Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-11-13

more than three persons accompanied him
the others, as each one passed the d0or and
looked into the room, pressed their hands
over their eyes and fled into the street, utter
ing loud cries.
I remember the distant chimes Of St. Giles,
reaching our hearing at this moment, accord
ed sadly with the whisper to which Mrs. s.
had again lowered her voice!
The two benches supporting the feet Of Ar
drew Allan, were found thrown some distance
from where they originally stood, as ifthey had
been kicked with some violence. The dead
body was consequently in half sitting pos
ture. The eyes were again opened; and at
the time gazing at something ncarcr-very
much nearer, than what they had stared at
on the previous night. The hands were un-
locked and thurst forward, as if to impiurc or
resist; the phySiognOmy. without any change
in the facial lines, bctokened the most RgOni-
zing alarm while the general attitude inclined
the beholdcr to the belief, that the body had
been stitlencd III an attempt 10 rise up and
make its escape. Some Of the persons who
had fled from the house, had Allan's death
struggle so fnrcibly recalled by these appear
anceS, that they declared his voice was issuing
from his corpse, and repeating his dying
| ~
written"
Under the encouragement and direction Of
the curate, the body was rc-adjuSted. lie
proposed to the people that they should bury
it at once but they would not violate the old
Highland custom especially since "it was but
one night mair."
The news had by this time spread in every
direction. Persons came from Edinburgh and
Glasgow Crowds poured in from the ncgh-
boring town aud hamlets until, at twelve
o'clock, the streets Of lIaddington could not
hold them. No doubt more than thousand
persons visited the rooms up stairs in the
blacksmith'S house, and hundreds offered to
watch with Mr.. liandySide, and accompany
him into the dead mans chamber at the first
unusual sound, for such was the curatcs pur-
pose, frequently avOwed in the course Of the
day. but when that good man, a few hours Of.
ter night-iall, mounted the stairs with his can.
dies and his Bible, only four men followed
him. Seated at n table, he calmcd the fears oI
his companions, by boldly investigating the
awful facts subjected to their consideration.
He acknowledged his belief to be that super.
natural agency was at work, and insisted that
the citizens Of Ilnddington should treasure up
the circumstance AZ warning against dissO
lutcncss. "Pcrhaps," said he with hesitation
as if the idea he wished to advance was in
comprehensive even to himself, 'pcrhaps IL
this case, death has been too eager-so thai
disease could not complete its Office Of bodily
punishment, and there is yet in the disturbed
corpse soullcss sensibility, over which con
science aud Satan have cOntrol--not that
wish to judge Andrew Allan. God forbid ,
lie rcad such passages from his Bible as haC
a bearing upon the personality Of the Intcrna
Being; and impressed them upon the mind'
Of his hearers, by repeating, with happy
emphasis the sublime paraphrascs of Milton
Forthwith upright he rears from of the pool
Ills mighty stature; On each hand the flames
Driven backward, slope their pointing spires On'
In pillows, leave in the midst horrid vale.
Then with expanded wings lie steers his fight
AIoh. incumbent on the dusky mir"
Mr.. lIandysidc thought it was in the othe
room-hiS liicnds that it was, perhaps, in tn
street, among the crOwd--but there was
wail-a subducd sound like n ventrilOquiA
Slirck-a voice pronounCing the words "back
ltack lava wi We. am not to be bruised
FIN the seed o the woman Almost sim
ultaneouSly with this there was a crash. Th'
benches were all dashed away from under tn
boards, and the body rolled upon the floor
The curatc started to his feet, but his com
panions held him back. Clinging to one an
other they listened in a sort Of asphyXia fo
what was to follow. They heard step, as o
being arefootcd-hcavy. The house shooI
and the sound would have been much louder
if the footsteps had not been cautious, stealthy
But soon they heard another noise, like til,
dragging Of a human body over the tioor.-
The four men cried in loud vOice-but sucl
a cry! In its spaSmodic quivering il sounded
like laughter, and from the throngcd streets 9
yell of horror rose upon the midnight air, such
as never yet had been heard for the doomed
corpse was dashed against the partition o.
the two rooms with force far above human
When it fell it was dragged awav, and agair
hurled against tho wall-At each repetition
the concussion producing n sound more anG
more dull. The curate looked every moment
for the wall to be dashed down. lie had now
no one to restrain him he took his candle
and rushed into the room, cxclaiming as he
did so. "it is my duty!"
The noises continued sometime after Mr.
llandySide entered the chamber, but at length
they ceased.
The people became alarmed for their pastor
and several Of them went in 10 his assistance
They found him in swoon, from which they
soon resuScitated him. But they Gazcd around
and-what could they expect to see There
lay the body Of Andrew Allan bruised-bca
ten into quivcring, gelatinous clot of gore
while upon the floor, printed in blood, wcr,
foot prints of gigantic dimensions.
Mr.. llandysidc has never told what he saw
His only answer to the opportunities of hi.
friends has been, 81 thought it was my duty
but | was miStakcn-I committed a SIM
Heaven torgive mC. :"