Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-01-28
ANGEL WINGS.

ANGEL WINGS.
Many years ago. the community of
a certain hamlet in the south of France
was startled by crime rare indeed in
their quiet, agricultural district A
wealthy farmer was found dead a.
early morning within hundred yards
of his own house. He had been killed
by blows administered by a heavy
stake, which lay near the body covered
with the blood; and his pockets had
been riiled of their contents, including
a considerable sum of money which he
was known to have received the pre-
vious evening for some sheep sold by
him in the neighboring market town.
When the awe and excitement crea-
ted by this event had subsidized q little,
every exertion was made by tho author
tiles to ferret out the perpetrator of
the crime. A reward was offered for
the discovery of the murderer, procla-
nation of which bounty was made for
several successive Sundays at the
church door. At last some disclosures
were made, duplicating young man
named Laroche--a STRIPPING eighteen
years of age.
The person who brought the charge
against young Larochc was a man Of
the name of Landry--a stranger in the
district, but who had lately been ap-
pointed by the lord of the manor as
one of the keepers of game preserves.
Landry testified that he had seen La
roche cutting q stake from the hedge
on the afternoon previous to the muir
der, and that he had reproved him for
it, and. taking the stake from him, had
stuck it on the bank of the hedge at a
particular spot. The stake was the
same one that was found lying near
the body of the farmer. Landry could
swear to it, because after taking it
from Laroche, he had nicked it in q
peculiar way with his pen-knifc.
Now. it so happened that the MUIR
dered farmer had many and influential
friends, while Laroche had but few.
Therefore Laroche was convicted of
the murder. and sentenced to BIZ hung
on a certain day, and at a certain
place, until which time he was placed
for safe keeping in the Jail of the dis
trict-the third floor of large stone
building, the lower part of which was
a mill.
The prison consisted of single
apartment. lighted by small window.
at the height of about sixteen feet from
the floor. The side of the building
from which the window looked, ran
sheer down to the water of dark, deep
river, which creeps lazily by the mill,
but quickened the pace little lower
down, until it gradually became q
rushing torrent. leaping wildly on to
its fall over perpendicular ledge of
rocks. Bodies carried over the fall
were said to never have been recoy-
cred; and it was fixed notion among
the country people that there was
suctional force below by which every
thing falling into it was carried down
into the unexplored abysses of the
earth.
1t was the day before that fixed for
the execution of young Laroche, and
the priest of the parish, Father Allard
by name, had been left alone with the
prisoner, in order to prepare him, by
the consolation of religion. fer his APP
preaching doom. To his words of COM
fort Laroche listened with humility
and silence. until the good Father be-
gan to dilate upon his chances of for
giveness in the next world for the great
crime committed by him. Then the
prisoner electrified him by declaring
his perfect innocence of that crime-a
position which he meant to maintain,
he said, with his latest breath.
To be brief, the youth of the prison.
er, his earnest asseverations of inno-
cence, and wavering doubt of his
guilt, which had all along troubled
Father Allard's mind, so wrought upon
that worthy man that he at last con-
sented to commit himself to plan for
giving the prisoner a chance OF escape,
if not from death. at least from the
ignoniny of dying by tho hand of the
accursed hangman.
IF | die by the gallows, most reve-
rend Father" said the young man. "a
great sorrow will some day fall upon
all concerned in my death. The real
murderer is sure to be discovered,
sooner or later;and the just retribution
of Heaven will pursue my murderers.
Aid me to escape rather than risk a
great stain upon your conscience.
Stand upon this chair. which l place
upon the table, thus; and then, by
mounting upon your shoulders, can
reach the window and drop from it.
"But the river below"
al can swim like an otter, and, at
any rate, it is better to be drowned
than hanged"
Convinced of the young mans inno-
cence, Father Allard consented to aid
him in his escape. A moment sufficed
to carry the plan into execution. Tho
prisoner gained the window and disap-
peared.
Parading in Struggling way outside
the building went one of the minor of
ficers of justice-a solid peasant who
had been placed there by way of sem
try, and who at this moment happened
to be looking towards the river wall Of
the mill. His sight nearly left him. as
he afterwards stated, when he saw a
man drop frow the Jail window, strike
on to platform that protruded from
a doorway in the second story, and,
rebounding from that, fall into the wa
ter with heavy plunge, reappearing
at intervals, until he was carried away
into the rapids below.
The alarm was at once given. Village
officials rushed to the prison-room
where they found Father Allard alone.
seated on the chair. pale as if just re-
covering from the sight of some super
natural vision. To the question put
to him he replied that, as he was adj
ministering the consultations of his holy
office to the prisoner, a 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 seen by him. The voice, he
added, proclaimed the prisoners inno-
cence, the real circumstances of the
murder would soon be made manifest.
1t was a miracle; and the good coun-
try people. ever ready to accept that
form of interposition, were easily per-
suadcd TO do SO on the present occa-
sion.
Meantime, Laroche, when he leaped
from the window. had forgotten all
about the platform. As he fell upon il
he displaced sack of grain. which
splashed into the dark waters of the
river, appearing to the eyes of the be-
wildered sentry to be the body of the
man who had dropped from tho prison
window. Laroche lay upon the mar