River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-03-02

appeared 10 De man OF some 6QuCa-
ton end refinement His high cheek
bones, his coarse features and pale
blue eyes, however, were indicative
of his wicked nature. The tightly
drawn lines about his mouth showed
inflexibility of will and iron nerve to
carry out whatever he undertook.
When went forward to speak to
him I recognized Hopper as a 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 had escaped during bat
tie at 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 enabled to
handle and ship out cotton.
l seated myself beside the wounded
man and took his hand, and never
will | forget the CHASTITY stare with
which he regarded me as l endeav.
ored to impress upon him the full
realization of his condition and the
duty incumbent upon him. My urgent
appeal had its effect. Hopper admitted
that his mind was burdened with a
great crime, which he was willing to
confess. l had set him down as a
scoundrel, but was not quite prepared
to be brought face to face with one
whose heart was so inhuman as de-
iberately to plan to hang his own
brother
"a few years ago." he said, 81, with
my younger brother, lived with our
widowed mother on little farm in
northern Vermont There lived near
us most estimable young woman.
paid her some attention, and in time
fell madly in love with her. When
supposed I had won her affections l
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 refusing
me. She was not to blame. She had
made no promises. / had merely mis-
taken her sisterly regard and kind
ness to me for affection. I alone was
responsible for the error"
Here he paused for a moment as If
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 a
heartless fiirt, I seized my hat and
left her. l was furious, desperate, and
determined to be revenged. While my
heart was filled with rancor and my
mind with spiteful thoughts, I con-
fided my troubles to Malcolm Thorn
son. He always was an evil counselor,
but a 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 a plot which he revealed to
me.
"Soon after this my brother an
nounced his engagement to marry
Miss Heath, and l wished him well
with bitterness in my heart. Plans
were made for the marriage, and l
seemed to take an interest in them,
and to have forgiven my brother and
his fiancee my fancied wrongs. But
was only biding my time.
when the time was ripe for execu-
ting the plot we had arranged, I 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 a hay
stack. which stood near where we
were at work repairing fence Thon.'
son had obtained the body from a pau
pers burying ground on the Canadian
SIDE
"My brother left the field that day
lust before dark. l remained for the
purpose Of completing the work.
When the sun had set and it was dark,
T punctured a small vein in my arm,
and with the blood besmeared the bit
of the ak we had been using. | cut
off a lock of my hair and scattered 1t
on the bloody blade, and then pitched
the ak into the grass. Reaching be-
meath the body in the hay l 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 nv way to New Orleans,
where Thomson was to join me in
few weeks.
ct was agreed that Thomson should
first return to the village and stir up
suspicion, which would result In
search for me and the discovery OF
the burned body. Everything turned
out thus far as we had planned. My
brother was accused and convicted.
cit 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 I put of
going from time to time. could not
face my old friends and ne1ghbors.
Through Thomson I learned that my
brothers. sentence was committed. |
was thankful for that. No one ever
will know the remorse l have suffered
for my crime. My name is Andy Bar
rows"
Death came soon to Andy Barrows,
and he was beyond the jurisdiction OF
mortal tribunals. Thomson, who in
some way got an inkling OF the turn
of affairs, disappeared-he whose