Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-03-05


read together.
''The confession of William Evans, now
! lying in Tewnham jail under sentence Of
death:
| "On the fifth Of January, this year, re-
turned from New Zealand. / worked my
passage home. When reached London l
had but few shilings in my pocket. had
no articles OF value wnicn could sell. Ali
owned, except my clothes and the little bit
OF money, was Il pistol which a man oil
board the ship had given me. 1t was pistol
| of his own invention He had several with
him. and said he wanted to get the sort
known. Why he gave it to me God knows;
but he did, and u couple OF cartridges.
81 spent my money-all but a shilling or
| Two. tried to get work, but none was to
be had. Then remembered that ones had
a friend who livod near Roding. went
there by train. | had just enough money
to pay my fare. l found that the man j
knew had left the place two years ago
walked back to the town penniless and des-
perate.
1.-The first thing did was to 60 to the
pawnbrokers and try and sell the pistol.
The man wouldn't buy it at any price. he
said his shop was full of pistols. went away
and walked to the railway station to try and
earn few pence somehow. l was i'll despair
all but starving.
about seven O'clock the train from Lon
don came in. A tall gentleman came out of
the door of the station. | asked him if he
had any luggage could carry for him. He
told me to be off. Then l asked him, for
PHYS sake, to give me shilling to buy some
food. He cursed me, and l began to hate
him.
"he stood under the gas lamp, and drew
out great gold watch and looked at the
time. Then he asked man near which road
he must take to get to village named Cher
well. The man told him. l saw him walk
way, and knew where he vas going.
II shall be hanged next week; there is no
hope for me. But | tell the truth when /
say that, bad fellow as l am, had never
committed such a crime as the one which at
that moment entered my head. That tall
man had money, jewelry and good clothing;
had nothing. was starving So l ran
on, got before him, went miles up the road,
and sat down in the bitter cold on a heap of
stones, waiting for him to come, and making
up my mind to kill and rob him. | knew |
must kill him, because he was SO much
stronger and bigger than l was. Ny pistol
was loaded.
He came. saw him in the moonlight.
stood up as he came near and, God forgive
me, pulled the trigger, and shot him through
the heart. He fell like stone. and knew
| was murderer.
"Oh, if could l would have undone the
deed l stood for long time before dared
to go to the body and steal the things for
which had committed the crime. Then
nerved myself and went to take the price
for which, unless God is merciful, had sold
my soul.
Il never took farthing. Just as was
about to begin l heard the sound of feet.
looked up, and saw woman or a spirit
coming to me. dropped the pistol in terror.
felt sure she saw me. l looked at her
under the moon. Her face was white her
. Inns 1yara Jnovipp hnr hair tyac oil Axio0
about. She came straight to where the
dead man lay then stopped and wrung her
hands. | fled away in deadly fear. ran
across several fields. l dared not stop.
thought that spirit or ghost was following,,me
81 ran on until the snow began. l must
have died in that snow storm if | had not
found a half rooted cowshed. I crept into
this, and lay all the night and part of the
next day. was the most wretched being in
the world.
Hunger at last drove me out. got
through the snow somehow, and reached q
house, where the people saved me from
starvation. But nothing could make me 60
to the spot where had done the murder
My life since then has been one of agony.
Even now that l am going to be hanged /
am happier than l have felt for months
May God forgive my crime!
~ pleaded guilty at the trial because |
turned round in the dock and saw the
woman who thought was spirit standing
up and ready to denounce me to the Judge
l knew that she saw me that night, and
was bound to be found guilty.
81 have confessed all. Every word of this
is truth. As hope for mercy, it is all true!
civilian EVANS"
"P. ST. took the above confession down
from the prisoners dictation. 1t should be
all you want The man seems thoroughly
penitent, but do not trouble you with his
expressions of remorse and regret
81 remain, dear sir, yours faithfully,
"STEPHEN CRISP"
We read the letter; the paper fluttered
down from our hands; we turned to each
other. Tears of deep thankfulness were in
my wifes sweet eyes. Down to the smallest
detail the wretched mans confession made
everything clear Nothing was left unex-
planned, except, perhaps, the motive which
induced Philippa to go that night to
more. This we shall never know, but her
temporary madness may amply account for
it. We need seek no further; the taintest
doubt as to her own perfect innocence is re-
moved from my wife's mind. Hand in hand.
heart to heart. lip to lip, we can stand and
feel that our troubles are at last over
Our troubles over! Shall those words be
the last writea No, one scene more-the
scene that lies before me even now.
An English home. Outside, green shaven
lawns, trim paths, and fine old trees. In.
side, the comfort and the peace which make
an English home the sweetest iu the world.
For when the need was gone; when sunny
Spain no longer was for us the one safe land,
its charms diminished, and we pined to see
once more England's fair fields and ruddy
honest faces So back We came, and made
ourselves home, far, far away from every
spot the sight of which might wake sad
thoughts. And here we live, and shall live
till that hour when one of lis must kiss the
others clay-cold brow, and know that death
has parted those whom naught but death
could part
Look out; look throughthis shaded VIM
dow. There she sits, my wife; a tall son at
her side, fair daughter near her. Years,
many years have passed, but left no lines
upon her brow; brought no white threads to
streak that raven hair. The rich, bright
beauty Of the girl is still her own. To me,
now as of yore the sweetest, fairest woman
in the world!
The children see me as l gaze with thought
,ul, happy eyes upon that group beneath
the trees. They call and beckon me. My
wife looks up; her eyes meet mine, just
raised from those sad pages. Ahl love,
sweet love, in those dear eyes what was it
once my fate to read? Shame, sorrow, dread,
despair and love. All these, save love, have
vanished long ago; and as l turn to pen
these lines-the last-that look of calm, as
sured, unclouded joy keeps with me, telling
me that from her life has passed even the
very memory of those dark, dark days!
ar. THE END. .ss-
-e-Ns
In the days of biliousness, when your
liver is torpid and your skin yellow, re-
l. RI