Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1875 — A Romance and a Tragedy. [ARTICLE]

A Romance and a Tragedy.

Fergus Falls, Minn., is the locality or a romance and a tragedy of no common order. Among the people who have lived for some time at Fergus Falls are, or rather were, a young man named Thomas Nelson and a Miss Anderson. Two years ago Miss Anderson and Nelson were engaged to be married, but the date of the wedding was not fixed. It was the old story; the man must win the fortune necessary to establish a home before the marriage could take place. Full of hope, Nelson left Fergus Falls and emigrated to the pineries of Wisconsin, and began the resolute struggle for money to accomplish his ends. Two years of hard labor surprised him; he was shrewd, energetic and honest, and he prospered in the pineries. Then, a few weeks ago, he returned to Fergiis Falls to claim Miss Anderson, and to establish her in the home he had labored for. He found the woman he had hoped to marry changed. He was steadfast, but her wandering fancy had settled upon another man to whom she was reported engaged. Nelson had expected to be married at once upon his return, and the falseness of the woman stunned him. He went about dazed and sad, but expressed himself to no one. On the 23d of April a grand party was held by the young people of Fergus Falls in a vacant building of which Nelson was part owner. He was present at the party, and during the evening Miss Anderson also arrived in company with her latest flame. She danced occasionally and Nelson looked at her apparently without agitation, though at heart he doubtless endured all the agony strong men suffer when they yield themselves up fully to the passion which is most removed from reason. Finally Miss Anderson took a seat and Nelson approached her. She gave him her hand and he was heard to remark: “ Why are you here to-night; don’t you know I cannot bear to see you here?” The lady rose and the two walked to another seat, when Nelson, standing before the girl, was again heard to say: “You know 1 cannot bear to see you here,” and while he spoke he was seen reaching into his pocket behind him. Suddenly he drew forth a small revolver, and, placing it against the lady’s breast, fired. Shrieking, Miss Anderson darted past Nelson and down the stairway. Nelson instantly turned himself about, threw his head back and discharged the weapon at his own heart. Without uttering a word he sprang forward nearly fifteen feet as the report died away, dropped the pistol and fell to the floor, dead. When Miss Anderson fled she was followed by her friends, and it was discovered upongthe street that the bullet intended for her had flattened itself upon the steel of her corset and retained barely force enough in its passage to lodge beneath the skin. So ended the tragedy. They examined the body of the man lying upon the ball room floor, and in his pockets found g tes and a large sum of money, enough to begin housekeeping with. They found something else carefully wrapped npand laid away among his valuables. It was a heavy gold ring and had been intended by Nelson as a wedding-ring for the woman who deserted him. The dancers withdrew from the hall and there <he body was prepared for burial. The next day there came to the express office a package addressed to Nelson —the package containing his wedding-suit—and it arrived just in time to serve as his shroud. Neatly clad in the. wedding clothes the body was laid out and visited by many of the citizens, who bad long respected the character of the dead man, and among those who came was the woman who had been false to him and whom he had tried to kill. Throwing herself repeatedly upon the coffin, her reproaches and protestations of love were earne'st and affecting, but they brought no life to the dead man. Miss Anderson proved herself a thorough woman, cruel to herself and the man she loved, fickle, and repentant all too late. It was a very complete romance, the affair at Fergus Falls, and touched the heart of everybody. The last ceremonies over the dead were earnest and imposing. As in Enoch Arden’s village the little town had seldom seen a nobler funeral.— St. Louis Republican. —Edward Gay, whose parents live in Jersey City Heights, was placed in an asylum for juveniles in New York, for discipline. There he and some other lads loaded a piece of gas-pipe with powder and fired it. A piece of the pipe struck Gay in the eye and destroyed that member. The son has been taken from the asylum and a suit for SIO,OOO instituted against the guardians in the asylum. The asylum is incorporated by the Legislature of the State and the guardians become security for the safety of those intrusted to their charge.