The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-11-07
script, and read the following, couchcd in n plain and delicate hand:


 in plain and delicate hand:
 "I Ronsard Redcliff, have a history Will anyone be proiited by its relationi Perhaps 1t may prove, should anyone ever find 1t by my bones. that the wages of sin Is death and that he who sows tc the wind will reap the whirlwind. And he who is thoughtful may look farther and learn another lesson. l feel my req son going just as certain as l ever stood by the sea and saw the tide ebbing I have endeavored to fight off the feeling but 1t stays, and with 1t a horrible sug gestion to commit suicide comes. Fearful that something may happen. and de- sirous of having my child's bones pro tected at least by some one who may become interested in her innocent, but lonely life, I state that I was born in Louisiana, and for many years live6 in New Orleans. I was a musician by profession, and at one time my friends had hopes that"-here the writing became undecipherable. Then 1t continued: q married a beautiful lady of the same city, and for few years we lived hap oily: the only barrier being my inability to support her in the style to which she had been used. This worried me so that in an evil hour I committed forgery not through depravity, but for the sake of her. I could not brook a look of re-
  erty to her. Being detected, was sent tc the state prison, away from my wife and child, Ruby.
 Serving out the sentence, I returned home, fondly expecting my wife's love and sympathy in my hours of humilia. ten: for I had suffered for her But what was my surprise and despair to sec her turn from me in scorn and hate, absolutely refusing to see me. She usc6 to tell me in words which I interpreted to be spoken in jest, that had mes. meriZed her into becoming my wife. and that when I was out of her sight she did not love me so well. Remembering this, in my desperation, I sought ar interview with her. hoping that l might exert a power over her. but she kept well out of my sight.
 There are many things coming up ir life to wound us, but there is no panG so poignant as that caused by the eyes which once loved US looking into ours with indifference or hate. Some mer have gone mad for this.
 Crushed already by disgrace, after. life was a burden. After wandering ovei the state few months, the idea took possession of me to abduct my ch!lC and leave Louisiana forever. l carried it out, and we strolled and wandered five ycars-and now l feel the end l.. nearing Ruby, cofIined and buried by my own hands, sleeps among Gods 1irsi temples and l will follow soon. Friends this is my only request: Send this let ter 70 my wife in the beautiful city o. my birth, where happiness sun ross and set, and ask her to have the body O the child of dead love placed in the family vault of the Redcliffs. As for me I desire to slumber here until the dawI breaks if it ever can break to life gone down in such black despair What could the incident mean? Had I been asleep, and while wandering iI that state found the manuscript in some crypt or niche? l have never been able to this day to account for the letter but in this way: The next morn ing, at the mouth of a cave along my route, discovered dead man, violin by his side. His hair and beard were long, his form gaunt and his clothing very indifferent, and from indications l believed that he had been dead but a few hours. Mcsmerism was mentioned | in the letter. Perhaps the dead man was Redcliff; perhaps his hypnotism may have thrown the spell about me and compelled me to follow him until the letter was placed in my hand. This is Inere supposition, but I know the ex- | istencc of the letter to be a fact. have | it now, having sent it to New Orleans, and finally received it again from the dead letter office.
 | But Redcliff--was death 8 welcome or farewell?