The Sun.
London, England, 1833-07-15 00:00:00

FATAL FROLIC.—About twenty years ago,
a young gentleman, remarkable for strong nerve, was at a
party consisting of a few friends, where ghosts and super-
natural agency became the subject of conversation. After
a few remarks by some of the party, the young gentleman's
opinion was asked, when he firmly declared he bad no
belief whatever in such nonsense, and would as soon meet
a herd of ghosts as a flock of sheep, and would no more
mind passing a night in a reputed haunted house than by
his own fireside. One or two of the party determined to
try his nerve, and one gentleman in particular offered to
wager him a dozen of wine that he would be afraid to sit
up a'l night with a corpse. He instantly accepted the bet,
provided he was allowed a fire, a pair of pistols, and a
glass of grog, and his own house being made the scene of
the trial of his nervous faculties. These terms being
agreed to, the parties separated, the next evening being
appointed for the decision of the bet. The time came,
and everything being in readiness—pistols, fire, and grog
—the corpse was brought in by the party who laid the
wager, assisted by a friend, enveloped in a large sheet,
placed in a coffin, and set down in the middle of the room.
At this instant the young hero was called down from the
room to speak to a person upon some tiifling business,
which he instantly despatched, and returned up stairs.
The parties who brought the corpse in, after wishing him
a good night, were on the point of departure, when he
earnestly said to them, " Now, if any tricks are attempted
to be played with me, I will fire at that corpse, if one it
is, for I strongly suspect it is a living being." They made
no further answer to this threat than these ominous words
--." Remember twelve o'clock 1" He was then left alone.
He stirred his fire, sipped his grog, and made himself as
comfortable as he possibly could. At length the solemn
hour of midnight arrived. As the last stroke of the clock
vibrated on his ear, he distinctly saw the corpse begin to
move. He snatched a pistol from the table, advanced to
the coffin, anti exclaimed, " If you stir another step, I
will fire !" To this injunction he received no answer--
the supposed corpse rose up in the coffin, and stepped out.
He repeated his threat—it still advanced—he fired, and
the bullet was thrown in his face by the corpse. He fell
to the ground with a piercing shriek, and rose a lunatic—
in which wretched state he remained till his death, which
happened about a year after this tragic and truly heart-
rending scene occurred. A more lamentable instance of
cruel folly perhaps never occurred. Had but its victim
for a moment reflected, he would have been saved ; but
the idea of the bullet being returned, or perhaps that of
shooting a fellow-creature, took such an effect on his nerve
that reason forsook her empire, never more to return. A
moment's forethought would have saved him. During
the time he was called out of the room to speak to the
perso❑ who wished to see him (who was a patty con-
cerned), the bullets were drawn from the pistols, and
given into the hands of the corpse, who was likewise one
of the party who was present when the wager was laid.
The occurrence is never thought of by either of the actors
in this fatally-foolish affair, but it occasions a sigh or a
pang of remorse.••• Greenock Intelligencer.