Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-06-21


in moment more we were in the wa
ter. With one hand I grasped the
harness upon the horse, and with the
other / held my wife. l was thus
struggling when q wild cry from her
washed away.
'Oh, my sonIi cannot tell you what
| suffered during those moments. /
could moi help our darling. If left
my wife she was lost. clung to the
horse and cluBg to my shrieking wife
-shrieking to God for mercy for her
child. In the distance, upon the bO-
som of the surging flood, could see
our little one, 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. 1 saw this much, and then an
intervening point of land shut out the
scene. The horse was now rapidly
nearing the shore, and ere long my
wife and I were on dry land with the
horse and wagon. As soon as / was
sure my wife was safe, / left her to
the care Of the horse, while posted
downythe river ia quest of the swim
| fmer and the child. Eszslss
Yon may well Nunderstand that all
lfiis time Twas frantic. l was ma
chine being operated upon bys surg
Ting and agoniziug emotion. How long
Tor far i wandered 4 do not know but
/ at length met man, wet and drip
tping, with my darling in hisarms-
my darling, safe and sound. He told
me that he had caught the child with
in few rods of the falls, and that IN
Landing he had cleared the .fstal abyss
by not more than two yards. He was
young man, not more than twenty
five, shsndsome and stalwart He said
he had seer my wagon tip, and was
coming to my assistance when he saw
the child washed away. Il threw my
life into the balance said he, with q
genial smile, and, thank God! both
both the lives were sayedv
sfasked him how should ever re-
pay him. He stopped me with an i'm
ploring gesture:
IL you talk of more pay than have
already received, be said, If you gan
rob me OF the only solid reward i can
claim, mercy! if saving the life OF such
a cherub is not enough of reward in it.
self, then, ,hardis the heart that claims
more and with mOistened eyes he
/ told me that he had child of his own
at home-an only child of nearly the
same age.
Il asked if he would tell me his name.
With smile be- answeTed that his
name did not matter >he was not sure
that he had name. then asked
him If he knew me. He nodded ar
said he thought might be Mr.. Lur:
Ington, of SWalbridge. When. i told
him he was correct, he said he must
hurry home. And with that he turn
ed away. l was too deeply moved to
stop him, and when he had disappear
ed i started to rejoin my wife with
ldawning impression that the man
4 might be slightly deranged. But my
darling was safe-her broad, feecy
cloak had fioated out and kept her
head above water-and l went on my
way rejoicing, resolved that the pre-
server OF my child should not be for.
gotten.
4 will not tell you of the emotion ol
i my wife when she held her child once
more in her arms. We reached Shire
ton before night, and found quarters al
a comfortable tavern.
}, On the following day Laban Sarfur'
,tcalied uron me and was about tC
spread his evidence for my inspection,
when I interrupted him. I told him
/ could not accept his confidence until
l bad made up mind to take his case
in his. hand. Something seemed tC
whisper that there was danger ahead
1 did not feel comfortable in that mans
presence. / felt as though he was try
ing to buy me. The court would sit
lin four days. told him would give
him final answer in two days from
that. -+ y pr.
i THAT evening / made aeonfidant o1
my wife and asked her what l should
i do. g If 1 take the case, / said, L am
Isure Of $5000.' Sne babe me do what
was right. God has been very kind
J to u.s. she sold; let US look to him fol
guidance
after this I called on the clergyman
!, of the place, whose son had been my
classmate in college, and whom l had
Ionce before visited. He received me
heartily, and by and ty | asked him
tabout William Acton. The result oi
) all he told me was summed up in his
) closing sentence. Said he: I am sure
: William Acton was Philip ActOn's
CIlilu -Iu ldCt, Il kDOW. dua min n
1.-The father and mother were married
! Betsy died very soon after her child
: was born, and we know that Phillip
always treated the boy as Legitimate
T child; and that he loved him as such
|, can confidently affirm
sOn the following morning, aftel
: break fast, as satby tho window in
n the bar-room, saw coming from the
4 Street the man who saved my child
st He was walking slowly, ike one in
a trouble. pointed him out to my
u 1host, and asked who he was.
/: THAT Is William Acton. Perhaps
) VOC have heard OF the trouble he i
II likely to have with Iaban Sarfurt.'
d 4 said / had beard
l&s 81 hope he may come ont all right,
; the host added; but am fearful. HI
/ has got a hard and heartless customer
: to deal with +'AFtA a ALsts
2 Il shut my mouth and held my peace
: until Laban Sarfurt called for his fina
] answer. / said to him: 80
'Mr. Sarfurt, have been considering
all this time whether / could under
take your case with a clear conscience
t whether ! should be helping the side
of Justice and right In helping you.
: had concluded that L could not do Sc
before had seen William Acton tl
! know him by name. Inow know him
for a man who nobly risked his life tC
save the life of my child. l have moi
as yet accepted one of your private dis
, closures; have gained from you moth
ing which you could wish to keep from
+ the public. / cannot take your case
but tell yeu frankly thatif you pros
ecute, / will defend William Acton.
. Il did not mind Sarfurt's wrath. He
raved and swore and stamped, and
-fthen be went off and engaged two law.
yer's from Herkimer to take his case
, / called upon Acton and told him ]
, would defend him if he would accept
my services, as / had accepted his. He
, took my hand and thanked me.
Il have made great many pleas In
Il m W lifo huf fhink I povor tpsda O