St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-04-19
FACT OR FICTION, WHICHa
CONTINUED from seventh page.)

|
two hours afterwards. But he was up
betimes in the morning, and setting his
wife to watch for the Professor if he
came she was to give four raps on the
floor with hammer) he went to work.
Well, the result of the search it is need
less to specify. During the breaking
through OF the wall the police officers
came in for second search and the Pro-
lessor went past the laboratory up to his
private Office. The remains were found
in the vault, in the furnace and in the
tea chest, and in the evening he was ar
rested for the Doctors murder and was
taken to Jail.
In few days the reward for finding
the body was paid to the janitor and. as
stipulated, half OF it was paid to me, as
it was who suggested the place where
it was found.
l at once sailed for foreign parts.
did not feel easy in my mind nor con-
science, and my money did me no good.
Some of it was stolen, part OF it i
gambled away, and in course Of time / |
fell i'll and suffered much in body as well |
as mind.
The first thing I had intended doing |
was as soon as l reached port to send |
back to the authorities full account of |
what l had done, but l was afraid to
when thought it over, for all at once it |
was borne in on my mind that it would |
appear that had murdered the Doctor.
should be hunted up and carried back,
and when the details of my life were
thoroughly known there would be little
in them to refute the charge, far less, in
deed, than in the Professors case, who
up to the time of the disappearance of
the Doctor was man highly respected
in all lands.
So concluded to say nothing, but
searched the American newspapers daily
to learn what could of the progress Of
the affairs in the city had left.
At length what | read surprised me so
greatly that it helped the insidious pro-
gress of disease that soon laid me low
again and destroyed all chances of relief
for the Professor through my aid, even if
/ had dared to make known the truth at
this point.
The Professor had confessed the MUIR
der, the account stated, and given details
of how the crime was accomplished. 1t
was an accident, at first; he had been
angry because the Doctor had dunned
him so savagely, and he had struck him
with grapevine which killed him. Then
he completed the CHASTITY account Of cut
ting him up and hiding the remains in
various places where they were after
wards found
perceived at once that the Professor
was insane and imagined himself to have
done this, that in the distorted proper
tions of his mind he had dovetailed act
ual facts with others that the public
called facts, and believed them all alike.
Up to the time of striking the Doctor all
was correct. So was the facts of taking
the notes and throwing the watch into
the river; likewise the writing of the
anonymous letters to throw suspicion in
other directions than himself, where he
saw them tending.
That from the first he felt himself re.
sponsible for his friends loss was evident
by his unguarded statement to me to
that effect. Even then, no doubt, insan'
ity was slowly settling down over his
mind. 1t was strange case, and yet
even l, in my limited experience, hat
known of cases where people accused
themselves of crimes which they never
committed.
The Professor suffered the penalty o
his supposed guilt while lay helples:
in foreign land. Afterwards l came
home. Why, know not, unless because
of the terrible fascination there was fol
me in the scene of my guilt. 1t drew mt
across the ocean, it laid me on my deatf
bed, it made me send for you. Tell me
now, what shall become Of my thrice
damned soul?
With horrible glare in his eyes tina
seemed to start from their sockets as h
asked the question, he raised himself OF
his elbow, looked into my face, and fel
back.
He was quite dead, when overcoming
my awe and dread, l looked at hin
again. There was nothing for me to do
He had repented and confessed and wa
now in the hands Of an all.wise Bein,
who was able to sift the centuries ant
gather up the seeds of heredity and cir
cumstances which had helped to max
him what he was and this strange, horri
bic tale possible. Calling the woman,
came home and have put the account o.
. paper, and now that it is written.
don't know what to do with it."
Thus abruptly terminated my grand
fathers manuscript, which at the enc
bore his signature, Peter Eaton.
As l laid it aside became aware tina
small cutting from an old newspaper
: apparently, adhered to the paper
brushed it slightly, but to my surpris
found that it was held in place by sma
: red wafer Nothing was said OF it in tn
manuscript, but Ifancied that after writ
ing it he had come across the newspape
slip, and preserved it, thinking it nigh
s have some connection with it. l offer
r as he did without comment.
t Gan old gentleman wandered into til
K village yesterday in distorted state {
# mind which caused the authorities
a place him in the almshouse under propt
g restraint. He has very evidently becom
il deranged from reading the account (
: the late fearful tragedy of an adjoinin
e city. His name he declares is Dr.-an
/, that Prof. -was unjustly executed
s He was i'll long time, he says, and no
s was on his way to the city in questio
Y to make the truth known. Last night
S went into kind of lethargy which tern
is mated in death this morning at fl,
}. O'Clock. He will be buried by the publ
e authorities if none OF his friends come
d claim the body, which is not likely, as
=. utterly repudiated any name but the OF
lie first given"
!. Across the MARGIN of this cutting n