The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-01-24
Money Sometimes a Curse.

"A lew years dSO tucIt I1NCu LII
Atchison, Kan, family, the head
of which was man in comfortable
circumstances, whose cozy cottage
on one of the best streets of the
town sheltered a wife, son and a
daughter, the latter beautiful girl
just budding into womanhood. The
family stood we'll in the city, and
the boy, bright in his studies and
correct in his habits, was looked
upon as one of the promising young
men of Atchison. One day the
father fell sick and died after very
brief illness. When it came time
to settle up his estate it was found
that instead of leaving his family in
comfortable circumstances he had
left them almost penniless. The
homestead and a few hundred dol
lars in bank was all that could be
found. What he had done with the
money he had earned none could
tell, but with stout hearts the be-
reaved ones set about earning their
living in the world. The boy went
to work, the girl gave music lessons,
and in the little cottage there was
plenty of family affection if but lit
tie money. One day the widow,
while ransacking a desk, discovered
a key. 1t had strange appearance
to her. 1t fitted no lock in the
house, nor at her husbands place
of business. A vague suspicion
entered the mind of the widow that
this might be the key to the place
in which her husband had depos-
tied the earnings Of his lifetime.
With Judge Horton to aid her, she
went to Kansas City, and after max
ing tour Of all the safe-deposit
vaults, finally discovered one in
which her husbands name was reg
istered as that of box-owner. After
the necessary legal steps had been
taken she was permitted to try her
key. Sure enough the box opened;
and to the astonished eyes of the
widow were displayed government
bonds, railway stock and gold coin
amounting in all to nearly $4,000.
1t was happy party that took
the train that night for Atchison.
The widow and her children saw
new life opening before them; the
days of poverty were passed; the
struggle for existence was over
they seemed fairly to walk on air
and for months nothing occurred to
mar their perfect happiness. Then
trouble came. The boy. steady and
industrious while poor, became wild
and dissipated. His follies were
the scandal of the town. He scat
tered money with lavish hand
In vain his mother sought to curb
him. He saw in her only a mig
gardly guardian who, having gold
to give, doled him out silver. HIS
sister he regarded as one who would
rob him of half the money that
ought to come to him at his moth.
er's death. Suspicion, jealousy and
hatred entered into the family circle
with the newly discovered wealth
Well, one morning Atchlson was
startled to hear that the daughter
had been found dead in her bed
with an empty chloroform bottle
by her side. 1T was suicide" siad
the sorrowing mother and brother;
and as suicide the town regarded
| it for a time. But something strange
about the demeanor of the brother
awakened a vague suspicion, whlcf
grew and spread until an investiga
ton was demanded. To make the
story short the young man was pu'
on trial for the murder of his sister
found guilty and sentenced to tht
penitentiary for life. There ne i
now, welding a pick down in one 9
the dark and narrow galleries OF tn