The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-24
True Stories of the Secret Service

ment Colonel Moncossus put tho holm
down hard and let go the main sheet.
the boat gave n sudden lurcn, and the
two men sitting on the cotton bnle were
knocked into the lake.
Heaye her to-" shouted Hopper at the
Same time drawing his revolver The
next instant he was lying OH tho deck
bullet had pierced his side from the
Forward part OF the schooner, which now
was headed directly for New Orleans be-
1ore ten or twelve knot breeze. When
the schooner arrived and was hauled up
out OF the lake into the now basin, /
was awaiting Its arrival and went aboard
a surgeon had been sent for 10 care for
Hopper, but had not arrived Hopper
wns badly wounded, and seemed TO real
He that the end was near. He appeared
20 e; be man OF some education and re-
flnement- His high check bones, his
coarse features and pale blue eyes, how
ever. were Indicative of his wicked ma
ture, The tightly drawn lines about his
mouth showed infle1ibility Of will and
iron nerve to carry out whatever he un-
dertook.
When j went forward to speak to him
l recognized Hopper SIS II man who had
been tried and convicted for passlng
counterfeit money at New Orleans sew
eral mon tbs before He had been sent to
tho penitentIary at Baton Rouge nut
mad escaped during n battle at that point
stroyed. He made his way across tho
AInite river into the Confedsracy where.
by standing in with the commanding
Confederate officer at Mandeville, he was
enabled to handle and ship out cotton.
1 seated myself beside the wounded
man and took his hand. and sver will
l forget the ghastIy stare with which
he regarded me as | endenvored to i'm
press upon him the fun realization OF his
condition and the duty incumbent UPON
him My urgent appeal had It's effect.
Hopper admitted that his mind was bur-
dened with great crime which he was
rnnfpGG T cpf i'm l,,Nur
scoundrel. but was not quite prepared
to be brought face to face with one whose
heart was so inhuman MS deliberately to
plan to hang his own brother The sun,
which had been beating down IN golden
streams upon the deck OF the little yes
sell was suddenly obscured by a heavy
black cloud that almost shut out the
light of day. presenting singularly
threatening appearance. The combat of
the clements going on overhead seemed
TO be reflecting It's counterpart in the
mind Of the wounded man, sheet OF
overhead. followed by an almost deafen-
ing explosion. Hopper gasped in terror,
and frightened his grasp upon my hand,
Beginning slowly In n weak deliberate
voice, he told his story.
"a few years ago. he said, 'I. with
my younger brother, lived with wild
owed mother on a little farm in northern
Vermont. There lived near us q most
estimable young woman. | paid her some
attention, and in time fell madly in love
with her, When | supposed i had won
her affections / asked her TO marry me-
She refused and did not deny that she
loved my brother when l charged her
with that as being the reason for her re-
fusinS me. She was not to blame. She
had made no promises. ] had merely mis-
taken her sisterly Segard and kindness 10
me for affection, 1 alone was responsible
for the error
Here he paused for a moment as II tc
ga ther courage for what was to follow
Up 10 this time no had met my eyes
frankly, but now he shifted his gaze. and
continued
when she told me she could not mai Try
me. and made no denial OF her regard
| for my brother. I was filled with unut-
] terable rage Calling her a heartless
| flirt. seized my hat and left her l wqs
furious. desperate and determined to be
| revenGed. While my heart was filled with
| rancor and my mind with spitefu
thoughts. l conflded my troubles TO Nal