The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-06-05

deavored to recall my identity and tn,
recollections of the night. Then q h0r
rible conviction came Np0h Y1e. Gfea!
heavensl It was she! It was nv poo,
devoted wffc-the reality of the form
had dashed down and destroyed In n,
frenzy!
Overwhelr,ea with remorse, 1 rushed
\ wildly from the house and fled knew
not whittier. The greater grief tina
had come upon me terminated my rich
tai power, and l became calm in de-
spair; but shrask cowardly from thu
desolatics That my own hand haC
wrought.
1t was some weeks after the dreadful
night have described that I reached
New York City, without detection, 8
greater portion of the distance Work
ing as one of the crew Of 4 canal boat
l wandered along the wharves of the
metropolis, seAHching anxiously fol
some meAhs of escaping the country,
and longing even to flee the fellowship
OF civilized man. The opportunity was
finally discovered IN a ship about sail.
ing around Cape Horn for the Pacific
Coast, ch board of which my services
were accepted in mental capacity.
Twas soon safe from discovery and
pursuit, and free upon the boundless
waters-free as one could feel with the
remorse of a hellish deed upon his soul,
and the abandonment of all hope OF a
happy hour in life again.
need not describe the experience OF
a long and tedious sea voyage, and the
hardships and iniignities put upon me
in consequence Of inefficiency and total
ignorance of seaman's duties. To
me it was of little account. But the
change of life and scene and the sea
air had wonderful effect in repairing
my mental and physical strength. Il
was on a bright September morning
that l first spied the haky shores Of
California, and in day or two there
after saunteyed aiong the streets of San
Francisco, alone in a new world, with
only the companionship of bitter recol-
lections.
As necessity required, 1 sought en-
ployment, and managed to sustain my
self, leading iistless. purposeless sort
of life. But the monotony soon be-
came oppressive, and the apprehension
of ultimate discovery excited renewed
anxiety. Frequently l fancied the rec
ignition Of familiar countenance on
the streets that kept me in painful un-
certainty.
The day came in which my worst
fears were realized. The miserable
wretch in whose house l was sojourn-
ing delivered me into the hands of JUS
tice. By what means he discovered
my identity could not determine; but
l met my fate boldly, for remorse had
so far embittered my existence that l
disdained longer to struggle for its con-
tinuance.
Gentlemen" l exclaimed, as the
officer inclosed my wrists with iron
shackles, stake your accursed reward!
am Charles Harden, the murderer,
from"
They dragged me to prison, and the
officers of the law came and questioned
me. l told them all, and they trans
ferred me to more secure confinement,
lest l should escape again the retribu-
ton of crime.
Long l fingered in the solitude of a
gloomy cell, awaiting the final decree
of fate, until calm Indifference succeed
ed despair, and gradually every emo
ton, even life itself, seemed to subside
irto dream.
But a day came when my sensibili-
ties seemed terminating, like one
emerging from a trance. Slowly my
mind manifested activity, and in time
| recalled my identity; then sud-
denly the recollection of my whole
life flooded back upon me and all the
weight of its great burden of remorse
again descended.
An old man, whose kindly counte-
nance had become familiar to me as in
a vision, appeared and sought to rally
my dependency with words of hope
and encouragement.
"You have had a long. bad spell,
he continued, "but you are
coming around all right now, and will
soon be out in the world again."
Then was not in prison, but an
insane asylum. Thank Heaven, my
guilt had not been discov-
cred.
And then l learned from the old man
the circumstances of my arrest as
lunatic, and the nature of my atfliction.
In the operation of trepanning at the
hands of unskilled surgeons, a small
splinter of the fractured skull had been
left adhering in position to irritate
the membrane of the brain, and this
trifling oversig hit had caused the insan-
ity attended with such sad results, to
blast the happiness of my life forever.
and stamp my memory with the igno-
miny of murder.
The arrangement had been effectively
repaired by the skilled surgeon of the
asylum, and my mind now rapidly re-
covered its original power. But what
availed it, l reflected bitterly; and why
had l been restored from peaceful lu-
macy to consciousness to which death
would be relief.
One morning the old attendant of
whom have spoken interrupted my
gloomy meditatiOns with a countenance
more than usually cheerful, that
seemed to radiate the light of some
hidden hope.
Harden" he remarked, "you are
growing vigorous again in both body
and mind. have message for you
that may excite you little. DO you
think you can stand an agreeable sur
prise?''
Anything agreeable to hear would,
indeed, be SURPRISE" 1 replied.
g But, my dear friend, fear the world
could now hardly afford a message to
me sufficiently pleasurable to inspire
any appreciable excitement"
"Well, if you are confident to that
extent, will permit the bearer of the
message to impart it directly to YOU"
The old man withdrew, and present.
ly returned with a companion. A thrill,
premonitory of some great surprise,
startled me as l heard the approaching
footsteps.
raised my eyes. Great heavens!
they met the old love-look of my wife,
ready to advance into my arms.
The ardor with which 1 returned her
embrace was assuring that my power of
nerve was restored.
The last great Authorization was dis
nnl1Q6 and q raw IF r1 odnoco h,rot IN