New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1909-09-15
A PARADOX|CAL PLAN
BY HOPE HOPKINS.
6y TIVE E1OFNlN0.
copyright, 1909, by American Press Asso-
ciatiOn.l

Just previous to the opening of the
American Revolutionary war young
Narylander named Edward Mower,
having ruined himself financially at
cards-gambling was very fashiona BILE
In those days-enlisted in a British
regiment stationed at Baltimore When
the war came on Mower, whose sym
pathies were with the colonies. desert
ed and joined the patriot army. Taken
prisoner at the battle of Monmouth, he
was recognized as a former British
soldier and court martial ordered to
try him for desertion.
While Mower was waiting trial he
was lodged in Jail at Trenton. One
morning his cell door was opened. a
young woman Of about twenty years
of age entered, and the door closed be-
hind her. The prisoner looked at her
in surprise.
Il have been admitted here for five
minutes conversation with you," she
said ''by order of the commandant,
having claimed that you are a relative
of mine, and I wish to give you some
information to be used in your de-
fense"
"But I never saw you beforev' ex-
claimed the prisoner. what informa-
ton can you have for me?'
"None that will save you from con-
viction. I am told by those who know
that you will be shot. wish to aid
you to escape. Here are some pellets
containing a drug that will make you
Ill. Take one every hour for three
hours. 1 wish to secure your removal
to hospital where l may be better
able to serve you"
'But why this interest in me-a
stranger?"
She was silent for moment, looked
at the floor, then said, "Do as l tell
you and ask no questiOns.''
Mower was making another effort to
discover the cause of this remarkable
| incident when his cell door opened and
the girl was summoned by the guard.
AS soon as she had gone he swallowed
one of the pellets she had given him
and in an hour swallowed another.
The guard when he came to leave the
prisoners noon meal found him CIV
ing unmistakable signs Of illness.
Mower was carried to hospital.
AS soon as Mower got better he
swallowed another pellet and another
and another, renewing the doses every
day. He overshOt the mark, taking so
many that one morning he was thrown
into commissions which ended in un-
consciousness. When he came to him
self again he found his body covered
from head to foot with sheet. He
was about to throw it off when he
heard footsteps and few moments
later the voice of a hospital steward
say:
HE died in convulsions.''
"When?" asked the surgeons voice.
Half an hour ago." r=
| The footsteps were heard passing on.
Soon Mower felt himself lifted by two
pairs Of arms and carried out from
| the warm to the cold air and laid on
some hard substance. Then he heard
bolt shot, and all was STILL Throw
LIS tlC Wv S1luS Oll LIS lace, lie Sd w
that he was resting on a table in va
cant room. Beneath him on the floor
| was a corpse. He was in dead
| house. There were two windows in
the room, and from the light coming
through them Mower knew that it was
day. He dared not move for fear Of
| attracting attention. He heard the
town clock strike every hour from II
to I. Then it grew dark, and he deter
mined to examine his surroundings.
The windows overlooked a shed, be-
You'd which was a back yard, and at
the farther end'of this were trees. He
waited till ali the lights on the prem
ises were extinguished, then stepped
out Of window on to shed beneath,
let himself to the ground and ran to
the back of the yard. Climbing a
fence, he found himself in the back
yard of other premises.
| Mower was in night clothes and
dared not enter a street lest he at
tract attention. He waited, shivering,
till a late hour, then, making sure
| that no one was near, passed through
| the yard and stood looking up and
down the street on which the prem
ises faced. Hearing the watch APP
preach crying ELEVEN o'clock and all's
well,'' Mower waited till he had pass
ed, then ran like deer till, reaching
the town limits, he found himself in a
wood. Seeing a house standing by it
self and assuming that the inmates
story. He was furnished with clothing
and piloted by one of the family to-
ward Morristown, where he entered