The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-05-22
A FEARFUL TRAGEDY.

-
Edith Freeman by Her Father.
Freeman's family consisted of his
wife-a tall, slender, blue-eyed woman
of thirty, whom he married ten years
ago--and his two daughters, Bessie,
boln in 1872, and Edith, two years
later. 1t is admitted that he has been
kind husband and a loving father,
and he has appeared almost to idolize
little Edith; yet he tells his wife that
revelation calls upon him to sacrifice
some member of his family. They pray
together; they ask in their petition that
: so great ? test of their faith may not be
required of them. They seem to have
talked it over as they would any mat
ter of mutual concern. He even hint
ed something of it to his fellow-believ-
ers, and now says that he prayed that
if any life were required his own might
Re that one; but as it is unquestiOna-
BILE that he intended to become an tin
Grant preacher, or, as he prefers to call
it, prophet, there is some doubt ex-
pressed as to the fervency of such
prayer, if it was made.
Freeman says that he knew that the
further revelation would come that
would, indicate the member of his
family whose death was required, and
that he and his wife waited patiently
to receive it. It came Ito continue his
story, wholly corroborated by his wife,
in tie dead of night of Wednesday, or
perhaps just after midnight on Thurs
day morning. Then he suddenly awak-
ened, and the revelation that he re-
ceived was that his baby-pet, Edith, q
blue-eyed, fair, and brown-haired girl,
must be offered up as q sacrifice. He
at once awoke his wife, and told her of
his commission. The maternal instinct
for a time was the stronger. She
had been able to talk vaguely about
the loss of her children but when she
was brought face to face with it, she
at first protested. Freeman says that
she begged him not to do it. She
pleaded-so he told Mr.. Orr, who SUBJ
sequently had q talk with him-with
the tears streaming down her cheeks,
for the life of her darling Edith. IS But
1 talked with her." says Freeman.
told her that we could not risk the
displeasure of God; and when I per-
suaded her that Edith would either be
restored to us after three days or else
would be translated, then she assented.
She saw it was a Divine command"
Freeman also says that he knelt by the
bedside and prayed, while great drops
of sweat stood upon his forehead, that
the test of his faith might not be re-
quired. Then, rs he expressed it, his
soul was filled with peace, and he pre-
pared with his wife to make the sacri-
ice. ~ 1921 i.'& i'
81 had hopes" he said to one gen.
tleman on the cars on Friday, "when
l went to the shed to get the knife that
God would stay my hand. a. He did
Abraham al he was about, to offer up
Isaac, but determined If my hand was,
not stayed to make the sacrifice as
gently as possible, SO that my idol
would pass away without suffering"
Mrs. Freeman, who now recalls the
event without the slightest appearance
of suffering, lighted lamp and placed
it on chair By the bedside where the
Two daughters were sleeping. Then
she leaned over Edith, who was sleep
.ilE on the outside of the bed, and, lift
ing Bessie in her arms, took her away
to her own chamber. Freeman then,
turning down the bedclothes, and
raising little Edith's arm, so that moth
ing might interfere with the blow,
raised The knife 81 held it a minute
or, two," he said, "heping that I
shoald receive the call to stay my
hand, but l did not" The blade pene-
trated the heart, passing between the
fifth and sixth ribs. The little girl
opened her eyes and fixed them on her
father. He says she murmured "Oh,
papav' and that he seized her and held
her to his heart until she was dad.
DR.. Smith, who made an examination
to-day of the wound, says that she
could not have lived a minute. The
hemorrhage was mostly internal. Then
Freeman put her back upon the pillow,
offered up another prayer, and, lying
down beside her, went peacefully to
sleep. His wife was already asleep in
the adjoining chamber. with Bessie in
her arms.
The discovery of the crime was acct
denta:.l "A Miss Davis was receiving a
call in the evening from the Village
Constable, Mr.. Reddy, and, upon his
pressing her to explain the cause of her
very sorrowful mood, she told him
briefly what had happened. He could
not believe it, and neither could the
Selectman to whom he, at once went;
but, happening to meet Farmer How
ard, who Reddy knew was at q meet
ing at Freeman's, Reddy asked him
about it, and Howard, without the least
.pxcitement, said that Freeman had
obeyed' the Divine command. The
Deputy Sheriff was at once sent for,
and arrested Freeman and his wife, and
locked them up in the Jail at Barnsta-
be. Freeman said that he was per-
fectly ready to 60 to Jail, and his wife,
Who seemed almost to be under q mes
meric influence from her husband,
cheerfully went with him and the Sher-
iff.-Boston Cor. NJ Il 6ssp. Y =
q IMr. Erapcis Gallon is, not inclined
to consider ebAscfdd shess capable of
much useful service in intellectual la
Dor. .sThe more," he says, = have
'examined the workings of my own
mind, the less respect ! feel for the part
played byaoUnSCiousneSs: / BEGIN, with
others. to doubt its iuse altogether as q
helpful supervisor, and to think that
INV best brain. work. is wholly indie
pendent of it. Its position appears to
be that of q helpless spectator. of but q
minute fraction 9 s huge am'nns Of