davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Missing Evidence
Trouble Thrown AWAY

When Ordener had been admitted to
the fortress-prison he was taken to the
presence of the commanding officer a
young exquisite of the Danish court,
who had been exiled by the orders of
his father, the chancellor, to this DESC
late spot
In dimly lighted Gothic hall Fred
erick Won Ahlefeld was reclining amid
such luxury as he had been able to i'm
port and, as a relief from his desolation
welcomed the newcomer heartily.
Welcome" he said, tell me the news
of the outside world. Have any new
novels been whitten by Mile. scudery :?
What is the news at court?'
All. If it were not for my fathers
orders l would not be here. 1 must tell
you in confidence-that my father-you
understand me-has instructed me to-
you know Schumakers daughter? You
understand.
But all my trouble is thrown away.
She is a statue-not woman at all.
She weeps necessarily and never looks
at me-"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Just a Short Visit

From the Philadelphia Telegraph.
Speaking of hospitality a few nights
ago, Raymond Hitchcock. the actor. told
OF conversation he once heard on a
local train in the west
Just before the train reached a certain
small town. Mr.. Hitchcock declared q
nice looking young man with several
sgrips, several cases and several umbrel-
las called to the conductor:
"Mr. Conductor" said he producing
hos transportation. will this ticket al
slow me to stop over in the next towns
1T altogether depends" replied the con-
ductor, examining the ticket. What do
you want to stop for?''
IT want to visit some rather distant
relatives of mine" answered the young
man. "rheir name is Johnson.
IT see,' returned the conductor. hand
ing back the transportation. You will
have plenty of time. The ticket is good
for the next train"
The next train!" exclaimed the young
man. with a jolted expression. do you
know how long intend to stay?''
NO. was the prompt response of the
conductor. "I don't know how long you
intend TO stay, but know the Johnson's.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Long Enough to Forget

ordener ground his teeth with rage.
put, calming himself, asked the coxcomb
to have him conducted to the apartments
of the ex-chancellor.
Well well, you may CO." said the
young man, but do you know that there
is going to be marriage in my family /?
Yes-the son of the viceroy Ordener Won
Guidenlew is going to marry my sister.
He is the Baron Won Thorvick and
Knight of the Dannebrog. He will go
higher yet"
Relieved from the chattering of the
young commandant Ordener was at
length conducted to the apartments of the
aged captive
who is there?" cried the captive as
Ordener entered.
All, 1t is not the captain; he, also, has
betrayed me. Oh. it is Ordener!" and a
joyful light shone in the old mans eyes.
Welcome, Ordener. A thousand good
wishes to the traveller who remembers the
prisoner"
did you not look for my return?,,
asked the yonug man.
why, you have been gone a year-and
year is long enough for anyone to for
get the unfortunate"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Before the Shrine

Ordener left the prisoners room and,
opening door at random, found HIM
self in long Gothic corridor at the
end of which he saw light-for the night
had now fallen.
He advanced toward the light and saw
in an ancient Gothic chapel maiden
kneeling before a crucific. She was recit-
ing in an undertone the Litany.
She wore a dress of black crepe and
white gauze. Her eyes and her luxuriant
hair were black-a very rare thing in
those northern latitudes-one would have
said that it was some virgin from the
shores of Cyprus or the fields of Tiber,
clad in Ossians fantastic drapery and
PROSTATE before the wooden cross and
the stone altar
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Terrible Tales

And in truth the two bodies did bear
those marks-those long and terrible
scratches-which the wild terror of Nor
way was wont to leave upon his victim.
There were the widest stories afloat
concerning Hans of Iceland. He was said
TO be the descendant of Ingolphus the Ex-
terminator, terrible in the old Morse leg
ends, wild man of the wastes who de-
lighted in slaughter for slaughter's sake.
From Iceland terrible Hans had come
to Norway and for several years had de-
fled all the power of the constituted au-
thorities to take him.
Some said he was giant-some a
dwarf; all agreed that he was invulner-
able and his name was terror through
out the country.
Among the crowd gathered in the
morgue were two men who gazed, not
with the idle curiosity of the vulgar. but
with a certain personal horror at the
dead bodies.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
BY
VICTOR HUGO

