Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-08-25

tussiug about and looking in vases,
drawers, ami other impossible places
suddenly he peered behind the screen
near the desk, and then started bach
with 4 cry OF horror,
\ general rash was made to The spot
the screen was thrust aside and there,
lying full length on the carpet, was che
body of man,
The secretary sprang to the door
and closed it, and then save his orders
IN quick, level zones,
"RobbiuS, tell DIR. Wright 10 come NJ
once, and then so for the police Par
sons. White, secure this man, and take
care he does not sec away"
The next moment found myself
seized and held by two sturdy footmen,
Mr., Courtney switched on some
more light and then. kpeeling by the
body, gently raised the unfortunate
mans head.
AS caught sight of the face recos
nized it AT once Twenty-Five years
had altered it. indeed, but it was the
face of my old. treacherous chum of
the California gold fields.
Who, then, was that other who had
so mySteriously disappeared
What followed is newspaper history.
At the inquest ii was proved that
Arnold Grange died from a blow from
some instrument on the back OF the
head,
In due course | was committed for
trial The police built up terrific
case against me, Indeed, the evidence
they were able to obtain was enough
to convince almost any one. The bank
notes found upon me We're proved to
be part of a larger sum known to have
been in the possession of the banker
on the day of his death. Furthermore,
it was known-and | admitted the fact
that | had a grievance, real or imagin-
airy, against Mr. Grange
My own story was incredible to the
point of absurdity, and my counsel
strongly advised me to rely solely on
the plea of insanity-inSanity induced
by the intolerable wrong had suffered
at the hands of the dead man.
In the end | was found guilty. With
a recommendation to mercy.
| was sentenced 70 death, and the
governor, in spite of the rider to the
jury's verdict, refused to see any rea.
son why the sentence should not he
carried out | cannot honestly say
that those days of waiting for death
by the hangman's rope which followed
my sentence were the most wretched
of my life. During the twenty five
years when | had worked for revenge
and my soul filed with hate, had
had many worse times.
Now knew my enemy was dead
and somehow the reason for my own
continued existence seemed to have
passed away also.
If | did not welcome the awful end
awaiting me, at any rate | did not
dread it.
However, fate-which has played
such queer tricks with m Elm my time
seemed reluctant to lose such an
amusing toy and so. at almost the last
moment, interviewed and saved me,
doubtless for further experiments.
| was to die on Friday. On the pre-.
yious Monday, at about in the after.
noon, was taken to the room of the
warden. That gentleman informed me
that | was reprieved for one week, and
at the same time warned me to build
no false hopes on this temporary re,
spite.
What lad happened was this:
On the night Of the murder Arnold
Grange was believed to have in his
possession banknotes to the amount OF
$500, OF these only $500 found upon
me had been accounted for 1t was
supposed that the banker had sent off
the remainder in payment of some prl
vale debt, unknown even to his secre.
tary.
Now, however, a man had been
caught trying to pass one of the miss.
ing notes. He proved to be a man
we'll known to the police-Sol Prior, a
daring swindler of the flash type.
He could give no satisfactory expla.
nation of how he came into possession
of the notes, and he was detained by
he police.
One day | was taken into the prison
yard. where a score of men were
ranged up in a line. | was asked if
knew any of them.
had no difficulty in picking QUO my
man His mustache and beard were
less carefully trimmed, and his face
was even whittier than when he had
faced me in the bankers room, but |
should have known him among a thou
sand
From that moment events moved
quickly, and afortnight later received
a pardon
The wretched man Prior stood his
trial and was duly hanged but before
the end he left callous confession.
II was brief document and may be
given here.