The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-04-11
A WILL AND A CONFESSION.
sad Story Told i'm a Mining Camp and
It's Sensational Sequel.
fGlo5e-Democrat.r


Not many years ago group of invalids and
gamblers were seated about an evening fire in
the office of Colorado hotel. The institution
was IN the center OF a region where nature had
launched her gifts. Healing springs and in
MIGRATING mountain breeZes attracted invalids
OF the santarium was reported a rich
man. lie had been in that
country for thirty years. lie was a silent, I'M
communicative man, not mOroSe or sullen, but
simply uncommunicative. He never spoke OF
his family or of "the states and were il
not that he was man of evident Tefnement
and education, he would have passed as one
born in the life-giving valley, which he, above
all men, had developed, for anything he would
ever say OF the world outside OF its pine-fringed
confines.
On this particular night an old man in the
group told, with the simple pathos of an un-
lettered mind the story OF the great grief of
his life He had gone to California in 40, leav-
ing wife and child behind him. He proSpered
in the land of the Argonauts, and kept up q
regular communication with his family, sending
them sufficient sums from time to time to keep
them in comfort, but saying nothing about the
pile" he would have within year or so. He
wanted to surprise the folks at home with his
good fortune. At last he had accumulated
$1,000 and the longing came over him TO go
home. His dust was converted into ten crisp
bank notes and he started homeward.
"You see, boys, didn't rig up in new togs
anything like that. fellow likes TO go
back home in his old camp toys, and knock
around few days, letting on as though he had
come home broke, and then when every one has
about made up their minds that you never
were any good anyhow, spring your fortune on
them, and give them the laugh that had been
giving il to you. | made the trip overland all
right and was on the railroad train within 800
miles of my wife and baby, when dozed Off
for "a few minutes. When | awoke |
l...I
was id fool about telling my
business to strangers, and there wasn't a man on
the car that didn't know that was "a miner go
ing home with a fortune. When | awolSe and
found that had been robbed gave the alarm.
No one had left the train. There was great ex-
citement, and one man proposed that every
body in the car be searched. No one objected,
and the conductor and myself went through
every man on the car and examined every va
liSe and piece of baggage in, it. / felt just rs
though my heart would break, not Tor myself
II was used To hard luck-but for my wife
and little gal. ! couldn't go home and face
them, so ! rot OF al the next city, aud the next
day was oil on my way Tor the coaSt 10 begin
all over again. was just getting on my feet
black border. My little gal had been taken sick
with TYPHOID fever and died, and two days later
they laid her mother away with her. That set
tied il, | have been no good since, and ] am
only waiting the time when can join them up
there ii can get ia"
The silent partner of the saniiarium had lis
tened 10 illis sud story with his face buried IN
his hands n common attitude with him. When
the old nfin had finished the proprietor left the
room abruptly.
The group noticed that he was deadly pale,
and one of them remarked that il appeared as
though Jim had been taken bad
Two hours later pistol shot rang ont from
the harl mans private Office When the
group ran into the room "Jim" lay on
the hoor with bulet-hole in his head. On the
desk lay two documents freshly written.
Onewas marked my WILL" the other, my
confession The will left everything TO the
old miner who had told the sad story. The
confession was to the effect that he had robbed
heTcturning miner as he slept Retiring 20 n
closet he had with a knife scooped ont the
imshlc OF u cake OF soap and secTeied the roll
of bills and replaced the cake, which showed
nosigns OF having been cut in two pieces in
hil valise.