keeper of the morgue had taken fron
the body of former Keeper spiagudry
which had been brought to the place, tn
little iron, box.
He carried it to the bishop and thu
bishop opened it. Then he flew to thu
court. In that box were the proofs d
shumacker's innocence and of the base
conspiracy against him.
The completely of Musdemon was nlaid
and the chancellor ordered his arrest
Musdemon believed that this was a mere
matter of form-that his patron. for whom
he had sinned, would soon release him.
vut Won Ahlefeld, to get his accom-.
plice out of the way, had him secretly ex.
ecuted in his cell that night
The cell of Hans of Iceland was In 6
building which also served as a barraeI
for the garrison. That night he set fire
to his cell and perished in the flames
which also consumed the barracks.
The doors of the barracks had beer
barred and not soldier escaped. Thus
did Hans keep his oath and exterminate
the regiment of Munckholm.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Haunted by a Voice

The false hermit declared that he knew
which way Spiagudry had gone and Of
fered to lead the men to his retreat. He
set off with them. :.
They never returned. Their bodies wer9
found afterward thrown over a cliff bear
ing the marks of the claws of Hans of
Iceland
Ordener and the ex-keeper of the
morgue now resumed their journey, Spia-
gudry wondering and doubling.
That voice which he had heard, was 1t
indeed Hans of Iceland? But If so why
had he led out the soldiers upon fruit
less errand when the man they wanted
was there before them and he might have
denounced him?
But the disguised Hans knew that he
could find Ordener and Spiagudry later.
His first business was to destroy the
archers.
In the meantime Gen Levin, VINO had
promised Ordener that he would protect
Schumacher and his daughter during the
absence of the young man. had In his
capacity of governor of Drontheim, or
dered Frederick Ahlefeld to go to the
north with his company.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
ITnlsnown to the World

Spiagudry had disguised himself with
a wig and by painting his face, but Hans
knew him at once and he knew ordener.
He also knew upon what mission they
travelled
For it had been Hans who had, with
the help of the keeper of the morgue, mu-
tiated the dead body of Gill Stadt and
made from the top of his skull drink
ing dish which the crazed fiend always
carried about with him.
Unknown to the world, Gill had been
Hans son, and as Gill had been led to
commit suicide because the girl he loved
had preferred soldier of the garrison
of Munckholm, Hans had vowed the
death of every soldier of that garrison.
When the storm which had driven the
travellers to the accursed tower ceased
there came to the place a band of bow
men wearing the green uniform of the
garrison of Munckholm.
They were in search of Spiagudry that
he might be arrested for the PROCLAMATION
OF the dead in the morgue which had been
discovered.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
The Keeper of the Morgue

He went to the morgue and spoke with
the aged keeper. Had any such box been
found in the clothes of the murdered CAP
tain? None.
But while he was talking he saw a
horrible thing. He looked at the slab
upon which the body of Gill Stadt had
been placed and saw that the top of the
skull had been cut off.
you, you." said he to the keeper, "have
been guilty of sacrilege. Tell me. is it
you or someone else, or l denounce you.
The penalty is being burned alive. Who
did this thing?"
Then the groveling keeper confessed
that Hans of Iceland had visited the
morgue and had in a frenzy, cut off the
top of the skull to make for himself a
drinking cup.
For Gill was in reality the son of Hans
of Icefand And Hans had vowed to kill
to the last man all the soldiers of the gar
rison of Munckholm in revenge for his
son, whose suicide had been caused by
the greater love she bore for one who
wore that green uniform.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
ST Alone Am Guilty"

Tho three young miners swore that a
man calling himself Hacket had come to
them urging them to revolt and had given
them arms and money. saying that they
came from the prisoner Of Munckholm,
John Shumacker. Also they had been
given banners on which was inscribed his
name.
As they testified the prisoners looked
searchingly at Musdemon. Certainly he
bore q resemblance to the man who had
called himself Hacket-but it could not be.
The false Hans OF Iceland proudly
acknowledged his guilt. He believed that
the man who had hired him to play part,
and whom he knew to be Musdemon,
would see that he was pardoned.
When ordener's turn came he sald "I
viii not take up your time. l was taken
in arms among the miners whom L had
melted to rebellion. l alone am respon-
sible 1t was I who furnished the banners
and the arms and money-and did it in
the name of Shumacker.
Yes. I, and alone. am guilty. Shu-
maeker knew nothing of the conspiracy,
and these unfortunate men were simply
led astray.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Gardens of Old Chelsea
London Chronicle.

