Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-08-29

| drawers, and other impossible places.
Suddenly he peered behind the screen
near the desk. and then started back
with a cry of horror.
. A general rush was made to the spot,
the screen was thrust aside, and there,
lying full length on the carpet, was the
| body of a man.
The secretary sprang to the door
and closed it. and then gave his orders
in quick, level zones.
Robbins, tell Dr. Wright to come at
once, and then go for the police. Par
sons. White, secure this man, and take
care he does not gee away!"
The next moment l found myself
seized and held by two sturdy footmen.
Mr.. Courtney switched on some
more light. and then, kneeling by the
body, gently raised the unfortunate
mans head.
AS / caught sight of the face I recOg
nized il 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 il 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 a 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,
IL 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 be
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 I had worked for revenge
and my soul filled 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 I did not
dread it.
However, fate-which has played
such queer tricks with m Elm my time
Darner. who is another in the fifth gen.
seemed reluctant 20 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-
vious 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 had happened was this:
On the night of the murder ARNOLD
Grange was believed to have in his
possession banknotss TO the amornt OF
$500. Of these only $500 found upon
me had been accounted for. Ii was
supposed that the banker had sent Off
the remainder in payment of some pri-
vaIe 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 fash type.
He could give no satisfactory expla-
nation of how he came into possession
of the notes, and he was detained by
the police.
One day I 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 I received
a pardon.
! The wretched man Prior stood his
trial and was duly hanged. but before
the end he left a callous confession,
II was a brief document and may be
II given here.
"On July IA was down on my luck