Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-06-09

| the ground, sometimes standing, sometimes
lying at intervals sleeping heavily, and when
not sleeping silently broodng what was to
come, and talking aloud, in disordered speech,
OF his wrongs, of his home, and of those he
loved.
In this pitabe condition the sixth and last
morning dawned upon Vivenyio, if dawn IL
might be cafed-the din obscure light which
family struggled through the one solitary
window of his dungeon. lie could hardly I've
said to notice the melancholy token. And vet
| he did not notice it; for, as he raised his ewes
and saw this portentiOus sign, there was a sligbt
convuisive distortion Of his countenance But
what did attract his notice and at the sight of
which his agitation was excessive was the
change his iron had undergone II was bed
no longer 1t stood before him the visible
| semblance Of funeral couch or bier When
ne beheld this he started from the ground. and
in raising himself Suddenly struck his head
against the roof, which now was 50 low that
he could no longer stand upright Gods will
be DONE" was all he said, as he crouched his
body, and placed his hands upon the bier for
such it was.
The iron bedstead had been so contrivcd. hy
the mechanical art of Lndovico Sorze, that as
the advancing walls came in contact with its
head and feet, pressure was produced upon
concealed springs, which, when made to plsr,
set in motion very simple though ingeniously
contriyed machinery, that effected the trans
formation. The object was, of course. 10
heighten in the closing scene of this horrible
drama, all the feelings of despair and anguish
which the preceding ones had aroused. For
the same reason, the last window was so made
as to admit only shadowy kind of gloom
rather than light, that the Eretched captive
might be surrounded, as it were with every
seeming preparation for approaching death.
Fivenzio seated himself on his bier. Then
he knelt and and prayed ferTcntly and some
times tears would gush forth The air seemed
thick, and he breathed with difficulty or il
might be that he fancied il was so, from the hot
and narrow limits Of his dungeon, which were
now so diminished that he could neither stand
up nor lie down at his full length But his
wasted spirits, and oppressed mind no longer
struggled within him. He was past hope, and
fear shook him no more. Happy if thus rs.-
venge had struck its final blow for he would
have fallen beneath it almost unconscious Of e.
pang. But such q lethargy Of the soul, after
such an excitement Of its 6ercest passions. had
entered into the diabolical calculations Of Tolf,
and the fell arti6cer of his designs had irnsgin-
ed counteracting device
The tolling of an enormous bell struck upon
the ears of Vivenzio He started. Il beat
but once. The sound was so close and stun
ming. that il seemed 10 shatter his TerT brain.
while it echoed through the rocky passages
like reverberating peals Of thunder This vas
followed i.E a sudden crash Of the 100. and
walls as If they were about to fall uryOn erd
close around hin al once. Eiyenzio screamed.
and instinctively spread forth his arms as
though he had giants strength TO hold them
back. They had moved nearer to him, and
were now motionless. Vivenzio looked M. aud
saw the roof almost touching his head, eren
as he sat covering beneath II: and he felt that
q further contraction Of bat few inches only
m1st commence the frightfnI operation Rou7-
e1 as he had been now gaSped for breath
His body shook violently be was bent nearly
double His hands rested upon either wall.
and his feet were drawn under him 70 avoid the
pressure in front Thus he remained for more
than an hour, when that deafening bell sounded
again and again there came the crash of horrid
death Bat the coacussiol was ROW 50 great
that il struck Vivenz;o down. As he lar
gathered up in lessened bulk, the be!l beat lou1
and frequent : crash succeeded crash and on,
came the mysterious engine Of death, till
I Vivenzio's snothered grosns we're heard 10
more He was horribly crushed By the ronie--
Gus roof and collaps;ng sides ani the dattc1-
. ed bier was his Iron Stroud