from tne London chronicle.
Chelsea, which is again to steal from
the Inner Temple the Royal Horticultu-
raj society's show, is more than any other
London suburb the paradise Of gardeners.
One of these. who lived in the Kings
road in 1887, is credited in book of pop
uar delusions with pricing single tulip
in his catalog at 200 guineas-.'a remnant,
perhaps, of the tulip mania which two
centuries before had ruined half of tho
merchants OF Holland, and threatened to
prove as disastrous as the South Sea-
Bubble" The first red geranium grown
on English soil was reared in the garden
of a Mr. Davis in 1922. Even the Chelsea
could be pictured thus:
When the sweet breathing cpring unfolds
the buds.
Love flies the dusty town for shady
woods;
Then Chelsea's meads o'erhears perfid-
ious vows.
And the press'd grass defrauds the graf
ing cows.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Miners in Revolt

Rumors of the revolt of the miners
were now coming in thick and fast and
1t was definitely announced that they
were to be led by Hans of Iceland.
Also it was announced that they had
taken up arms in the name or the
prisoner of Munckholm. John Shu-
macker.
Two days after their visit to the
Accused Tower Ordener and his guide
Spiagudry found themselves near
ruined tower perched upon cliff over
hanging the sea.
From the top OF that tower, Spiagud-
ry told Ordener. one could see the tow
ers of the fortress of Munckholm far
away to the south.
Ordener climbed the ruined keep and
gazed long at the far-off fortress which
contained the object of his love and
care.
When at length he descended to the
court below he found no trace of Spia-
gudry.
Hans had come upon the former
keeper of the morgue, had killed him
ana thrown his body over the cliff and
departed.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
In Greater Peril

man of gigantic stature was there.
who this same agent declared was Hans
of Ireland, come to lead them. Needless
to say that this agent was not an
agent of Shumacker, but of the chan
cel1or.
Ordener saw at once the whole con-
spiracy-and knew of course that the
giant was not Hans of Iceland
At first the miners were for killing
Ordeners as spy. but upon a sudden
idea that he might by joining them We
OF service to Shumacker in gathering
the details of the conspiracy, the young
man offered his services as soldier;
they We're accepted and with the min
ers he marched the next day.
Led into an ambush by the agents of
the chancellor, the miners were set upon
and almost totally annihilated by the
troops which were lying in wait for
them.
The false Hans of Iceland and Ord
ener were among those taken alive by
the royal forces and removed to the
fortress of Munckholm.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Condemned

Why did Ordener make this false con-
fesson? Why, because, by so doing, he
established the innocence of Shumacker
and saved the life of the father of the
girl he loved.
The judges retired for consultation.
When they returned their verdict was
that Shumaclxer was not guilty. The
three young leaders. having simply been
led astray. were condemned to imprison-
ment for life
The false Hans was condemned to be
hanged. Ordener was sentenced to be
stripped of his titles. beheaded and his
body burned.
AS the sentence was pronounced a
shrek rang through the hall. From be-
hind a grating Ethel had been witness
of the proceeding. Beside her had sat a
yelled woman.
The yelled woman was Countess Won
Ahlefeld, who had contrived to have
Ethel there and to be near her. SO that
she might find out if Shumackers daugh-
ter loved Ordener
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Explanations

All was explained now. The King in
vestigated the matter and dsplacing Won
Ahlefeld, restored Shumaeker to the
chancellorship and to all his duties and
offices.
the restored chancellor gave his consent
to the marriage of ordener and Ethel
We've are married." faltered Ethel.
And then they told Shumacker the story
of that wedding In the condemned cell.
Next weeks one page classic will be
"A Double Marriage; or. White Lies" by
Charles Reade.
Copyright, 1913. by Irving Klng.)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
On Trial for Their Lives

