New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-01-14

A Night Of Terror.

WHA
up, % had been, in the sec!nsion OF Puritauical
village in New England, and taught to look uDor the
remains Of fellowbeing as something sacred, which,
although !. IS sown IN corruption it shall be raised in
difference the young disciples Of Escuapius REGARDED
the grinnng corpses which surrounded them. and ss
gusted to see with what cool skill they handled their
glittering knives dripping with the fluids Of decayinr
mortality. had supposed that at least resnectf
silence was observed in such places but ia Iond
laugh and talk and song, which assaiIed nv Ear.
completely undeceived me. S -.s' |
To those persons who have never worn ~. Ian, |
black dissecting gown, tested the sh,rpness n
the scalpel upon subject, It NAV seem strsncs
that could forget my early teachings and become Is
gay ana tnongn1ess as my fellow students were but
let such persons remember that the object Of dssec
ton ls TO teach anatomy-not morals and that the
exuberance Of youthful spirits cannot be lone =.
pressed even by the gloom Of cbarneIhouse. At
any rate, 10 very short time became one Of the
master spirits in all mschievous pranks and wild ID.
ventures, incident to4the life Of medical Student IN
the great metropolis. M $50 '--'..'s
Nothing, however, gave me more pleasure than
the precise location of the graves and nv comnan.
ions would rifle OF their contents at night Nv Com
rades IN inese excursions were generally some Of nv
Ieowstudents, but it often happened that had for
my assistants certain disrepntable Characters fani
iarly known as ysnatches,' or resurrectonists
With these wretches would, on dark nights. drive
fer away from the city, over lonely roads, listening
VIII strange Genght to their coarse jokes and songs
paying them nberay for their services and gaining
not little insight into the mysteries Of their unIaW
full aud hazardous occupation 49,
Notwithstanding my arduous pursuit Of subjects,
for dissection, found must either GET INV mind vo
orousy to work other branches Of medical sciencs
Or be forced to return to my native country without
the long sought for diploma result the yery idea Of
Mnicn was lntolerahle. determined TO change my
iodgngs from near the college buildings TO some quiet
house in the suburbs ofh city in order to seclnde
myself it possible from the intrusion Of nv fellow
students who carried with them the contagious love
Of man,gn. orgies, and who deemed anything like
study very Improbable employment l rented d
small house containing two rooms which had been &C.
Gupied by yonng physician, who, having in vain SO
llcited enough patronage to keep soul and body to-
to the rats, or to poor students like mysef This oc
situated in as quiet part OF the city as nv heart
conid desire TOO quiet, indeed, to be in harmony
Win my usually lively spirits. However, fitted up
tne TWO rooms as elegantly my taste and limited
means allowed and with no very pleasing anticipa
tons commenced my studies
attended the lectures, as usual, during the day.
and poured over my books with commendable ardor
until long after midnight. Indeed, many nights
never closed my eyes in sleep. These vigils com
blned with anxiety concerning my father and an only
sister who, had learned, were dangerously iii with
leVer that was prevailing in New England, brought
on great arrangement of my nervous system the
| most prominent symptom Of which is mental des-
pondency. Imagined some dire calamity was about
70 la aRpn me- fancied the people who lived in
though were some fugitive from Justice. whom it
would be proper to arrest Now the old woman who
kept my house in order had without doubt seen some
awful sights in my rooms, such human skulls, YER
tebr, and some terrific objects in glass lars and had
circulated ugly stories among her gossipng friends
concerning the young DOCTOR which had excited their
curiosity But this view Of the matter would not sat
isy ne mat It was merely curiosity which prompted
people to eye me SO narrowly; for, go where would
imagined was the observed of all observers. These
fancles SO prayed upon my mind, that Stunned ev-
cry person who had the appearance of police oficer
returned nome from college every day before dark
and carefully locked my door, that might not be
seized unawares.
With the exception of this nervous disorder. nv
general health continued good until the lst of Febru
airy. On that day WAS too much depressed men
tally and physically, to attend the lectures.
During the day I remained in bed, suffering ner.
maps more from imaginary than from real Illness In
the evening felt better well enough to sit up be-
perusa was one well calculated to make the blood OF
nervous man run cold with horror; especially when
read on such dismal night as that was II told Of
dreadful murders committed in lonely inns and in the
morbid eagerness how the traveller went to sleep in
bis room in the little wayside inn, with perfect conf.
delce in the integrity of the jolly landlord how at
midnight he thought some fearful nightmare was
pressing with the weight Of tuns upon bis chest
how he awoke only to feel the fingers of his murder
er clutchng his throat and to by the light from
dark lantern the CLEAN of the deadly knife de.
scending to pierce his heart. read how in dismal
forest benIghted traveller was seized, robbed and
murdered; how, months afterwards, his body, par
TALLY devoured by wolves, was found by some peas.
ants, who buried the nameless stranger in deep ra
vine under pile of Stones never to confront his muir.
derers until the morning Of the resurrection. felt
cold chills run over my frame as read on-on with
fearful interest, how murder had been done in the
very heart Of London, and the murderers never de-
tected. read how the body Of the murdered man
was FOUND long after DEATH sitting in his own cham.
Der with book in his decaying fingers, while dark
stains upon the foor as though Shiny serpent had
crawed over it, marked the course of bis LIES blood
!. 1t was midnight before closed the book, and I
then only ceased reading because had perused all
the fearful tales the volume contained Iremember
when arose from my chair that my knees trembled,
and my heart knocked fearfnlly against my lips.
had begun to undress to retire, when heard in
the back room, a low chuckling laugh l-such as
most persons have heard when they have imagined
they were alone, and have been surprised by that
peculiar, understandable laugh, which plainly informs
them that they have been watched by an unseen eye
can truly say would rather face death itself than
again experience the sensations then did. NV dis
ordered nervous system, already wrought to the
highest pitch OF excitement by the bloody tales had
read the late hour, the dark and stormy night and
above all the lonely situation of my home conspred
20 make the moment one of fearfuinserest. NV first
thought was to fly from the house but when took
INTO consideration the wildness Of the night and the
exposure such proceeding would subject me to,
determined to remain and face the dangers whatever
they might be. And, like one Who standing upon
the brink Of some frghtfu abyss, sometimes feels
desire to throw himself of headlong, so felt invol
UNFAIRLY prompted to see who, If any one, was Sc.
creted ia the house. seized the light, threw open
| the doors between the two rooms, and looked in
Nothing unusual met my gaze-everything wasj ust
as had left it. searched every nook and corner
large enough to conceal rat mo one to be seen.
laughed at my fears and was returning, when in the
act of shutting the door, saw distinctly at window
that opened into an alley-a human face suddenly
closed the doors to shut out from my the demo-
niaclaugh that at that moment rang shry above all
the noise Of the midnight Storm stood holding the
door handle afraid to move. Myjudgment seemed to
forsake me for time, but at length came to the
just conclusion that the best plan to secure myself
from danger of the rohber assassin or whatever he
was would be to fasten the door. This Immediately