Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-04-10
Ventriloquism and Knavery.

A death-bed confession of very ex-
traordinary character has recently been
made public in the fourishing little town
Of Aberdeen, Indiana. Some twenty
years ago, when Aberdeen was village
of not more than tour or FIVE thousand
Inhabitants, a certain Mr. James Barbour
owned there thriving farm valued at
between fifty and sixty thousand dollars.
MIR. Barbour was unmarried but favor
tie nephew named John L. Strickland
had for some years resided under his
roof.
At the age of eighteen, Strickland,
who had received fair education, was
noted for many precocious talents.
Among other accomplishments he pos
sesscd remarkable skill at sleight Of
hand, was veritable wizard in his mani
pulations of cards, and had frequently
been known to startle assemblages of OBJ
servers by his clever manuel tricks. He
contracted habits of dissipation,
however, and finally, falling under his
uncle's displeasure, was expelled from
the house
During several years young Strickland
disappeared totally from Aberdeen, only
reappearing during the last hours of his
uncle's final illness. OLD Mr.. Barbour,
while lying yearly speeches. upon his
death-bed, permitted his nephew to visit
him. In attendance upon the old gentle
man were two of his nieces, in whose
favor Mr.. Barbour had, some months
before, made his last will and testament
Feigning the most sincere penitence,
Ofr;ol/lorl sroSofaI I,
| watch Of his two cousins at the couch OF
the dying man.
One night be awoke the ladies, in q
state of evident mental trepidation, with
the announcement that "Uncle James
seemed terribly low, and had something
that he very much desired to say before
witnesses" The two cousins hurried to
the death. chamber, and found it quite
solemnly darkened, with Strickland
standing beside his uncle's bed.
Emma and Elizabeth are both here
Uncle James," Strickland now said. "Is
there anything which you especially wish
to communicated"
Amid the dimness OF the silent chamber,
Mr.. Barbour's voice, very much enfeebled
yet perfectly articulate now sounded
He informed those gathered about him
that he had forgiven his scapegrace neph.
ew and desired that Strickland should
inherit the bulk of bis property, ard that
his recent will should be destroyed then
and there. The will was now, at the
dying mans apparent direction, brought
from near bureau and destroyed by the
elder of the two nieces. both of whom
1nfonco1r considerations -,
only too anxious to respect the wishes Of
their failing relative.
"John will always take care of you
and be good to you girls, until you mar,
ry; am sure of that"
These as it seemed, were the last words
uttered by Mr.. Barbour; for, few mo-
ments latter, John Strickland, while
leaning over his uncle's dimly-seen face,
suddenly exclaimed:
Hes gone."
And on turning up the light, it was in
deed discovered that Mr.. Barbour was
dead. The will being destroyed, and the
two neices feeling thoroughly confident
that they had listened to the last wishes
Of their uncle, put forward no claim
whatever to the property, which passed
at once into Srickland's hands.
In the course of time the ladies mar
RED, and Strickland married also. The
latter became very respectable men,
Der of Aberdeen society, and last July, at
the comparatively early age of forty
eight, died after briet illness.
A day before his death, however. Strick-
land confided to friend of his, Mr.. Har
ris F. Biggs, written confession which
he desired to have shown his two cousins,
now both residents of different States.
This confession, he declared, would &C.
count for the will which he had made,
bequeathing all his property to those
ladies', and defraudlng his own wife and
children of their just inheritance. When
he had called his two cousins to the dvino
mans bedside, Strickland declares, in
this same confession, Mr.. Barbour had
already ceased to breathe for ten good
minutes. The words their uncle seemed
to speak .oere not uttered By him at all
but were the artful result of his own
(stricklan1's) ventriloqrism. The dim
ness of the room aided him in his delu-
sion, and he had actually, to all intents
and purposes, mad. dead man speak
Repentance for his navish act. the write,
of the confession further stated, had
at last driven him to make becoming
amends. III - nm =
On hearing of the document in Mr.
Briggs possession, Mrs. Strickland hal
utterly denied it as the work of her late
husband. The married nieces, however
insist upon its authority, laugh at The
idea Of It's being . forgery, and yer,
pretty lawsuit now threatens to BE- car
ried ON for long period. 1t is said tina
both contestants will have what lawyer.
call q fair case, though there is no doub
! Of Strickland having been long know,
as skilled venhiloquist which is, o
course, point against the cause of hi.
lirste widow-N. T. Weekly.