When Ethel told her father whose son
was that Ordener in whom he had placed
such confidence the old man was furious
and bade his daughter hate him.
He tried to make her swear that, what
ever happened, she would never marry
him, but Ethel avoided the oath.
This youth, then, was the son of one OF
his greatest enemies and had been sent
to the fortress prison to spy upon him and
ruin him under the guise of friendship
and he had so loved and trusted that
false youth
The commission to try the prisoners
taken in arms against the King sat in
the fortress Of Munckholm. There were
seven judges presided over by the cham
cellor. His private secretary, Musdemon,
was secretary of the court.
Before the tribunal were arranged six
prisoners. the venerable Shumacker, the
false Hans of Iceland, Ordener and three
young leaders of the miners
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06

ecutioner. "are 10 crowns to recompense
you for the loss of those criminals. AS
for you, Sir Chaplain. you may be sure
those 10 criminals shall be pardoned, even
though the great marriage never takes
place"
When the short man In the hermit S
dress was asked who he was he replied
that he was the Hermit of Lynrass, All
had heard of the old hermit.
But in reality that holy man had been
killed-his body was found next day
thrown over the cliff and bearing those
long scratches which were borne by the
bodies of all the victims of Hans of Ice
land.
1t was Hans himself who sat there
in the Disgusting gown which he had
taken from tie hermit's body.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Simply John Shumacker

"Wer your pass is good" said the
sergeant of the guard, but are you no.
BILE? For unless you are noble no one
can enter a royal fortress with buckle
In his hat"
For answer the young man tore the
diamonds from his hat and threw them
to the boatsman as his hire.
Then he haughtily demanded to be
taken to the tower where was confined
the former Grand Chancellor of Den
mark and Norway-a man risen from
the people but intermarried with the
noblest of Europe and, for a time,
known as the Count Won Griffenfeld and
Tongsberg, Prince of the Garter in Eng
land--and with many more titles of
honor.
But now he was simply John Shu-
macker--his titles revoked, his coat-of-
arms broken in public by the royal exc
cutioner and he, himself only saved from
an ignominious death on the scaffold
to be condemned to life Imprisonment in
the fortress of EIunckholm.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
The Man With the Black Plume

soldier said the little man., pray TO
God that those same hands do not some
day leave their mark upon your face
The short, thick set man arose from
the stool upon which he had been sitting
and went out. The soldier went on:
captain Dispolsen was to reach here
today from Copenhagen. He had impor-
tant dispatches, so they say
The man with the black plume left the
morgue hastily. and, going to the cele-
brated 'flord" of Drontheim, demanded a
boat to take him to the grim fortress
which, upon rocky island, reared itself
in the middle of the narrow waterway.
An aged boatman rowed him off.
To the sergeant who met him at the
water gate of the fortress he presented a
document signed by the viceroy of Nor
way, the Count Guldenlew, permitting him
to enter and inspect all state prisoners.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
HANS OF ICELAND

Ordener had not consented-it was a
matter of state policy which had been ar
ranged between the chancellor and the
viceroy
Since Ordener had, by visiting the state
prisons, become acquainted with Ethel
shumacker, he had told his father that
he never would consent to the proposed
marriage.
Bat the viceroy considered that this was
a childish whim and that he could COM
pei his son to marry the ehaneellors
daughter.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Victims of Hans of Iceland

A SMALL crowd was gathered in the
~ little morgue at DrOntheim' one
4 n of the four principal cities of Nor
way, in the year of grace 1899
Three bodies had been brought in that
day. One was the body of miner, GIL
Stadt; another the body of young wom-
an, Guth Stersen, and the third the body
of an officer of the regiment stationed at
the fortress of Drontheim, the fortress of
.Munckholm-the body of Capt Dispolsen.
The bodies of the young woman and of
the captain bore unmistakable marks OF
violence. The two had evidently been
killed and thrown over a cliff not far
from the city.
The body of the young miner also bore
marks of yiolenee-bnt they were the
marks of the violence of nature-he had
been killed in mining accident.
"rhey say that Hans of Iceland is wan
dering about these regions at present"
said one of the crowd as they gazed at
the bodies of the young woman and the
captain.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Too Smart for Him

From Life.
Being threatened with visit from his
mother-in-law, a husband decided to re-
sort to strategy and thus save domestic
infelicity.
My dear" he said to his wife, you
have asked me to do two things. One is
to give you a new silk gown and the
other to send yosr mother check 20 &c
fray her travelling expenses. I can't af-
ford to do both, but will do the one you
prefer Which shall 1t be?"
Send mother the check, by all means.y y
responded the wife quickly. 'Tve eA'
ready ordered the gown" u
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06

pointment to meet the Chancellor Won
Ahlefeld
The chancellor came and offered Hans
the command of the revolted miners,
saying that his agents who had engi-
neered the revolt had arranged that
they would accept Hans as leader.
Hans refused and jeered at the chan
oeilor. Il only spare your life" said
Hans, because the longer you live the
more crime there will be in the world
And then the tiger does not prey upon
the hyena.
"As to Dispolsen.-I killed him be-
cause he belonged to that vile regiment
of Munckholm--like this wretch'-and
Hans drew from dark corner mutt
lated dead body.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
The Quest of the Iron Box

