trouble. Ipointed him out
Is my host, and asked him who he wa
VI "'That Is William Acton. PerhaI
Q you have heard of the trouble he
Is likely to have with Laban Sarfurt
It II said l had heard.
l. "I hope he may come ont all right
y the host added but am fearful. Il
II has got hard and very heart,ess GU
f. toner to deal WITH
n 81 shut my mouth and held m
peace until Laban Sarfurt called fl
10 his final answer. said to him:
e, "Mr. Sarfnrt, have been conside
l. ing all this time whether could III
e dertakc your case with clear col
O. science-whether l should be helpir
1 the side of justice and right in he'll
lr ing you. l had concluded that
l. could not do so before 1 had ses
Is William Acton to know him by nam
s. / now know him for a man wi
~ nobly risked his own life to save Il
IN life Of my child. For that deed l wi
n reward him il l can. have not,
ir yet, accepted one of your private di
m closures: have gained from "
r. nothing which you could wish TO ke,
c. from tho public. I cannot take yol
l case, Mr.. Sarfurt, but / tell you fran
n ly, that if yon prosecute, l will defer
at William Acton.
/ ~ did not mind Sarfurt's wrat
in He ravcd and swore and stampe
lc and then he went off and engag
re two lawyers from Hcrkimer to Ia
Id tho case. / called upon Acton al
r. told him ] would defend him, il
would accept my services, as l h
sc accepted his. He took my hand a
thanked me.
iig 81 have made great many speech
IN in my life, but think never mad,
re better ono than made to the jury
On that occasion. They were not G
over five minutes. by their verd
William Acton was tho lawful p'
IN SCISSOR Of the estate his father h
left.
nj "From that day never hesitated
refuse case to which could !
:. give my heart. Such stand on