New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1893-08-30
THE W,RECK Frs.

| II lllL Hy,lOllN,lA-LlOD.s
The following story told to me in my
official capacity as chaplain in one Of her
majesty s largest convict prisons touched
me very much at the time. The narrator
having been dead some years, Isee 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-
haved and apparently inoffensive indi-
Ividual entered in the prison books as n
81.
He had evidently received fair edu-
cation. At the time Of telling me his
story he had the greater part of a 10
years penal sentence to run, his crime
being 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. He 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
a 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 set there. No, sir; my
oHense was a much more serious one
i than ever TRANSFERRED at my trial. and as
! [ feel that am not likely to trouble the
prison Authorities very much longer I
might as'well give you tile true reason
for my being in this place.
, [ started in life as g. 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. Ny grief was such
that | could not go about my ordinary
duties, sent the boy to some friends.
l gave up business and became wan
derer on the face Of the earth.
I drifted to Paris, and there, destitute
and starving, l made the acquaintance
OF man who was a prominent member
of one of the most extreme socialistic
societies in the capital. He took care of
me, and partly out Of gratitude and
partly out of sheer restlessness and a
growing distaste for life agreed to Join
his society. found that the principles
Of this secret association were even more
dreadful than had supposed. It essayed
to strike a blow at all monarchies or con-
! stituted governments, and the throned
heads of Europe were especially marked
out for it's prey. >.-
From time to time various attempts,
though hitherto unsuccessful, had been
made to assassinate, Sole of the foreign
rulers, and soon after I joined it hap
pened that Great Britain fell under the
ban of. the society. At a largely attend
ed meeting, secretly held in the out
skirts Of Paris, it was resolved that
Queen Victoria and as many as possible
OF the high persons surrounding her
throne must die. It was thought that a
deadly and sweeping blow could be
dealt if, while on one of it's frequent
journeys to or from the north, the royal
train could be wrecked.
So it was decided. "
1t remained but to draw lots for the
men to do the deed. By strange fatal
ity Scraggs (the name of my friend) and
myself We're deputed to carry out the
vengeance of the society. .@~-
I received the intelligence with a cal
lousness begotten Of long enduring mis-
cry and want. What cared now what
befell me? just at this time, too, l
learned of the whereabouts of my son.
He had entered the service Of well
known Scotch nobleman in the capacity
of page and personal attendant and was
doing we'll.
Even this news did not awaken me to
a true sense of my position. The in
structions of the society were clear and
/ to the point.
| The train with her majesty on board
had to be destroyed in any way we
chose. Success would mean a hand
some reward and a high position in the
society. Failure-and there were no
extenuating circumstances meant sud-
den and certain death at the hands of
the society. A certain period was given
/ u,
we lost no time in arranging our plans.
Her majesty was at this time, the au-.
tumn, staying at her usual residence in
the north of Scotland, and we found we
had some time before us ere we could
hope to deal our blow on her return
journey.
i Crossing to England, we made care
full survey of the railway route and de-
cided upon a likely spot on the system
/ of one of the best known English rail
ways by which royalty usually travels.
The place in question was an unusually
! long bridge spanning at the height of SO
/, feet a broad but shallow stream. Just
] before the approach to the bridge the
line took "a sharp curve, which lent itself
| to our fell purpose. Our plan was to
/ prepare two short, handy pieces Of rail
| faced at one end like points and the other
|. end curving gradually outward The
/ thin ends Of the rails would be pierced
for bolts Of the same size as those used
I to fasten (by means of a ffshplate the
ordinary rails together We should then.
tho