Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-02-04

anu tnen call ner DOWN
garden. Billy had taken fifty cents
administered the dose and hoped it
would not be laid up against him in
heaven.
Confession number seven was a cork
er. Some seven years previous there
had been local election In which
party feeling ran high. Just before
the election came off one of the candi-
date for mayor had been badly shock
ed by bolt of lightning which struck
his house. Nobody had ever question
ed the fact that it was q straight case
of thunder and lightning, but now the
dying man wanted TO wash his con-
science. He named four prominent
men in the village who were in a con-
spiracy to murder the candidate. They
hadn't let him in on the ground floor
or any floor. but he had been abroad
the night of the storm and had seen
one of the conspirators strike the cam
didate with a buldgeon and then leap
out of a window. The would-be MUIR
derer believed he had accomplished his
purpose, and there was great rejoicing
as he rejoined his fellow conspirators.
Good lands, Billy, but your mind
must be wandering!" gasped the JUS
tice, as he paused in his writing.
Don't you worry about my mind"
replied the dying man as he closed his
eyes. Things have been going on and
I've been keeping track of them. IL
I was going to live on I'd keep mum,
but now that Pm going to die, / shall
speak out. Just write it down and let
me swear to it."
Confession number eight produced
no shivers. The dying man simply
confessed that he had been hired by
the postmaster to set grist mill on
fire, but after making Two or three
vain attempts had given UP the job.
Number nine didn't amount 10 much,
either One of the village aldermen
had offered him 81 to murder the ed
itor of the weekly newspaper, but he
had declined with thanks. Murder
was right in its line, but he had rev.
erence for editors and never dabblod
in their gore. Confession number ten
was masterpiece and closed the per-
Torrance. The dying man had been
saving himself for the last. Accord
ing to his story, the principal of the
union school was an ex-pirate and an
ex-convict. The two together had sto-
len cows, horses and hogs; they had
sought to rob the postoffice, planned to
plumber the bank. and had marked
down twenty-five different men for as
sassination. In addition to this they
intended to poison about a score Of
wells. burn most of the town. and
finally blow up the dam across the riy-
er and start for the South Seas. The
justice hesitated. questioned and pro-
tested, but the town fool was firm.
He insisted that everything should 90
down and be sworn to. and when II
was done he lay back on his pillow and
said that he had been forgiven and
died declaring that he had signed
nothing but what was true. and the
justice felt that he had to move In the
matter. The whole town was by the
ears at once. Those ten confessions
included everybody who had ever
cracked joke at the town fools ex-
pense, and that meant seyen-eighths
OF the population. Although the
doctors certified that Billy's mind was
clear to the last, it was too big bite
for the Law. After three or four war;
rants had been issued the whole affair
was dropped. That Is. was legally dis
missed, but II wasn't the end Of IL by
any means. Everybody swore to his
own innocence and declared his belle;
in the guilt Of everybody else. and
in one year there were score of dam
age suits. Inside OF two dozen Of
the best families had been driven out
business was almost at standstill,
and visit from the plague could not
have hurt the town worse. 1t was
Eve years before the affair finally sunk
out OF sight. The town had heap
OF fun at the expense OF the town
fool. but In dying he had more fun
than squared the account