Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-03-20
FROsTBURG Md. SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1897.

JuSt lulttSluty DOye, HOW Hy utdIt
beat until got to my room. wasn't
married then. I locked the door and got
out my precious paper 1t was a COM
bination will and confession, and the
introduction was the strangest part of
it, Calvin gave his reason for hiding it
In the picture, and it was this: That
while he had not the courage to expose
his villainy, he was willing to leave it
to Providence. If there was such a
thing, he said, the matter would all
come out even in the face of apparent
impossibilities. Then followed the con-
fession. He had been playing a crooked
game with Johnston for years, but at
last the senior partner had become sus-
picious and had started an investigation
Of the books himself. Ruin and disgrace
confronted Calvin, and in a paroxysm
Of fear he had taken one of the keen fire
axes and, creeping behind the unfortu-
nate man, split his head open with a
blow. He lived next door and had no
difficulty in getting to his house unno-
to it's place on the wall on the way
back. He never expected such luck as
Wilson falling into circumstantial evil
dence trap, and he let him go to prison
without qualm. But his conscience or
spirit whatever you like to call it,
couldn't stand the strain, and he fell
back on morphine, both to quiet his
nerves and furnish an excuse for the
suicide he contemplated. He had tried
in a small way to atone to Wilson's
family by sending them, anonymously,
money every month sufficient to keep
them fairly comfortable. In the third
clause of the document he bequeathed q
handsome amount to the woman whom
he had made worse than a widow. He
left $40, 900 to the wretched man he had
allowed to 60 to a cell when he could
have saved him with a word. Every
thing was straight as die There was
not an ambiguous word in the document,
and the signature was properly witness
ed by the cashier and one of the clerks.
81 got back to the Office without any
more delay and wrote my story after I
had given the city editor an outline of
what had. He just jumped out of his
chair with delight and did double
shuttle i'll the excess of his exuberance.
The boys thought he had suddenly gone
mad, but he gave them no satisfaction,
and l. too, kept my discovery to myself.
He asked me what l was going to do
with the confession. told him my idea
was to see the governor myself and Sc
cure poor Wilson's release. He said a
fellow that brought in story like that
could do any darned thing he pleased.
"The governor happened to be i'll the
city that day. When l told him my
story, he started an investigation at once.
He sent for the superintendent of police
end the judge who had tried the case,
old friend of his. The man who had
lej me into the lodgeroom was also sum-
moned to corroborate my statement, and
letters written by Calvin were secured
so the writing in the confession could
be identified. Fortunately everything
ran smoothly, and before 8 O'Clock, with
the concurrence of the judge, the gov
ernor decided ON releasing the prisoner,
giving as double reason for his prompt
action that the best way to redress the
unavoidable wrong done Wilson was to
give him his liberty without moments
unnecessary delay.
"Then he sent for Mrs. Wilson and her
two little girls. She came all in trem-
BILE, as women say, for the officer had
given her an inkling Of what was going
on. And the release-say, boys
Jim's S voice broke. The boys refilled
their pipes hastily and in the cloud Of
smoke that followed the next moment
the tears that filled the eyes Of the re-
porter who was supposed to be hardened
to human misery were hidden in the
wreaths that mounted to the blackened
ceiling.
ut was great SCOOP" one of the
fellows said, "the greatest of the year.
-George Brown i'll Detroit News-Trib-
une.