Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-09-14

blind, or the nibbling of mouse,
seemed like a peal of thunder to my
ears; the overstrained eye saw, or
seemed to see, ghostly shapes pendant
from the chandelier to the bed-post.
II dared not shout aloud nor change
my position in bed for fear that my
throat would be clutched by the incubus
that sat like hideous night mare fully
developed into reality upon my chest.
~ experienced such sensation as does
the strong swimmer or the venturous dl-
yer, when coming into bodily contact,
unforewarned, with corpse beneath
the surface of the water-when nature
acts like an electric battery, and dis
charges volumes of fear at the slightest
movement; or like one in the dark, who
encounters a,skeleton.
II was peculiarly situated; surrounded
by an immensity of terror; expansive, in
asmuch as it draped thoughts and mo-
tions in habiliments that gave them a gi-
gantic appearance; immersed in a sea of
dread and doubt, and finally completely
cowed by fear. ':a' /. 49,.
CHOW reason made its appeal to the
frightened soul. The mere conscious
ness of bodily contact with this invisi-
bility suggested its substantiability, but
I hesitated to make the first movement,
hostile or otherwise. There was half
formed supposition in my mind that if I
stirred there would come upon me an on
set by the incubus that could not with
hold; this hesitancy to action 1 partly
overcame by the circumspect rising of
my left arm-it was free. 1 moved my
right instantly, and cotemporaneously
with that movement, the weight upon
my face was removed to my neck. A
little more stealthy investigation, still
fearful of an attack by an insidious en-
emy, and I found that my right hand
an d the arm as far as the elbow was tenn
porarily paralyzed, or in that, condition
called asleep that the hand was cold
and without sensibility. and that it was
the object that had rested upon my face.
"Of course I was much elated at the
discovery, and ashamed that I had been
so easily alarmed at an incident that was
susceptible of so easy an explanation -
In order to give my wife an account of
the absurd occurrence, I turned over, my
present position being a reclamation upon
my back In my relief, consequent upon
what | considered correct explanation,
the weight upon my chest had been for
gotten; no, the change of my position re-
called it very unpleasantly and lnoppor-
timely, even before I had touched my
wife. - L. "-
a" Imagine, if you can, the result of this
sudden knowledge that my oppressor had
not been explained away. Think how
quickly all the reasons which had been
carefully involved from the mental per-
plexities in which 1 had been entangled
were effectually controyerted: and how
absolutely mystery and frantic horror
again swayed the scepter. .-.s}
''There was, then, being or thing in
the room that did not belong there, never
had been there previous to that night,
and my deductions were faulty. The re-
suit was that [ lost all control over my
passions-that was lashed into fury
of despair by the fear of the presence OF
a supernatural being.
"Clasping the object upon my breast
with my left hand, with my right nerved
with terror knowing no restraint, and
numbed to all sensation of pain by rea-
son of its paralysis, I struck heavy,
treacherous blows. I had soft hair, and
at this [ pulled and tugged in this par
oxysm of terror. In my great agony of
mind I shrieked for aid d-notwithstand-
ing my efforts encountered no resistance,
and called to Jessie to awaken! There
was no response. The passive submis-
sion to blows of the object grasped by
my left hand was extraordinary-the ST.
lence Of my wife unaeeountable. ~ r..
"Then for the first time during the
struggle, did I think of Jessie's remark
able sound slumber, and connect there
with the burden. / could not separate
the identity of my wife from that of the
object Of my vengeance. Eaza "a a'tgt'
sPu shing the weight aside, leaped
from the bed and lighted the gas. Q
"My wife was dead! = .'-'' ~ -...''5.
ssIt was her head-that I had SO often
foadled, played with its silken tresses-
kissing those dear lips-looking into
those lustrous eyes-that had so conf
IDENTIFY -reposed upon my breast. Yet
not more than five minutes had elapsed
since my awakening. s.-.t -,
II can't believe that I am her mur,
derer, even though the law SO seals me
with the crime. .fars.r ..g s..-..; ..t
ssBut that arm now so shriveled and
withered into its present form, came not
so by punishmentIfrom Heaven. AT.
ter my condemnation, doubling as 4 did
my agency in her death, yet hating the
instrument that had known no pity OF
gentleness in its. blows, ], held it, thai
arm as asacrifce to my dead wife, in the
fire, until the flames sapped its life
blackened its beauty, and burned out oi
it all semblance of human form. Il 5-.
''These are the reasons why hate it
and have hated it since that night. ~ j
am thankful that my stay upon earth il
so diminished. When you have lived
life of solitude such as mine, with
doubt such as mine for an invisible com
panion, you too would gladly seek it
conclusion y o.. *Jieaf*aga.* X 9r
The convict died that night ThI
prison warden confirmed the truth of tn,
cenvict's narrative, adding that the mari
of blows upon the body of his wifeAtha
ABSENCE of all cause to create suddel
ideath--and the unfavorable testimon,
of the witness Who had interrupted thei,
amusement the night previous to hi
wife's decease, were formidable argu
ments against the innocence of the con
vict. sd5 IS %. I'D. aaIar....' sr, q,
That, being convicted, he was sen
L I I - Il! n