New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-10-18

nearer than what they had stared at ON the previous
night. The hands were unlocked and thrust forward
as il to impore or resist tile physioguomy without
any change in the facial lines 6etokene{ the most
agonizing alarm while tile general attitude inclined
the hehoder TO the belief that the body had been
stihened in the attempt to rise up aud make its es
cape. Some OF the persons who had fed from the
house had Allen deathstrugge forcbly recalled by
these appearances, that they declared his voice
issuing from his corpse, and repeating his dying
words, Back! back-wa' wi ye it's ma sac writ.
ten ~
Under the encouragement and direction Of the Gu
rate, the body was Teadusted. He proposed to the
people that they should bury it at once; but they
would not violate the old Highland CUSTOM especially
since I" it was but ane night matr."
The news had by this time spread N every direc.
ton. Persons came from Edinburg and Glasgow,
Crowds poured in from the neighboring towns and
hamets until at twelve o'clock, the streets OF Had.
dington could not hold them, No doubt more than
thousand persons visited the room up stairs in the
blacksmith's house, and hundreds offered to watch
with Mr.. Handyside, and accompany him into the
dead mans chamber at the first unusual sound (for
such was the curates purpose frequently ayowed in
the course OF the day,l but when that good man. a
few hours after nightfal mounted the stairs with
his candles and his bible. only four men followed him
Seated at table, he Gained the fears of his compan
ions by boldly investigating the awful facts subjected
to their consideration he acknowledged his belief
to be that supernatural agency was at work, and
insisted that the citizens Of Haddngton should treas
ure up the circumstance a warning against dissO-
luteness. Perhaps said he with hesitation, as if
the idea he wished to advance was neomprehensible
even to himself, perhaps in this case, death has
been too edger-s0 that disease could not complete
its office OF bodily punishment, and there is yet in
the disturbed corpse souess sensbility over which
conscience and Satan have control-not that ! wish
to Judge Andrew Allen. God forbidW
He read such passages from his Bible as had a
bearing upon the personality Of the Internal Being
and impressed them upon the minds of his hearers
by repeating, with happy emphasis, the sublime
paraphrases Of Milton:
Forthwith uprghthe from off the pool
Hismighty stature; each hand he flames
Fiysn slope their pointing spires and rolled
Then nSS S saSs e S 6 @i st hoFS yf
Alot, incumbent on the dusky air,A-
Mr.. Handyside thought it was in the adjoining
room-his friends that it was, perhaps in the street.
among the crowd-but there was a wail-a subdued
sound like ventriloquia shriek-a voice pronounce
ing the words, Back back ava wi ye. FIN not
to be bruised-Im the seed O the woman!" Almost
simultaneously with this there was a crash The.
benches were all dashed away from under the boards
and the body rolled upon the floor. The curate
started to his feet, but his companions held him back
Clingng to one another, they listened in a sort Of
asphyxia for what was to follow They heard step as
of being barefuoted-heavy. The house shook and
the sound would have been much louder if the foot
steps had not been cautious stealthy But soon they
heard another noise, like the dragging of human
body over the floor. The four men cried in a loud
voice-but such cry In its spasmodic uuvering
it sounded like laughter and from the thronged
streets yell of horror upon the midnight air,
such as never yet had been heard for the doomed
corpse was dashed against the partition separating
the two rooms with force far above human. When
il fell it dragged away, and again hurled against
the wall each repetition the conclusion producing
a sound more and more dull The curate looked
every moment for the wall to be dashed down. He
had now no one to restrain him; he took his candle
and rushed into the room, excaiming, as he did so,
f" ii is my duty |"
The noises continued sometime after Mr.. Handyside
entered tile chamber, but at length they ceased
The people became alarmed for their pastor and
several Of them went to his assistance They found
him in Q swoon, from which they soon resuscitated
him. But they gazed around and-what could they
expect to seel There lay the body Of Andrew Allen
brused-bsaten into quivering, gelatinous clot Of
gore while upon the floor, printed in blood, were
footprints Of gigantic dimensions
Mr. Handysde has never told what he saw. His
only answer to the opportunities Of his friends has
been, II thought if was my duty, but was mistaken
II committed sin. Heaven forgive me-"