For unless her father was freed and re-
stored TO his honors the daughter would
be bound always to live a captive with
him.
Farewell Ordener,' she said at last,
these are dreams which we are dream
ing. When my father breathes again the
air of freedom then we will talk of our
dreams again"
ordener left the fortress and set out
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
The Chancellor Won AhlefeId

And tied around the body of the keep
er was the little iron box which Or
dener was risking so much to rescue
and which he thought was In the pos
session of Hans.
Spiagudry had stolen the box when
the body Of Captain Dispolsen had been
brought to him.
Not dismayed by the supposed de-
sertion of his guide, Ordener set out
alone and finally reached little set
tlcment where a guide was found to
take him to the vicinity OF the dread
cave of Walderhog.
Meantime Hans had returned to the
ruined tower. where he had an ap-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Another Plot

And he had heard, also. that there was
another plot on foot.
The miners were being melted to make
a revolt and to make it in the name or
the prisoner of Muncwhom. Emissaries
of the Ahelfelds were already among the
miners melting them to rise.
Troops were to be ready to put down
the incipient revolt and then Shumacker
was to be again tried for his life as
an accessory and this time executed.
'That old she devil the Countess of
Ahlefelds, is here now." said the gov
ernor "and with her is the man who calls
himself Musdemon-God knows what his
real name is-he is always with the coun-
tess.
But 1 promise you I will watch over
the captive OF Munckholm, my son-were
you not brought up in my family? Am l
not your foster father?"
How to get the iron box was now Or
dener's only care.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
A CT A S SIC
IN A P A G. E
(Copyright. 191s. by Irvlng King. a

rights reserved0
Although Victor Hugo did not puplsh
Hans of Iceland. until he was p years
of age, he wrote it when he was 49,
It was Hugos first prose novel; and, al
though it bears all the marks of youth and
has the literary faults thereof yet It at
once obtained a wide circulation and be-
came such a popular success that a sec
ond edition had to be gotten out In three
months.
Hugo himself says of the story: ut is
the work of young man, and of very
young man at that
He says that the only thing in the book
that the boy who wrote it really felt were
'.The young mans love and the young
woman's love; all the rest was pure inven-
ton"
But what invention it wasl 1t was the
invention of the poet who, while too young
10 have experience, too young to be mas
ter of his literary mechanics, could yet
dream dreams and see visions.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06

many times to the fortress -prison, and
naturally he had fallen in love with
Ethel and she with him.
But this was entirely unknown to the
old man, though he had came to look
upon ordener as a son and was in hopes
that, after he had died, his Ethel might
find refuge in marrying the youth.
Missing Evidence
There were certain papers in Copen-
hagen which. were they brought to the
captive. might establish his innocence
of the crimes charged against him.
Capt. Dispolsen, who was in the gar
ison at Munckholm, had been SO I'M
pressed by the story of his captive that
he had obtained leave, had gone to Co
penhagen and had agreed to bring back
to Schumacher the iron box containing
the papers and also to present, In a man.
ner, the case before the King.
And now Capt Dispolsen, returning
from his trip. had been murdered, and
the little iron box had disappeared.
Norway at that time was governed, as
has been said, by viceroy.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
Promise to Another


Meantime Ethel Schumacher had learned
who her lover really was. The Countess
Ahlefeld had suspected that Ordener Gull
denlew, who was supposed to be going to
marry her daughter. had visited pri-
vately the fortress.
The countess went herself to investigate
and sought an Interview with Ethel.
Skillfully she drew out the girl. and then,
turning upon her. exclaimed.
''Wretched girl. your lover is Ordener
Won Guldenlew. the betrothed of Ulrica
=c:. lhiese!a, and the scn css the s%f:ceroy
of Norway"
Ethel fell fainting to the ground, and
the countess turned and left her lying
there.
Now this projected marriage between
Ulrica and Ordener was a match to which