Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-10-01

ana mali 10 you THIS communication,
Conscience compels me to do II, and |
have forecast the consequences on my
dying bed, A man has no moral right
to pass among men for other than he
is, and II he do so, it is the duty of
those who know him TO present him to
the world in his true light am only
acting on principles when | say that |
know Louis Placide. one Of our candi-
dates for congress, to be very differ
ent man from what the public believe
him to be. Let me furnish one exam
pie: In his youth he set fire" to a barn
on the Mt. Hope Lands at Bristol. and
cowardly led his eomanions who knew
of the fact to promise him that they
would never reveal the secret, This
fire was followed by another IN the
same town that was set to conceal a
robbery, and that awakened the gravest
suspicious. ! make known these facts
as matter OF principle They were
entrusted to me by one of the young
men who was with Placide when he
set fire to the barn, and who was I'M
duly influenced to promise never to tell
the secret Shall we elect to represent
us this Bristol incendiary?'
JUSTICE,
"That letter shot PIacide. There are
murders for which no one is ever ar
rested The jury is an unseen world
read that charge over and over again
with staring eyes. My soul told me
who wrote it-what your soul tells You
is likely to be true. Men die OF poi
soned wordsthe words Bristol incen-
diary We're poison.
at is the asiaes of life that are rev
Citations. DO you understand me2 The
aside in this case was this-'Thoy were
entrusted to me by one Of the young
men" who was with Placider | knew
that Grant wrote that letter. and how
could he be acting on principle and be
trying to hide his hand in such blind
and deceptive way as that? That was
Grant Now you see the soul of each
OF them.
"The state buzzed like the little bee
hive il is. Two days after the letter
appeared the postmaster at Warren
sent for me. He said to me--"This
envelope has been brought to me from
Providence for identiflcation--did you
ever see Il before?' / stood dumb-my
heart beat like the heart of an OK. l
riveted my eyes on the envelope, and
they blurred Driver, why do you
stare so?' asked the postmaster What
do you see In that enyelope2' A lost
soulr said /. Whose? he asked.
'Placide's?' No | answered with a
voice that gave vent to my feelings.
and. staggered out of the door He
called after me, but did not return.
"Placide was defeated at the election
by three votes. II was said that Grant
used money to purchase votes for HIM
self, but this was not proven. From
the day that Placide read the letter In
the Eagle he shrank away from men,
His fathers blood was In him. His
poor mother said that when the paper
fell into his hands and he had read 1t,
he sunk upon his bed in his room and
said, my brain burns. My character
is lied away Other cecusations az UNI
itics Don't let anyone see me--to be
lust will follow that is the way Of pol
accused Of dishonor-it sets fire In
my brainl and it burns! Look at that
"Bristol Tncendiary" cannot bear
It'll care for nothing more
"Te was right In regard to other ac-
crsations. They multiplied No one
outside of Rhode Island or New York
city. or the far South could we'll un-
derstand such a campaign Of detrac-
ton. Just before the day Of the cleo
ton, all Of the charges and suspicious
against him were circulated in the form
OF pamphlet entitled The Bristol In
cendiary' Who paid for this work.
No one pretended to know much about
II after the election, Memories Of de-
lection were short then.
But It was night. When man has
been untrue to his friend, 1t Is night
There was fearful tone in the mans
voice as he uttered these strange words.
He presently added -"The political lie
grows. IT points the way Of destrnc-
ton to those who wish 10 believe evil.
after this defeat Planide used to
dwell upon his wrongs, and brood over
them. 1t was cowardly in a sense,
know, but 1t was but natural to a mind
like his. He had inherited his fathers
temperament. He liked to go away by
himself alone. He had inherited ten
dency to melancholy, and II made him
a recluse Sometimes he would seek
seclusion among the rocks and woods
OF the beautiful Mt. Hope Lands, and
sit alone looking out TO sea. II any
one found him there. he would say,
Leave me alone ] am sick man and
cannot bear much. Don't excite me-
He died suddenly at last and kind OF
mysteriously. Some folks limited sui
eide, but he did not take his own life;
his brain had been smitten by the
deadly aim Of the two bullet words Of
Grant. ! tell You, doctor, that man
was waylaid
"But here we are in your new home
Warren. THAT Is the Young Ladies'
Seminary, and that the old Baptist
church These people are going to the