The Elbert County tribune., 1911-03-03

bones. his coarse features and pale
blue eyes. however. were Indicative
OF his wicked nature. The tightly
drawn lines about his mouth showed
infexibility of will and iron nerve to
carry out whatever he undertook
When l went forward TO speak to
him i recognized Hopper as man
who had been tried and convicted for
passing counterfeit money at New Or
leans several months before He had
been sent to the penitentiary at Baton
Rouge. but hnd escaped during a bat
tie st that point In which the prison
was partially destroyed He made his
way across the Amite river into the
Confederacy where, by standing In
with the commanding Confederate Of
ficer at Vaudeville. he was engbled to
handle and ship out cotton.
l seated myself beside the wounded
man and took his hand. and never
will l forget the ghastly stare with
| which he regarded me rs endeav-
ored to impress upon him the full
realization of his condition and the
duty incumbent upon him. My urgent
appeal had It's effect. Hopper admitted
that his mind was burdened with
great crime. which he was willing to
confess. had set him down as q
scoundrel. but was not quite prepared
to be brought face to face with ono
whose heart was so inhuman as do
liberately to plan to hang his own
brother.
"A few years ago" he said, Il, with
titt
widowed mother on little farm in
northern Vermont. There lived near
us most estimable young woman. I
paid her some attention. and in time
fell madly in love With her. When
supposed / had won her affections I
asked her to marry me. She refused
and did not deny that she loved my
brother when | charged her with that
as being the reason for her refusing
me. She was not to blame. She had
made no promises. l had merely mis-
taken her sisterly regard and kind
ness TO me for affection. alone was
responsible for the error"
Here he paused for a moment as II
| to gather courage for what was to fol
low. Up to this time he had met my
eyes frankly. but now he shifted his
gaze, and continued:
when she told me she could not
! marry me. and made no denial of her
regard for my brother. | was filled
with unutterable rage. Calling her
heartless fiirt. seized my hat and
left her. was furious. desperate and
determined to be revenged. While my
heart was filled with rancor and my
mind with spiteful thoughts, con.
fided my troubles to Malcolm Thorn
SON He always was an evil counselor.
but cunning one. He dissuaded me
| from my plan for immediate revenge,
and advised me to appear friendly
with my brother in order better to
cary out plot which he revealed to
| me.
| Soon after this my brother nm
nounced his engagement to marry
| Miss Heath, and | wished him well
with bitterness In my heart. Plans
were made for the marriage and I
seemed to take an interest In them.
and to have forgiven my brother and
his fancee my fancied wrongs. But
was only biding my time.
When the time was ripe for execu-
ting the plot we had arranged. man
aged to be at work with my brother in
| a field on our farm. On the previous
night Thomson and I had placed the
body OF a man about my size In hay
stack, which stood near where we
were at work repairing a fence. Thon..
son had obtained the body from q pau
pers burying ground on the Canadian
side.
MY brother left the field that day
just before dark remained for tbs
purpose of completing the work
When the sun had set and II was dark,
| punctured a small vein In my arm,
| and with the blood besmeared the bit
OF the AK we had been using. ] cut
on lock Of my hair and scattered II
on the bloody blade. and then pitched
the AZ into the grass. Reaching be-
meath the body In the hay deposited
my pocketknife and bunch Of keys.
Then ! set fire to the stack and hur-
ried to join Thomson. who was wait
ing near by with horse and buggy.
We drove rapidly away. and soon
was on my way to New Orleans.
where Thomson was to Join me in a
few weeks.
ut was agreed that Thomson should
first return to the village and stir up
suspicion. which would result in a
search for me and tie discovery of
the burned body. Everything turned
out thus far as we had planned My
brother was accused and convicted.
ut was my purpose, when my rival
should be out of my way, to return
home. and after time renew my at
tentions to Miss Heath, but put on
going from time to time / could not
face my old friends and neighbors
| Tbron1h Thonos4n taorcox A.. -