Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-09-14
Aisre1tang.
The Dead Arm.
"Do YOU see that arm?"

The convict, wasted by fierce dis
ease, raised himself to sitting posture
in the bed with much la Dor, and lifting his
withered right arm with the other,
clutched it as if he would wiring it from
its socket, as a traitorous member of
his body. .-i 4 :f F1Gl=
b "That arm did it," and he glared
vengefully upon it, and shook it fercely.
"Did what?"
"Did murder! Put me here to live a
buried life for ten long years. Oh! how
long they have been [ have counted
them hour after hour in my cell. How
long can live; at the most?'' *st
,"Three hours-perhaps four 81
'Too long to live, but sufficient time
in which to tell my story. IF you be-
lieve it, it will be more than judge or
jury have DONE Would you deceive
when on your death bed?
"My marriage to the girl 1 had long
loved, and WHO loved me with love far
exceeding my most sanguine hopes, is
tile point, as far as regards the nice ap-
plicability of the past events to present
certainties. at which my narrative COM
mences. Dating from the day of that
marriage, there begins a succession of
misfortunes, that insignificant at their
birth, were gradually moulded together
by exeeraneous contingencies, until
they eliminated in an act foul and ter
rible if premeditated or intended, that
made me branded felon.
'My wife and I never quarreled.-
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 exultation of
spirits, we performed acts that, to per-
sons unacquainted with us and our cir
cumstances, might seem seasoned with
carnestness. ,.
'sTo such misunderstanding, by q
third person, may be attributed the ori-
gin of reports that we, my wife and l,
lived an unhappy life-a life of turmoil
of blows. p.
"Many around us held to such an
opinion, but from mere ignorance of the
exact nature of our lives. 't '-
"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
transgressed those laws that should pre-
serve the person of the wife from blow
or contumely IF it we're possible to
exist without jarring discord, to turn
the sweetest sympathies into bitter. ha-
tired, ours was that existence. Yet it
availed me not in the dark day that
came upon my household; but rather Of
fered opportunities by which to
strengthen an apparent outlines
"iJessie,' I said to my wife, one
evening, do you stand ON one side, OF
the room, while I take position on the
other. Give me ball Of yarn from the
basket, and then whoever is hit with
the ball the greatest number of times
shall make present to the other. A
nice present, of course. ~
sIf.I lose, my present shall be a
dressing gown, said Jessie, tbut you
know you II have to, pay for it, i b
It will be just as acceptable an.
swered, But if [ lose you shall have
the ring with the emerald and pearls
aThen the soft ball of yarn flew
quickly from hand to hand, We all th<
time laughing and talking in great glee
A knock at the door, and an acquaint
ance entered, finding our faces flushed
with the excitement of the contest anc
each uncertain who was the vauauished
I declared she lad won the ring, ane
promised to put it upon her finger th'
next day; which day, to her alive, neye
came. .'..'" a. mn
"About two o'olock that night I wa
awakened to consciousness. by one Q
those inexplicable preternatural promo
tions of near danger which are often en-
countered, but generally in sceptica
spirit. ........- ..--.-,.
'aMy mind was clear to reason-no
having it's delicate powers blunted b,
sleep. Scarcely were my eyes uncloset
before 1 became cognizant of the pres
ence of cold, clammy nature, by it
loathsome contact with my face, and b,
its pressure upon my bosom, whereof,
1t nearly stilled the beating Of m,
heart. Naturally, / am not a coward
but the knowledge of the presence o
this burden, combined with utter dark
ness, creator of fierce fear, completed
unnerved me, and my body shook lik
an aspen leaf.
" "The quiet condition of this body
which appertained not to myself or m:
wife-its mysterious situation-an
above all, the moist, chilly contact witt
my face, deprived me for an instant Q
self.posscssion. The Gathering of