The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-08-09

IN his pocket. He Is an inilrm man, and the
deed can be easily and swiftly done. Then.
take the money. and fly.'
II will make no pretence to account for
this devilish prompting. Mr.. Wilmot had
| done me no wrong. l was not luboring under
any sense of injustice from his hands, or
from tho hands OF the kind master and mis-
tress In whose service was employed. l
had hitherto enjoyed good character. My
| master was good master; my mistress WAS
the sweetest lady on earth. Cheorfully. had
| I been asked, would havo lain down my
| life for her. All that can advance Is, that
there are times In the lives OF the best and
noblest OF men-which title do not arrogate
come by wicked and devillsh temptation.
"He lay asleep In his bed. had In
| my pocket thin piece of whipcord,
| Without arouslng him from his slumbers I
managed to put this cord around his
| neck. With all my strength I pulled
| him from rising. 1t was soon accomplished.
| The gentleman was dead.
81 searched in his pockets for the key Of
| his despatch box, and found it. unlocked
| the box, took out the money, locked the box
again, and replaced the key in the dead gem
| tleman's pocket. Then / observed ring
| upon his finger. I drew 1t off, and with the
| money and the ring in my possession flew
| from the house In which had been treated
| with unvarying kindness and consideration.
| buCCoGu6Q Ill OoCdpluB unODbOAfou anu
| before noon l was at sufficient distance
| from Sevenoaks to believe myself safe. But
| knew that when the murder was discov-
| cred, and it was found that had fled, the
| police would be after me. was, therefore,
| very careful in my movements, and kept my
| self concealed during the day, and walked
| from place to place In the night. l managed
| to get hold of q newspaper in which read
| an account Of the murder, and a description
OF my personal appearance. 1t was long
account and it told everything about the rob-
| berry OF the money and the ring. This made
me fearful of keeping these about me, and
| beig one night on bridge, tied them In q
| packet handkerchief, to which l attached
some heavy stones. Then threw the treas
ure into the river. from that night have
no clear remembrance of what happened.
suffered great hardships from hunger, and
| often thought that should die. At length,
| my life being torture too great to bear, I
determined to 90 back to Sevenoaks, and
| give myself into the hands of justice.
For all my sins l crave Divine forgive
ness.
~ crave for forgiveness, also, OF my mas
| ter and of my dear mistress and her daughter
| for having brought this distress upon their
| home. lSlgned) SAMUEL FLEETWOOD"
Straightforward and fatally discriminating
as this confession could not fail to be to the
minds of strangers, it satisfied mo less than
| it had satisfied the Clergyman who had taken
it down from Samuel Fleetwood's dying lips
Certainly that portion of it was false which
| referred to his drawing the ring off the finger
OF the dying man, and Of his having thrown
1t into the river The ring was in my pocket
and, from the moment found it there, had
never loft my possession. I had hoped that
the confession would have set my conscience
at rest. 1t had not done so.
My thoughts became presently centered
upon the sealed letter which was missing
from the packet. 1t was for my eyes alone,
Samuel Fleetwood had declared. Doubtless
the clergyman had it. would proceed to
his house at once, and ask him for 1t.
He was at home when I arrived, and did
not keep me waiting moment. explained
the object OF my visit. He expressed sur
prise, and said he was positive he had placed
the sealed letter In the packet.
II have the most distinct remembrance" he
said, "of putting it There. The unhappy man
set mnch importance upon Its reaching your
hands without delay that was more than
ordinarily careful. AS you opened the packet
1t must have dropped out. Most likely you
will find it In your house."
did not prolong the interview. Retul0ing
to my house, 1 mado another search with the
same result. The letter was nowhere to be
found. Ipassed the evening in miserable
frame of mind. Until that letter was In my
possession / could know no peace. deter
mined to make still another search after all
in my household had retired to rest. did
not see Mdlle. Rosalie. and inferred that
she was IN her room, making preparations
Tor her departure on the morrow. To my
wife and daughter said nothing of the con-
tession, determining to leave the disclosure
ill the following day, in the hope that I
should succeed In finding the missing docu.
nent.