Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-11-11
THE WRECKERS.

THE WRECKERS.
The following story told to me in my
official capacity as chaplain in one of her
maiesty's largest convict prisons touched
me very much at the time. The narrator
having been dead some years, I see no
harm in presenting his history to the
public in as nearly as possible his own
words. By way of preface may remark
that the prisoner was quiet, well be-
hayed and apparently inoffensive indi-
vidual, entered in the prison books as d
He had evidently received fair edu-
cation. At the time of telling me his
story he had the greater part of 10
years penal sentence to run, his crime
being a barefaced, well planned bur-
glary at a large jewelers. shop in the west
end. His constitution was not one to
withstand the severe discipline of the
prison, and he lay in hospital on what
turned out to be his deathbed as he made
his astonishing revelations without any
reservation as to secrecy. lie said:
expect don't seem to you, sir, quite
the usual cut of the long term burglar,
and you would be quite right in SO think
ing. I never did fancy the profession,
and that jewelers. shop business was all
sham and an excuse to get here out OF
the world and safe from worse fate at
the hands of deadly enemies. Aye, sir,
YOU may stare. Few people, imagine,
are so fond of prison that they will
stretch point to get there. No, sir; my
offense was much more serious one
than ever TRANSFERRED at my trial, and as
I feel that am not likely to trouble the
prison authorities very much longer |
might as well give you the true reason
for my being in this place.
I started in life as respectable mid
die class tradesman and in due time
married the truest and best of women.
Shortly after the birth Of a son my wife
was stricken down with illness, to which
she succumbed. My grief was such
that could not so about my ordinary
duties. sent the boy to some friends
gave up business and became wan
derer on the face of the earth.
drifted to Paris, and there, destitute
and starving, I made the acquaintance
of a man who was a prominent mempel
of one of the most extreme sociallstl'
) societies in tho capital. He took care O
me. and partly out Of gratitude an'
:. partly out of sheer restlessness and
4 growing distaste for life I agreed to joil
: his society. found that the principle
: of this secret association were even NOR
dreadful than had supposed. 1t essaye
a to strike blow at all monarchles or cor
stituted governments, and the throne
l. heads of Europe were especially marke
n out for it's prey.
! From time to time various attempts
though hitherto unsuccessful, had bee
u y made to assassinate some of the forelg
T. rulers, and soon after joined it hal
q. pened that Great Britain fell under tt
er ban of the society. At a largely atten
m ed meeting, secretly held in the GU
- skirts of Paris, it was resolved tn
Queen Victoria and as many as posslo
of the high persons surrounding h
h throne must die. 1t was thought that
OF deadly and sweeping blow could
ng dealt if. while on one of its freque
80 Journeys to or from the north, the roy
r. train could be wrecked.
So it was decided.
rs. It remained but to draw lots for t
OF men to do the deed. By strange fat
'ys ity scraggs the name Of my friend) a
ng myself were deputed to carry out
vengeance of the society.
I received the intelligence with c
lousness begotten Of long enduring m
iea ery and want. What cared now wi
nv befell me? just at this time, too
n, learned of the whereabouts of my 81
nat He had entered the service OF W
my known Scotch nobleman in the capac
of page and personal attendant ana '
doing we'll.
Even this news did not awaken me
the a true sense of my position. The
structions of the society were clear
VA to the point.
The train with her majesty on boz
had to be destroyed in any way
chose. Success would mean a ma
some reward and high position in
society. Failure-and there were
"a extenuating circumstances-meant
p den and certain death at the hands
the society. A certain period was 81
us to bring about the desired result,
we lost no time in arranging our pl'
Her majesty was at this time, the
tumn, staying at her usual resldenc
the north of Scotland, and we found
F.. had some time before us ere we ct
hope to deal our blow on her rel
4 Crossing to England, we made
4 full survey Of the railway route ano
4 cided upon /. likely spot on the sys
Of one of the best known English
49,, WAYS by which royalty usually ira
3 tbs The place in question was an unusr
long bridge spanning at the height
dn't feet a broad but shallow stream.
before the approach to the bridge
,g!- line took a sharp curve, which lent
TO our fell purpose. Our plan W
nrenare two short, handy pieces of
faced at one end like points and the
end curving gradually outward.
thin ends of the rails would be pie
for bolts of the same size as those
to fasten (by means of fishplate
ordinary rails together. We should
: IN the night preceding the passing 0
| A.. 10 80 bn