The L'Anse sentinel., 1910-10-29

do not reproach myself now for
ending my wife's sufferings in the way !
did took the hardest part, for the
memory of her passing away Is always
with me. Now that am barring my
soul to the world, I may perhaps find
peace. I have tried everything else,
and have yet to find 1t.
Fanny was my child-wife. She was
the daughter of my best friend, and
had watched her and loved her from
her cradle days, and when married
her combined the love for a child
with the love for a wife.
At the time of our, tragedy we were
about 120 miles from Calgary, the
nearest inhabited place, and were ap-
preaching the widest section OF our
journey We had been riding for four
hours without break. because l want
ed to complete our trip as soon as
possible. Fanny was few feet ahead
OF me, and the pack-mule brought up
the rear.
We were both browsing in the saddle,
more or less overcome with fatigue
and the intense heat from which the
heavy woods afforded us little protec-
ton, when suddenly was aroused by
cry and, looking up. saw Fanny's
mule rearing on his hind legs.
thought that he had ben stung by a
hornet, and hurried toward him. Be-
fore had advanced yard, the brute
toppled over the edge Of the precipice
which yawned, and disappeared.
I came upon the dead mule first. A
few feet away found the shapeless
form of my wife-every bone in her
| body broken. Her head and face were
not badly injured. She had fallen
1000 feet. l pressed my canteen to
her lips, and the brandy and water 1t
| contained brought her back to con-
sciousness.
"Jim," she moaned. III you love me.
| end my agony!"
l put my head in my hands and
groaned. I knew that 1t would take
me ten days to bring help from Cal
gary, and l believed that poor Fanny
could not survive as many hours. l
heard the bowling of the wolves, and
the horrible truth that II left her to
summon help the beasts would make
short work Of her came to me 80 clear
| ly that I at once banished the Idea.
| stood by and watched the woman |
loved better than anything else In the
world suffering the tortures of the
damned with not single chance OF
recovery.
Every now and again, Fanny would
lapse into Inconsistencies, and dur
ing these periods would walk up and
down, wondering what course to pur-
sue. Should kill my wife? I felt
| that to accede to her request would
be murder in the eyes Of men. But
| that did not worry me. I was willing
to commit murder to end her terrible
sufferings. But was there the faint
est chance of saving her? That was
the great point upon which the whole
thing hinged.
Again she opened her eyes. you
are q coward, Jim." she said, "or you
would kill me. You know l haven't
| a chance to live and I may suffer this
torture for many hours" ....
But, Fanny" I groaned, IT can't
kill you. Some one may come along
and we could get you to help"
ITS ten days to Calgary. What
| chance have l for living that ten
daysr" she asked. II can't live, any
way. am all broken inside of me.
You are coward"
For Ave hours this went on. Alter
nately there were spells Of conscious
ness In which my wife moaned and
shrieked with pain and reviled me as
coward, and then came unconscious
ness, during which saw that pain
still persisted.
At the sixth hour I could endure It
| no longer. I kissed her good-by. I
took my pistol and pressed the muz-
Gle of It against her head. She closed
her eyes and said "fire," but I had not
strength enough to press the trigger,
and my arm dropped to my side.
"Oh, you coward. you coward" she
| cried.
| I walked away that might think II
out all over again.. The same prob.
lens presented themselves to me, and
I could see only the one answer. Death
alone could end my wife's tortures.
Natural death might be delayed for
hours, perhaps even days. There was
nothing at hand to relieve the pain.
In fell asleep. as was bound to
sooner or later, we would fall ready
victims to the wild beasts. The wolves
were already closing In on us.
For three hours debated the ques.
ton. and again decided to kill my
| wife. And again faltered at the last
moment. And 30 1t went on until the
tenth hour.
MY wife's agony seemed to increase.
Finally, knelt by her side. We prayed
together for the repose of her soul
and for forgiveness for my act
Then killed herl
| covered my wife's remains with
stones and rocks and grass. and re.
| turned to Calgary. I gave myself up
TO the sheriff. A party was made np
to verify my story and to hold the IN.
quest was exonerated by the coro.
ner's Jury. but It ID not within the
y~o~~os - man "a <,h1etop~fA t~<>~. ,~-~