The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-04-05
SAINT PAUL, FRIDAY, APRIL s. 1861.

Andrew Allan would appear, in the door
of his chamber, and implore them not to
leave him. Long before daylight the house
was again thronged. A crowd rushed up
stairs, to the great relief of the watchers,
who hastened to acquaint them with what
had occurred. Great excitement began to
be manifested. The people needed some
one to lead them, and no one had the cour-
age to approach with the intention of open
ing the door of the terrible apartment. At
this juncture some one cried out,
erin for the curate rim for the curate T.
This good man, a Mr.. Hanlyside, lived
in a neighboring hamlet, preferring the
quiet he enjoyed there to the noise in the
busy town of Haddington. He is still alive
and beloved by everybody; but, since his
participation in the mysterious horrors Of
the third night, he has been regarded as q
man having knowledge of things which no
mortal ought to possess.
He cheerfully obeyed the summons, and
repaired to the blacksmiths house. 1t was
now after sunrise. The people gathered
around their pastor and told him what had
happened. He paused a moment in deep
meditation, and then entered the dreaded
chamber. Not more than three persons &C.
cOmpanied him-the others, as each one
passed the door and looked into the room,
pressed their hands over their eyes and fled
into the street, utteriug loud cries.
remember the distant chimes of St.
Giles, reaching our hearing at this moment,
accorded sadly with the whisper to which
Mrs. s. had again lowered her voice.
The two benches, supporting the feet Of
Andrew Allan, were found thrown some
distance from where they originally stood,
as if they had been kicked with some vio-
lence. The dead body was consequently in
a half sitting posture. The eyes were again
open, and this time gazing at some hing
nearer-very much nearer, than what they
had stared at on the previous night. The
hands were unlocked, and thrust forward, as
if to implore or resist; the physiognomy,
without any change in the facial lines, be-
tokened the most agonizing alarm; while the
general attitude inclined the beholder to the
belief that the body had been stifened in
an attempt to rise up and make its escape.
Some of the persons who had fed from the
house had Allan's death struggle so forcibly
recalled by these appearances, that they de-
clared his voice was issuing from the corpse,
and repeating bis dying word " Back
back-awa' wi ye it is ma sac written J"
Under the encouragement and direction
of the curate, the body was re-adjusted. He
proposed to the people that the should bury
it at nee but they would not violate the
old Highland custom, especially since "it
was but ane night mair."
The news had by this time spread in eve
ry direction. People came from Edinburgh
and Glasgow. Crowds poured in from the
neighboring towns and hamlets, until at
twelve O'Clock, the streets of HaddiDgton
could not hold them. No doubt more than
a thousand persons visited the rooms up
stairs in the blacksmith's house, and hun.
dreds offered to watch with Mr.. Handyside,
and accompany him into the dead mans
chamber at the first unusual sound, Ior
such was the curate's purpose, frequently
avowed in the course of the day. but when
that good man, a few hours after nightfall,
mounted the stairs with bis candles and bis
Bible, only four men followed him. Seated
at table, be calmed the tears of his com
panions, by boldly investigating the awful
facts subjected to their consideration. He
acknowledged his belief to be that snper-
natural agency was at work, and insisted
that the citizens of Haddington should trea-
sure up the circumstance as a warning
against diss0luteness. Perhaps" said he,
with hesitation, as if the idea be wished to
advance was incomprehensible even to HIM
self, perhaps, in this case, death has been
too eager-so that disease could not com
plete its Office of bodily punishment, and
there is yet in the disturbed corpse soul
less sensibility, over which conscience and
Satan have cOntr0l-not that | wish to
Judge Andrew Allan. God iorbidv'
He read such passages from his Bible as
had bearing upon the personality of the
Internal Being and impressed them upon
the minds of his hearers, by repeating, with
happy emphasis, the sublime paraphrase
of Milton:
g. Forthwith upright he rears from off the pool
His mighty stature on each hand the flames
Driven backward, slope their pointing spires
In pillows, leave in the midst q horrid vale.
Then with expanded wings he steers his
fight
Aloft, incumbent on the dusky air.
Mr.. Handyside thought it was in the ad-
joining room--his friends thought it was,
perhaps, in the street. among the crowd
but there was a wall-a subdued sound
like vantriloqual shriek-a voice pro-
nouncing the words back back ava
wi ye. I'm not to be bruised-I'm the
seed o. the woman !" Almost simultane-
ously with this there was a crash. The
benches were all dashed away from under
the boards, and the body rolled upon the
floor. The curate started to his feet, but
his companions held him back. Clinging
to one another they listened in a sort Of
asphyxia for what was to follow. They
heard q step, as of being barefooted-
heavy. The house shook, and the sound
would have been much louder, if the foot,