Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-26
The Argus Daily Short Story
What Child D1d-By Edward Huntingdon
Copyrighted. 1910 by Associated Literary Press

once that was ruined and broke
down. crying like baby. This was
considered evidence of my guilt.
was turned over 10 the man | have
spoken of. who was a constable. taken
to jail and put in a cell.
/ told my attorney of my suspicious
as to the guilty party; but. whether he
believed i was mistaken or that l was
guilty, he made no attempt TO throw
the burden on the cashier. Perhaps
he thought it better TO advocate an
entirely different theory. At any rate.
he made lamentable failure Of my
defense. / was convicted and sent to
state prison for ten years.
/ never speak or write of that hor-
ribie period-I served seven years.
getting off three for good behavior
because ! do not wish TO exercise the
demon it bpgot in my ne ture. Upon en-
tering the prison formed L resolution
as % what { would do as soon as ] got
out-I would kill the man who had
ruined me. My first resolve was to
pick n quarrel with him. giving him
an equal chance with me :nr his life
But upon consideration ! saw no JUS
tice in this and resolved TO kill him
on sight. But to do this | would have
TO suffer death on the Sallows or i'm
prisonment for life. My final plan was
TO go to his house at night. kill him
secretly and fly 70 some foreign coun-
try. From this determination | never
swerved.
AS soon as I was discharged I went
n tho iouTnad oil
about the sailing of vessels and fixed
the date OF my revenge for day and
hour to enable me to reach a ship just
as she was sailing. Then / went to
the city where had been ruined and
where my enemy lived. He was still
cashier of the same bank where l had
been employed aud lived in the same
house. | surmised that he was still
indebted to the bank. for be. could not
have made restitution without ex-
onerating me.
To carry out my plan I must work as
an ordinary criminal. But why not?
This man had placed me before all the
world in the position of criminal,
and my proposed act would confirm me
in that position. l provided myself
which to gain an entrance into his
house. l took no firearms, only
sharp knife.
When all was ready / was obliged
to wait for several days to expire be-
fore the sailing of the vessel on which
l intended to leave. During this in
terval l kept continually brooding on
my ruined life. those terrible years in
prison and the miserable future be-
fore me- The result was that l could
scarcely wait for my revenge Bur
the hands of the worlds clock never
stop. and at last the night for my
work came round
Having reached Wilcox's house. !
bored hole in rear door. sawed out
a piece of the panel large enough 20
insert my arm and shot the bolts. !
had been in the house when was en-
ployed in the bank and had recently
taken pains to learn that Wilcox slept
In a room by himself and what room
he occupied. Therefore. though I had
a lantern with me, did not expect TO
use it.
Nevertheless i found that 1 must
take risks. Getting into room with
which was not familiar and not hear
ing any one breathing hard as in sleep.
l flashed my light in order to get my
bearings. 1 turned it rapidly here and
there till it fell on a childs crib. and
before l realized what l was doing a
food of bright light fell on the face Of
a baby l should say about six months
Of age, and before could turn my