Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-06-06

substantially, but hesitated to make the frs
movement, hostile or otherwise. There was ,
halt formed supposition in my mind that If
stirred, there would come upon me an onse
by the incubus that I could not withhold thi:
hestancy to action partly overcame by the
circumspect rising of my left arm-it was free
Il moved my right instantly, and contempo
| raneously with that movement the weight upor
my face was removed to my neck A little
| more stealthy investigation, still fearful of ar
attack by an insduous enemy, and found
that my right hand and arm as far as the elbow
was temporarily paralyzed, or in that condi
tion usually called sasleep : that the hand was
! cold and without sensibiiity and that it wa.
the object that had rested upon my face.
Of course, was much elated at the discov-
! cry, and ashamed that had been so easily a.
larmed at an accident that was susceptible OF
| so easy an explanation. In order to give to
my wife an account of the absurd occurrence
| L turned over, my present position being re-
| clination upon my back. In my relief conse-
| quent upon what considered correct expla-
| nation of my fright: the weight upon my chest
| had been forgotten; no, the change of my po-
| sition recalled it very unpleasantly and inop-
| portuney, even before l had touched my wife.
| Imagine, If you can, the result of this sud-
| den knowledge that my oppressor had OF been
| explained away. Think how quickly all the
| reasons which had been carefully revolved from
| the mental perplexites in which l had be en-
| entanglcd, were effectually controverted and
| how absolutely mystery and frantic horror "a
| gain swayed the scepter. There was, then, a
| being or things in the room that did not belong
there, never had been there previous to that
night, and my deductions were faulty. The
result was, that lost all control over my pas
sions-that l was lashed into q fury of des-
pair, by the fear of the presence Of super
natural being.
Casping the object upon my breast with my
left hand, with my right nerved with terror
knowing no restraint, and numbed to all SEN
sation of pain by reason of its paralysis,
| struck heavy, treacherous blows. 1t had soft
hair, and at this l pulled and tugged, in this
| paroxysm of horror. In my great agony of
mind, shrieked for raid-notwithstanding my
efforts encountered no resStance-and called
! to jessie TO awaken. There was no response.
| The passive submission to blows of the object
grasped by my left hand, was extraordinary
the silence of my wife unaccountable.
Then, for the first time during the struggle
did think of Jessie's remarkably sound sluln-
Der, and connect Herewith the burden. could
not seperate the identity of my wife from that
of the object of my vengeance.
Pushing the weight aside, [ leaped from the
bed and lighted the gas My wife was dead.
1t was her head-that had so often fondled,
playing with its silken tresses-kissing those
dear lips-looking into those Iustrous eyes
that had so confidently reposed upon my breast.
Yet not more than five minutes had elapsed
since my awakening.
/ can't believe that am her murderer even
though the law so seals me with the crime.
But that arm now shrivelled and witbered
into its present form, came not so by a punish
ment from heaven. After my condemnation,
doubling as did my agency in her death, yet
hating the instrument that had known no pity
gentleness in its blows, | held it, that arm,
,Eoa Il e. Al.
til the flames sapped its life, blackened its
beauty, and burned out of it all semblance of
human form.
These are the reasons why hate it, and
have hated it since that night. 1 am thankful
that my stay on earth is so diminished. When
you have lived lite of solitude such as mine,
with doubt such as mine, for an invisible
companion, You too would gladly seek its con-
clusion in heaven"
The convict died that night. The priSoC
warden confirmed the truth Of the convict's
narrative, adding that the marks of blows up
on the body Of his wife-the absence of all
cause to create a sudden death-and the unfa-
vorable testimony of the witness who had in
terrupted their amusement the evening preyi-
Gus to his wife's decease, were formidable ar
guments against the innocence of the convict
That being convicted, he was sentenced to
death, which sentence was afterwards commu-
ted to imprisonment for ten years.
If the convict's story was true, and had no
reason to believe that it was false, it was cer-
tainly an instance of remarkable completely of
circumstances, sufficient to much embarrasS
both judge and jury. 1t was no doubt case
of unintentional murder, committed by the
convict in a state of frenZy-originated and
finished under the influence of superstitious
mind, too easily excited by such situation as
that in which he had been placed.
hero lodi N III
character-the famous illyAbbott, both small
of stature, and old of his age, and who, by his
humorous wit and wonderful knowledge of ev-
cry littleGncident that made this or that place
particularly charming and interesting to the
historian and the antiquarian, SO ingrafted
himself into the good favors of the great ex-
FOUNDER of the constitution, that he always
gave him a seat in his carriage when he rode
out to visit the beauties of nature. Bily's as
sociates feeling envious account of the hon.
or conferred upon him by this distinguished
man, one day, after Webster's departure, sar-
castically asked Billy, in the crowded bar
room, what he and his friend Webster found
TO converse about as they rode around the
country. Billy replied, sswe usually talk a.
bout horticulture and agriculture, the differ
ent breeds OF cattle aud horses and upon these
subjects derive from him great deal OF USE
full information and upon such topics l find
him little more than my match-but the mo-
ment'-said he enthusiastically, with a ges-
ture and a tone of voice becoming the orator
himself-ssbut the moment he aludes to the
constitution, can floor him in minute 20
which was received with great applause, and
the Banquo of Envy never again afronted
Daniels rustic favorite.
s.Bridget' who, as usual, entertains an
exalted opinion of the good things of the old
country, was asked by her mistress if they
had any pies where.she she formerly lived in