Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-06-19
A FALSE FRIEND.
Interesting Story of An Australian
Convict.

returned only three months ago
BON Melbourne. where l had been in
|%aclicc as q surgeon for about ten
ears. When ] went out to the colony,
here was q good opening in most of
j the larger towns for medical men;
bad l was exceptionally fortunate
J the introductions with which the
e~rcthought of my friends at home had
provided mo. patients rang my bell in
Eas.lerable numbers. Within three
ems ! was making an annual income
nearly 6 5000; and when, owing to
mly necessities, Twas obliged regret
iv to turn my back upon the new
I'd that had treated me so hand
Fncly, l had saved EGO, 600, and had,
edition, obtained a very respect
Ne sum by the sale OF the goodwill of
~ypractice to a distinguished Young
in5urgh surgeon, who went out ex-
rssly to succeed me. l give these
etais not in order to encourage am
:ous young fellows, fresh from the
iools. to rush off to Austral a under
be impression that it is still IN Eldor-
10, but in order to show that l stood
ell in the front rank of my profession
Melbourne, and in soma measure to
count for the fact that when a gen
eman who held very high politi-
al rank in Victoria met with q severe
nl ultimately fatal accident, I was
Piled to attend him. l suppress his
aMc for reasons which will be obvious
liter on: but for convenience l will call
I'm Sir James Reilly:
ST. James was one of the largest land
FA stockholders in the colony. have
ltlen for thirty miles along the banks
the rivo Murrumbidgee without go
9 oil his property; and whereas ordi-
ary men count their possessions by
Findrcds of acres, he counted his by
EMdreds of square miles. He had
forked hard, and his upward progress
I'D been gradual; but it had always
ZEN steady. When l knew him, no
an in Australia was more respected
looked up to. He had boen knightcd
a small reward for his services as q
P!'alal minister; he had received all
nus OF gratifying testimonials from
iellow-citizens; his word in all the
FaaSac!ions of life was as good as an
Ffcr mans bond; and yet Sir James,
Hy years before, had como to Austria
aS a convict. on account OF the dis
areinl crime of forgery. never in
'.fsd lnto the details OF bis case; and
'"el | never knew them until he told
rn to mo when he was on his death
sr James lived IN a beautiful and
ar'ons house overlooking tho sea.
~ distant y few miles from the center
VIC city. In spite Of his seventy
ass lie was y good and active horse
"a' snu one morning, as was his fire.
Feal custom, he rode into Melbourne
osuer to transact some business with
n>ol:c!lcr. he had quilted the law
) Office, and was already half way
III" again, when his Aorss
heightened by some blasting
eaas'ons which were boing carried on
connection with the making of a
road. The animal became FESTIVE,
Ihally threw Sir James. He tell
@.ly upon a heap of stones, and his
3 yoln coming up found him lay
. 'lsenslble. The unfortunate gen.
n'n' Who was known to every
IL the neighborhood, was
nstly carried TO the nearest
ana no sooner did he regain
~rTG'ousness than he sent his servant
ILL, @Is carriage and dispatched mes
M 20 request me to go at once to
"oosc' l rode thither Immediately,
m0 cached the place before Sir
a. avs arrival. l feared, of course,
ae mad met with an accident; but
,"s. not the faintest idea of the
.o,'. OF it; and therefore 1 was
y, a"I shocked when, a few minutes
boo saw him lifted from his car
helpless and well-nigh speech
On fe was conveyed to his bed
Which was upon the ground