Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-07-14

"Why,. I've had an idea for month
past that he lost his memory through
some injury to his head. Here's the
trouble. He has received blow right
here, and portion of the skull is press
ing on the brain. I'll warrant he was as
quick-witted as anybody before this
hurt"
"How long ago was it inhictedW
"A year or more. An operation by
a sRilful surgeon would restore him to
his right mind"
While that may be so, the chances for
it were extremely dubious. We were
charitable as far as our means would al
low, but we were all poor. When Joe
had been with us about two months a
miner was one night robbed of his little
hoard then a second was robbed of his
provisions a third had his revolver
stolen and men came to us and de-
clared their belief that our Joe was the
guilty person. We could not believe
this, but agreed to watch him. For
several nights VIC took turns at spying,
but, while he did not leave the cabin,
another theft was committed. For a
month we were completely upset by the
mysterious doings around us. On
two occasions some one prowling
around at night was fired on, but he got
safely away. In spite of all we could
say the suspicion kept growing that our
Joe was the guilty party. We let men
into the cabin to see that he did not
leave his bed, but it so happened that on
those particular nights no devitry was
committed. 1t was suggested that he be
driven out of the camp, and when we re-
fused to countenance any such step, two
thirds of the camp held aoof from us,
and reports were circulated to our detri-
ment
One morning miner, who was sup.
posed to be the richest man in the camp,
was found wetering in his blood He
had discovered q man in his tent the
night before, and had boldly clutched
him. In the struggle he had been
stabbed in three places, and was severely
though not mortally wounded. The sur
geon was called to dress his hurts, and
in his presence and that of dozen others
the wounded man declared that he had
recognized his would-bc assassin as our
Joe. All Of us had slept soundly that
night, and while we believed in Jocs in
nocencc, we could not be positive that
he had not left the cabin. The
miners knocked off work
and went growing around,
and about 10 o'clock in the forenoon a
rush was made for our cabin. They had
determined to hang Joe. The three of
us got out our revolvers to defend him,
and the angry mob was held at bay on
the slope for a few minutes. We had
placed Joe inside, and had noticed that
he did not seem bit alarmed. While
We were holding the mob and parleying
Joe climbed out of window on the
other side and was running away when
they caught sight of him. Such action
seemed conclusive of his guilt, and pur-
suit was instantly made and hot fire
opened. Joe ran straight for cliff
about thirty feet high, and as he reached
the brink he threw up his arms and went
over. We picked him up off the rocks
below seemingly dead, and the revenge of
the crowd was satisfied. An hour later,
when the surgeon announced that Joe
still lived, there was some growing, but
no one interfered with us as we bore the
bruised and broken body to our cabin.
1t seemed to me that he was completely
smashed, although he had no large bones
broken.
On the third day after the accident
Joe opened his eyes, and we saw that he
was conscious. Twenty-four hours later
he asked the surgeon where he was, what
had occurred, and why Dawson was not
there. Then we all knew that our Joe
had got his right mind back 1t was a
week before We questioned him. Then
we learned all told you at the outset
The last thing he remembered was
counting that money in Chicago. For
two years he had been like man in his
sleep. When the camp got hold of all
the particulars everybody was Millcr's
friend, and particularly so as the real
thief was finally discovered and punished
Miller remained with us until spring, and
then set out for the mines on the Upper
Arkansas with some of our boys. In a
camp not twenty miles from us he saw
and identified Dawson, who had been
there for year. The miners would have
lynchcd the fellow, but he cut sticks too
rapidly, and week later his dead body
was found in gulch two or three miles
away, where the Indians had tumbled it
after securing his scalp.-Ne'o York Sun.