Year: 1870

Larsen deposed that on the even


ing Of the day following that of tn,


disappearance of Niels, as he was re


turning home very late from Tol


strup, and was passing along tn,


footpath which fanks the southern


side of the pastors garden, he hearC


from within the garden the sound o
some one digging the earth. A


first he was rather startled; but see


ing that it was clear moonlight, ht


determined to find out who it was


that was working in the garden a


that late hour; whereupon he slip


ped off his wooden shoes, climbed


up the hedge, and parted the top;


Of the hazel-bushes SO as to enable


himself to see. Then he saw the


pastor in the green dressings grown


he usually wore. and with a white


nightcap on his head; busted in lev


elling the earth with a spade; but


more than this he did not see, fol
the pastor suddenly turned round as
if some sound had struck his ear, and


witness being afraid of detection
let himself down, and ran away.


When the witnesses had thus de.


posed, Morten demanded that the


parson should be arrested. Wish.
ing to avoid such scandal, if posi-.
BILE, the magistrate, who was a friend
of Soren's proposed that they should
go together to the parsonage, where
they would probably receive a salts.
factory explanation of the facts de.
posed to. Morten consented to this,
and the party set out. On approach
ing the house they saw Soren com.
ing to meet them-when Morten
ran forward, and bluntly accused
him of numbering his brother, ad-
ding that he has come with the mag
istrate to make search for the desd
body. The pastor made him no re-
ply, but courteously greeting the
gave directions 70 the
farm servants, who now gathered
round, to aid by all the means in
their power the search about to be
made. Morten led the way into the
garden, and after looking round for
some time, pointed to certain spot
and called upon the men to dig
there. The men fell to work.. and
Morten joined them, working with a
show of frantic eagerness. When
they had dug to a little depth the
proved so hard that it was
evident it had not been broken up
for long while. Soren had looked
on quite at ease, and now he said to
Morten, "Slanderer, what have you
got for your painsP' Instead of
replying, Morten turned to Larsen,
and asked him where it was he had
seen the parson digging. Larsen
pointed to a heap of cabbage-stalks,
dried haulms and other refuse, and
said he thought that was the place.
The rubbish was soon removed, and
the men began digging at the soil be-
meath. They had not dug long when
one Of them cried out, "Heaven pre-
serve US !" al d as all present crowded
to look, the crown of a hat was visi-
BILE above the earth. "That is
Neils' hatn cried Morten, ~ know
it well-here for surety we shall
find him. Dig away~ he shouted
with fierce energy, and was almost
as eagerly obeyed. Soon an arm
and in a few minutes the
entire corpse was disinterred. There
could be no doubt that it was the
man. The face could not
be recognized, for decomposition
had commenced, and the features
had been injured by blows; but all
his clothes, unto his shirt with his
name on it, were identified by his
even a leaden ring
in the left ear of the corpse was re-
cognized as one which Niels had
worn for years.


There was 10 alternative but to
arrest the pastor on the spot-in-
deed, he willingly surrendered him
self, merely protesting his innocence.
Appearances are against me" he
said; "surely this must be the work
Of Satan and his ministry; but He
still lives who will at His pleasure
make my innocence manifest. Take
me to prison; in solitude and in
chains l will await what He in His
wisdom shall decree.


The pastor was removed to the
goal at Grenaee the same night, and
on the following day came the judi
cial examination. The first three
witnesses confirmed their former
statements on oath. Moreover,
there now appeared three additional
witnesses, viz, the pastors two
farm servants and the dairymaid.
The two former explained how on
the day of the murder they had been
sitting near the open window in the
servants room, and had heard dis
tinctly how the pastor and the man
Niels were quarrelling, and how the
former had cried out. 81 will slay
thee, dog! thou shalt lie dead at my
feet" They added that they had
twice before heard the pastor threat
en- Niels with the like. The dairy
maid deposed that on the night
when Larsen saw the pastor in the
garden, she was lying awake in bed,
and heard the door leading from the
passage into the garden creak; and
that when she rose and peeped out
she saw the pastor, in his dressing
gown and night-cap, go out into the
garden. What he did there she saw
not; but about an hour afterwards
she again heard the creaking of the
door.


When asked what he had to say


in his defence, the pastor replied so


lemnly, $50 help me God, l will sa!


nothing but the truth. 1 struck de


ooouad NTH 4bo a,,a1o 1o,,f mt other