Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-09-07
The Dead Arm.

|. AAS Aedu xaLWs ~ 4. f.......,=
"Do you see that arm p Ireais sal
The convict, wasted by a fierce disease,
raised himself to sitting posture in the bed.
with much labor, and lifting his withered right
arm with the other, clutched it as if he would
wiring it from it's socket, as traitorous mem
Der of his body. h aI a't,ase assGAar~. g.te +.
{" That arm did it," and he glared vcngc-
fully upon it, and shook it tierccly. 5nf~
"Did what? ~ gaf. l3al obs - u. .... -.-.
Did murdcr!. Put me here to buried
life for ten long years. Oh how long they
have been. I have counted them, hour after
hour in my cell. How long can live, at the
most 2" .r4#s ar.. .ars s7sssss.e7a '.g..-
"Three hours-perhaps FOUR .nutaft.
! Too long to live, but sufficient time in
which to tell you my story. If you believe
it, it will be more than judge or jury have
done. Would you deceive when on your
death-bed?'' ;. s... w.. l...t.f.rss..s -: .
"My marriage to the girl that had long
loved, and who loved me with love far cx-
ceeding my most sanguine hopes, is the point,
so far as regards the nice applicability Of the
past events to present certainties, at which
my narrative commences. Dating from the
day of that marriage, there begins success
sion of misfortunes, that, insignificant at their
birth, were. gradually moulded together by
oXtraneous contingencies, until they culmin-
atcd in an act foul and terrible, if premed-
tated or intended, that made me branded
felon. ..s.g5.l A.. ......r.s. .... -... arr.t +.
"My wife and never quarTelcd. We loved
and revered each other too much to trespass
or trample upon what the other considered
sacred. TO be sure, in mere levity and ex-
ultation Of spirits, we performed acts that, to
persons unacquainted with US and our cir
cumstances, might seem seasoned with earn
estness. No such misunderstanding, by a
third person, may be attributed the origin of
reports that we, my wife and ], lived an un-
happy life--a life of turmoil-of blows. Many
around us held to such an opinion, but from
mere igno. ance of the exact nature of our
lives. .. -.... .-.ra VI. Il .H1
"But I, descending speedily to the grave,
do declare that we never, by word or deed,
transcribed the bounds of our great love for
each other; Or transgrcssed those laws that
should preserve the person of the wife from
blow or contumcly. Ifit were possible to ex-
ist without jarring discord, to turn the sweet
est sympathies into bitter hatred, ours was
that existence. Yet it availed me not in the
dark day that came upon my household but
rather offered opportunities by which to
strengthen an apparent gultiness." m
Jessie" said to my wife, one evening,
"do you stand on one side of the room, while
I take position on the other. Give me a
ball of yarn from the basket, and then who
ever is hit with the ball the greatest number
Of times, shall make a present to the Other
a nice present, of course" al T,,i..5gfl
:" If lose, my present shall be dressing
gown" said Jessie, /" but you know you'll
have to pay for it." 4 IN g...,, - s....
1t win be just as acceptable" answered.
But if lose, you shall have that ring with
the emerald and pearls" r-,n -f,@g
| Then the soft ball of yarn flew quickly
from hand to hand, we all the time laughing
and talking with great glee. A knock at the
door, and an acquaintance entered, finding
our faces flushed with the excitement of the
contest, and each uncertain who was the van
quished. declared that she had won the
ring, and promised to put it upon her finger
the next day; which day, to her, alive, never
came. t.4
!, About two o'clock that night, I was awak-
ened to consciousness by one of those mex
4 plicable pretcrnatural premonitions of near
danger, which are often encountered, but
generally in skeptical spirit. rgiag Il ii
My mind was clear to reason-not having
its delicate powers blunted by sleep. Scarce
lywercmy yesuncloscd, before Ibecame cog
INFANT Of the presence Of cold, clammy ma
ture, by its loathsome cantact with my face,
and by its presence upon my bosom, where
by it nearly stilled the beating of my heart.
Naturally, am no coward; but tho knowl-
edge of the presence of this burthen, combin-
ed with utter darkpess, creator of fierce fear,
completely unncrvcd me, and my body shook
like an aspen leaf. 3-.D T., Fs-.g
The quiet condition of this body which
appertained not to myself or. my wife--its
mysterious situation and above all, the moist,
chilly contact with my face, deprived me for
an instant of self possession. The Gathering
of a blind, or the nibbling Of mouse, seem
cd like peal Of thunder to my cars !; and the
oyerstrained eye saw, or seemed to see,
ghostly shapes pendant from the chandelier
and bed post. I.af-., go.
| dared not shout aloud nor change my
position in bed. for fear that my throat would
be clutched by the incumbus that sat like a
hideous nightmare fully developed into real-
ty upon my chest. $500 n, as,a ts,Il ....,7
| experienced such, sensations as does the
strong swimmer or the yenturous diver. when
comming in bodily contact, unf,rewarped.
with corpse beneath the surface Of the water
when nature acts like am electric, battery,
and discharges volumes Of fear at the slightest
movement; or like one in the dark, who
encounters skeleton. asFsry ,.
| / was peculiarly situated surrounded by
an immcnsity Of terror, expansive, inasmnch
as il drapcd thoughts and motions in .habili,
Tments that gave them gigantic appearance,
Immersed in a sea Of dread and dpu't. and
FNnaliy c6mpiCtcst. t0Wed hy fear