The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-05-20

Your kind and welcome letter received "a
ierday. w. glad 70 hear from you, b.
sorry 10 hear fhas you ere dissssis6ed, bu
it csa't be helped sov. ] wished. after
got on the tram, hsd stayed with yo'
until the next day. Well, John, I knos
il hurt you, and you don't know hov IL hur
me- Everybody says have borne enough
to kill me, and don't think will liz,
much longer, If you 90 this vay. l dom
want you 70 die thinking hate you, for
don't; and didn's come to zee What kind
of place you was in, At all. II had no
wanted to zee you. would not have come
] never noticed the place you Vas in, and
don't want you 70 think 40, either. And
when you are laid bea.esih the sod, will
not Be gIsd-it will be awful to think about
You don't know bos II strike. me to the
heart-yoH don't know the feeling il Ia. II
il all that can do to write.
Well, John. will forgive you, and re-
member you ton. Write and tell me what
YOU wanted to /; l would like to know what
it il. never intend 10 marry the beat man
that ever walked on top Of the dirt. will
live just "a am, ard loved you better
than you did me, or you would haye been
with me vet. am sorry that you are dis
satisiied on my account.
got Q card from Marian on yesterday.
Well, John. do you want to lay At Dnes-
den. or there? Meaning Boonville.-ED.
l hate TO zee the end come. tel you il
strikes me deep. Well, John. you write "a
Marion, or tell me what to write TO him
They think you are dead.
No more at this time, hoping to hear
from You once more. Write me another
letter. 1 would like to know what you
wan .ed to tell me. so good bye. From
RACHEL +. WEST.
It il hard to say. but fare you we'll. ]
hope to meet in better land. So farewell
History Of John L West
Written by himself for the Boonville Advertiser.
The first part Of my life, or from
as early AS l can remember, l always
had q head Of my own and never would
mind my father when / was bid to do.
1 can remember the first whipping my
father ever gave me; / had hid the
fire shovel and father wanted me to get
it or tell him where it was, and re.
fused to do either and he gave me a
good whipping before / gave up. 10
fact | did everything that was wrong.
l would visit watermelon patches and
destroy them I would ter up buggy
rigs that didn't belong to me; / was
stubborn all the time aud never had
regard for myself, or any one else, al
l was taught right until l was
about nine years old. You may say
that I should be taught right after
thar, but it was about that age that
my dear mother died and left me with
4 wicked father, aud if he hadn't been
4 wicked father it wouldn't have done
me any good, for he was not with me
ali the time. My mother was religious
and gave me good advice even to the
asst. My father is religious now or |
rust he is at least. l was not religious.
BY any means, but trust that l may
not die as l am. The fact of my going
.stray rests on myself. for should
nave tried to do what was right. After
first started to do what was right,
md that was to serve God, the first
me that brought me to a step in the
light of truth was Rev. w. NJ. Colby,
# Menard county. Illinois. In fact
re always took a hearty interest in my
,ehalf and taught me what was right.
Even when was at work Mr.. Colby
would come and talk to me of the love
# God, for he would rather for nv
oul to be save than Tor bis work to be
lone. The most of my life had been
pent in bad company. Sometimes l
would fall in with good company, and
hen l would lead q good life for a
While and then think / would remain
hat way for it was right that l should
lever 60 astray again-it is now too
ate to think of it. / had the bible to
cad and the Sunday school and the
gospel word before me-did | not cul-
ivate it, you may ask? No, God knows
did not, but fled from IT,.
And when below dwell no more,
Pray keep this relic still.
And let il hang behind the door,
Those aged hooks TO fill.
For il has done it's share of toll,
Most strange, too, aud tad.
In many scenes OF said turmoil
OF which my history1 tell.
The papers saw that l will make
mother confession, but have made
nv last and told all that l know. II
ave told you OF my stealing money,
md robbing houses, and of all the men
ever killed and of my fighting. l
ldmit to leading a bad and wicked lite
nd doing everything that was wrong.
was born at Spring River. Jasper
ounty. Mo. was seven years old
vhen my father moved to Illinois,
vhere we lived IA years. l have lived
o Missouri three years My age is
a wears. I was born in 1856, and
low to think where / am now! On
asst Tuesday evening. May 9Th, after
tried to break Jail, arrangements
we're made to put q guard over me.
dr. B. B. Goodman. one of the jury
q nv case, is the guard over me night
md day. You may say that l don't
njoy his company, but you are mis-
aiken, for he has acted the gentleman
vith me all the time since he has been
nth me. He even gave me good adj
rice he always treats me with respect
md gets for me everything that l want.
he made me = present of some tobacco
asst night and I give thanks to him |;
.lso to Mr.. Barker for his kindness.
md to many others whose names /
lon't know. I give both Mr.. Cos
grove and Mr.. Pendletou many thanks.
md Eaol nndar fen thonsand neneved