Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-05-27
The Dream-Warning.

A remarkable circumstance is related by Mrs.
Cathorine Ciowe, in "The Night Side of Ma
ture," as having occurred at Odessa, in tho year
1912. An old blind man, named Michael, had
for many years been accustomed to get his living
by seating himself every morning on beam, in
one of the timber-yards, with wooden bowl at
his feet, into which the passengers cast their
aims. This long continued practice had made
him we'll known to the inhabitants and, as he
WAS believed 10 have been formerly soldier,
his blindness was attributed TO the numerous
wounds he had received in battle. For his own
part he spoke little, and never contradicted this
opinion. One night Michael, by some accident,
fell in with little girl of ten years old, named
Pawleska, who was friendless, and on the verge
of perishing with cold and hunger. The old
man took her home and adopted her and from
that time, instead of sitting in the timber-yard,
he went about the streets in her company, ask
ing aims at the doors of the houses. The child
callad him father, aud they were slse~emely hap-
py together. But when they had pursued this
mode of life for about FIVE years misfortune be-
fell them. A theft having been asmInitted in
house which they had visited ID the morning,
Paweska was suspected and arrested, and the
blind man was once more left alone. But, in
stead of resuming his former habits, he now dis
appeared altogether, and, this circumstance eau
sing the suspicion to extend to him, the girl
was brought before the magistrate to be interro-
gated with regard to his probale place of conceal
ment.
" Do you know where Michael is " inquired
the magistrate.
"He is dead r. replied she, shedding torrent
Of tears.
As the girl had beenshut up for three days without
any means of obtaining information from without
this answer, together with her uneigned distress,
naturally excited considerable surprise.
"Who told you he was deadly they inquired
Nobody"
Then how can you know it 7"
saw him killed
But you have never been opt of the prisOn?'
" But saw il nevertheless r
" But how Is that pOssble' Explain what
you mean"
Z" cannot. All can say is, that saw him
killed."
When was he killed, and how ?"
1t was the night was arrested"
That cannot be ; he was alive when you
were seized p
eyes, he was : he was killed one hour after
) that they stabbed him with knife "
"Where were you then ??
J l can't tell, but saw it."
The confidence with which the girl asserted
5 what seemed to her hearers impossible and alb
surd, disposed them to imagine that she was Ell
ther really insane, or pretending to be so so
: leaving Michael aside, they ipfdsaeded to inter.
5 rogate her about the robbery, asking her if she
: was guilty?
: "Oh no she answered.
: "Then how came the property to be found
G about you ?"
t I" l don't know | saw nothing but the mur-
e der"
a I" But there are no grounds for supposing Mi
t chel is dead his body has not been found"
i " 1t is in the aqueduct."
" And do you know who slew him ?"
d I" Yes it is woman. Michel was walking
: very slowly, after was taken from him. A wO
$ man came behind him with large kitchen knife
o but he heard her, and turned round and ther
s the woman flung piece Of grey stuff over hil
y head, and struck him repeatedly with the knife
o The gray stuff was much stained with blood
e Michel fell at the eighth blow, and the woman
it dragged the body to the aqueduct, and let it fal
e in without ever lifting the stuff which stuck tt
k his face"
o AS it was easy to verify these latter assertions
they despatched people to the spot; and there lh
= body was found, with tho piece of stuff over hi
c head, exactly as she had described. But, whe
+ they asked her how she knew all this, she cou
st only answer, " don't know"
l. But you know who killed him ?"
d " Not exactly it is the same woman that pu
e out his eyes but perhaps, be will tell me he
1t name to night and if he does will tell it t
e you"
1t Who do you mean by he ?"
IT "Why, Michel, to be sure !"