The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-08-17
An Illinois Roy.

The New York Times has an editorial on the
wonderful resources of the Illinois boy. Mas
ter sloane Of Clinton, ILL.,, invented trap on
the principle Of those used in Africa for trap
Iping gamc---tlIat is 70 say, he constructed Il
! slip-noose of thongs and attached it to the top
of stout sapling, which he bent down by the
aid Of Il Observation-Disclosures and fastened it 10 the
ground. And this was the result
Master Sloane had sister, young lady Of
great worth and very decided character. OH
or girls, who we're cnylous OF her beauty, said
She was an ill-tcmpcrcd, red-haIrCd thing, but
tins was probably mere Calumny Atall events,
50 thought the young minister who was settled
over the seventeenth Congregational church,
and generally believed to be Miss Sloanc's ac-
ccptcd lover That nc went toSee Miss Sloane
on the very evening when the reckless boy set
his Central Africa trap was not strange, Tor he
usually spent three or four evenings each week
at the Sloane mansion, but it was coinC1"
dcncc that on that precise evening he proposed
Il walk, and led Miss Sloane toward the
identical lane where the trap was waiting for
victims.
How it happened that neither the young
minister nor Miss Sloane noticed the bent
sapling or the rope, no one can understand,
unless they were SO deeply engaged in the dis
EcusSon of theological questions that they were
Obivious TO all earthly things. Still more
difficult is 1t to comprehend how they could
both have stepped within the moose which was
spread out in the form Of circle not more than
Il foot in diameter. 1t is plain, however that
the lady was reading hymn-book and that
her companion had approached extremely
iclOsC To her in order to Sce If the hymn was
lCOrrcCtlv printed. However tins may be, the
fact remains that Miss Sloanes left foot and
the minister's right foot were just within the
M ,,hnn tho In and tbn elastic
sapling suddenly lifted them twenty feet in
the air where they remained hanging like two
cherries on single stem, and expressing in
lively tones their suspicion that something UNI
usual had happened.
Half an hour later the Clinton and Holmes
! vile stage passed that way, and the driver and
his passengers were astOnshcd beyond meas
ure. For some time it was supposed that
some new and curiously complicated animal,
consisting chiefly of zebra and black panther
was swinging from the top Of the sapling, but
| Just as one of the passengers was about to ire
| at it, the driver recognized the minister
though he was not able to recognize his fellow
prisoner The lattcrs voice was somewhat
mutcd but she was distinctly heard to revile
the minister and to assert that she never would
forgive him, no matter how he might try TO
excuse himself. SIX strong men finally bent
| down the Sapling, released the victims, and
! with rare dclcacy assigned the duty Of rcOr.
ganiHlng Miss Sloane to the two ladies who
were in the stage. Fortunately, neither of
| Master SIOanc's victims was seriously injured,
and both were able to walk home on opposite
sides Of the street
The results Of the affair were numerous.
Miss Sloane left town the next day on Il visit
to the East, and has not since returned. The
minister was tried Tor indiscrcctly hanging
from the top, Of trees with young ladies' and
thereby bringing reproach upon his profession,
| but he was acquitted by a close vote. As for
Master Sloane it is believed and hoped that
his father has killed INN. At any rate, he has
not been seen, and the rumor that he has been
sent to the House Of Refuge in Chicago is not
generally believed