The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-02-02

. "If die BY the gallo ws, most reverend
Fathet." ssid the young man. SO great
sorrow will some day fall upon all con-.
cerned in my death, The real murderer
is cure to be discovered sooner or later,
aud the Just Tetribution OF heaven vii!
pursue my murderers. Aid me to escape
raher than risk great stain upon your
conscience. Stand upon this chair which
I place upon the table. thus; and then,
by mounting upon your shoulders, | can
reach the window and drop from it,"
"But the river belowr"
81 can swim like an ottsr, and at any
rate it is better 10 be drowned than
hsnged."
Convinced OF the young mans iupo. !.
ceEce Father Al1ard consented to aid him
in his escape. A moment sutficed to car}s
~ the plan into execution. Tue priso
ner gained the window and disappeared.
Parading in stiaggling way outside
the building went one OF the minor off
GERS Of jus,ice-a stolid peasant whe had
been placed there by way OF sentry, and
who at this moment happened to be
looking toward the river wall OF the
mill. His sight nearly left him, as be
afterwards stated, when he saw man
drop from the jail window, strike on
platform that protruded from DOORWAY
in the second story and rebounding from
that fall into the water with a heavy
plunge, reappearing st intervals. until be
WIS cwried away into the rapids below.
The s!alm ives o. once given. Village
officials rushed 10 the prison.room where
they found Father Allsrd alone, seated
on the chair, pale as il Jus, recovering
from the sight OF some supernatural vis
ion. To the question put to him be re-.
piled that, as he was administering the
consultations OF bis holy Office TO the
prisoner .. voice sounded through the
apartment, accompanied by the shadow
Of mighty pair Of wings, on which the
prisoner mounted to the ceiling OF the
apartment and was no more sc BY him
The voice, be added, proclaimed the pris.
foner's innocence, and the real circum.
stances Of the murder would soon be
made manifest.
It was miracle; and the good coun.
try people ever ready to accept that form
OF interposition. we're easily persuaded
to do 80 on the present occasion.
Meantime, Laroche. when he lesped
from the window, had forgotten all abo1t
the platform. As he fell upon 1t he dis
placed q sack nf grain which splashed
into the dark waters OF the river, appear
ing to The eyes OF the beWildered seatry
10 be the body OF the man who had drop
ped from the prison window. Laroche
lay upon the nsrrow platform stunned
by the fall.
Spride. the miller's daughter. saw him
fall. There was no one else In the mill
at the time. She drew him behind the
sacks and great heaps of grain 90 the
door, sad bssiug administered to him
such restoratives as her young expert.
-ence suggested, threw some loose sacks
over him and told him to lie still.
That night Spride and her lover-La-
roche and she bad been lovers for about
six hours onIy-made their wav to whar
boat lay mooIed below the falls; and
embarking iu 1t were soon carried far be.
vond pursuit. 1t was supposed by the
frightened villagers that Spride must
have been carried from the platform
when the body from the window above
bad been seen to strike upon "; and as
the whirlpool below the torrent had never
been known to give up Its dead bot little
search was msde for her, and hs- friends
resigned themselves 10 mourning for her
awful fate.
Less than six months after this Lam.
dry was tried for the murder of BROTH
er keeper and was convicted and hanged
accordingly. Previous to his conviction.
however, he made a clean breast OF 1t to
Fsther Allard, confessing that be bad
murdered the farmer for bis money. kill
ing him with the stake cut from the
hedge by young Laroche, which, as he
stated sipgularly enough, suggested to
him the idea OF committing the crime.
Two years elapsed and Father Allard
had been promoted to parish at dis.
tauce OF come fifty miles from the one
which he had been pastor of for so many
years. .te4a aa
Shortly after his arrival there bis du-
ties led him to take journey on horse
back some miles into the interior OF the
parish OF which he had charge Part of
the road travelled by him wound through
Q swampy forest region, and after ride
OF several miles be came to sluggish
stream that had formerly heen spanned
by bridge, of which nothing but the
sbutments remained, however. The
priest turned bis horse's head and rode
along the bank Of the river hoping to
ind another bridge, or at least ford, BY
which he could cross to the further side;
nor had be gone far when be discovered,
by hoof marks, o place where cattle
seemed TO be In the habit OF wading
through or coming to drink.
The water appeared to he shallow, as
be urged his unwilling horse into it, and
had got about half way across when the
animal began to struggle and plunge vi.
olently. sinking at the same time az II
drawn down BY some invisible power.
Aware now that he had fallen into one
of those quickssnds which are not IN.
common 10 that part OF France, the good
tather knew that to throw himself from
his horse would be certsin desth. as the
water was not deep enough to swim In
and the hungry sand at the bottom vas
gaping for him. He held upon his horse,
therefore, and shouted for help.
The water was gaining upon him rs
the terrified horse sank deeper and deep
er in the treaoberous stream. Up it came
until 1t rescbed his saddle faps. and then
his knees; and be had given himself up
as lost, when distant shouts came in re.
sponse to his, which we're growing fee
bier with each repetition.
And uOs q ma m hupota hi~ 40 % IN rou ~ |