Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-10-06

Mr.. Brown, of Haywood, had sent him.
His eyes CHANGED to fall on these words
"The German, Peter Groat, who muir.
dered Mrs. Curtis, has been sentenced
to be hung, on the second Friday ii
next month. Groat, although a stranger,
was supposed to be respectable mar
and one not at all capable Of perpetrat.
ing such horrible crime. But the evi.
dences Of his guilt are most conclusive.
The morning after the murder his wife
was found washing bloody shirt, also &
knife stained with blood was found hid.
den near woodpile. Besides goods be.
longing to the murdered woman were
found i'll Groat's house. The only thing
missing is a curious old snutf-box Of
some black wood, quantity carved in the
shape of toad. Her name Hepsibah
Curtis, is engraved inside. But without
this the evidence is strong enough to
hang him."
"Poor fellow" murmured Mr.. Mar
shall, as he laid down the paper. cit
makes one dread to read the news-one
comes across so many horrors"
"Papa! papa! you needn't mind about
the kite now!" cried Tom, rushing in
with shining eyes. Uncle George Just
called me over to his house-he is going
fishing, and says he will take me along.
May go?"
eff mamma is willing"
"She is. I asked her. Aud I've
been digging grubs and tisll-worms-
for bait, you know. But see what a
nice bait-box I've got"
can old snuf-box. Where did you
get it? 90
"Myron Mason gave it to me-"
"Who is Myron Mason? %
ooh, new man Uncle George got to
work in his garlen. He's gathering
pears and trenching the celery. Myron
was tramp who came along, but he is
real nice. The box is nice, two. See
what a funny shape it is p
"a toad. Quick Let ME see, Tom Z"
Mr.. Marshall had not observed the
box until now, and it was with trembling
fingers that he opened it.
"Hepsibah Curtis was the name en-
graved on the inner cover!
Mr.. Marshall's face was white, but his
voice was calm, as he said:
Tom, just run over and tell your
Uncle George to come over here few
mlnutes-I want to talk with him on a
little busine SIS.
Three days later Myron Mason, alias
Jasper Armand, was arrested for the
murder Of Mrs. Curtis.
He made no resistance; he told no
falsehoods; he simply confessed the
whole affair, stating that he hal muir
dered the woman out Of revenge. Ten
years before the two had Ii we'd in dis
tant town. He had always been wild
and dissolute, but had been the be-
Of Mrs. Curtis sister, gentle
and lovely woman. Mrs. Curtis had op-
posed the match, knowing that it would
cause her sister life Of misery. Also,
finding that Armand belonged to gang
OF counterfeiters, she promptly gave evil
dence against him.
lie was condemned to ten years i'm
This he bore patiently,
yowing that, when released, he
would at once wreak vengeance on the
woman who had foiled his plans and
bighted his life.
When the time was expired and the
prison doors opened to let him pass out.
he found that the woman he loved was
lead, and that the woman he hated wa,
wing in Haywood. Thither he went.
tie had seen Mrs. Curtis go to town, had
concealed himself in the woods to await
Ter return. He did not take the arti-
lies she carried merely for the sake of
'obbery, but to have suspicion point it's
niger at some other party. At the con-
'lusion of his confession he said he had
10 desire Of concealing it any longer.
lis life was made wretched by the hor-
IDLE crime he had committed, and death
N exposure were not unwelcomc. The
lext day after his confinement in the
ell he was found dead in his cell. He
lad ended his life by poison.
AS for Peter Groat he was at once re-
eased, and all the inhabitants of Hey
1ood strove to express their regret and
egard for him, but TO these Peter only
hook his head, saying:
" He did not care for to live in a
lace where de folks vas so ready to
''lieve him bad mani" So he sold his
title home, packed his goods, and, with
is wife and children, moved to the far
'est, where, it is to be hoped, in spite
f sweet charity's sake, he was more
areful in entertaining benightcd travel
rs.