Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-12-19

, what avocation my friend in bed followed
bad forgottehto ask the landlord. / sud
denly cast my eyes on heap of clothes
which lay on trnnk, covered over with
} handkerchief, no doubt belonging TO the
J sleeper. My curiosity got the better o
J my peliteness, and before scarcely knew
what l was about, found myself exsmiu
ing his apparel. The handkerchief which
covered them was a coarse cotton one, and
his clothes were of coarse homespun, and
were such as are usually worn by drovers
My companion then was evidently dro-
vera rough class of men who usually
stand upon very little ceremony.
Partially undressed rs l was, began TO
feel very cold-but before yentured into
bed l determined to try an experiment TO
see if the drover slept soundly or not. l
took off one of my boots, and holding it
up let it fall to the floor. had taken the
precaution to leave the bedroom door open
so that l could make run for it if neces-
sary. l fixed my eyes on the bed as let
the boot fall. The droyer was evidently
a sound sleeper, for, although the noise
made was considerable, he did not make
the slightest motion. This decided me,
and hastily finished undressing and crept
into bed.
OF course was very careful not to
touch my companion. | do not know
how long | lay awake, but the novelty of
my situation drove sleep from my eyelds
for some time. BY degrees, however, the
strangeness of my position wore of. l
felt reassured by my bedfellow's sound
sleep, and the gentle murmuring of the
breeze outside caused me to follow his ex-
ample.
have no idea how long slept before
commenced to dream. lsuddenly, how
ever, thought that my companion woke
up, and sat upright in bed that he glared
around him, and at last his eyes fell upon
me. He then uttered terrible cry and
threw himself upon me. In spite Of my
natural cowardice l saw that if did not
struggle that should be killed. | thought
l seized him by the throat, and Tightening
my grasp, l saw him getting black in the
face. His hands fell powe'lcss by his side,
a smotEered groan escaped him, but still l
pressed his throat tighter, tighter-his face
grew blacker and blacker.
In an agony of fear awoke, and what
was my horror and dismay to fiud that my
hand was really pressing my companions
throat! He did not move nor stir, and his
body felt as cold as ice.
"Good Godr' exclaimed aloud. "Can
be be dead?
1 jumped out of bed. Morning had
dawned, although the sun had not yet ris-
en-. l rushed 10 the window and pulled
back the cvFtaiu. l then ran to the bed
again and looked at my companion. Ny
worst fears .were realized.
He was dead-black in the face-stran-
gled in my sleep!
shall not attempt to describe my SEN
sations at this horrid spectacle. My body
was bathed in cold perspiration, my hands
trembl7d, and for a few moments l believe
| was bereft of my senses. l recovered
by degrees-but it was only TO realize in
more acute degree the horrors of my stu
alton. There lay my victim, and l was a
murderer. My trial, conviction and the
hideous gallows all passed in rapid view
before me. What defence could make?
Who would believe me? sat down, bur-
led my face 10 my hands, and sobbed like
child. My wife, my own comfortable
home, should ever see them again?
What was to be done? Should
arouse the house ard make clean breast
of its But what could say? Tell them l
had killed a man in my sleepa Not soul
would believe the story. Could l effect
my escape? Impossible-the crime would
be discovered before could leave the city,
and should be arrested-and then the
law would take its course, and l should be
hanged by the neck until l was dead.
"Hanged by the neck!" Yes, that would
be my fale. As this terrible thought cross
ed my mind, l cast my eyes round the
chamber, and they fell upon the beam
with the hooks in it. From thence they
wandered TO the handkerchief covering
the dead mans clothes. A means of safe
ty suddenly suggested itself to my mind.
Suppose l could make ii appear that the
man had committed suicide. Yes, that |
was my only chance, and determined to
put it into execution.
| took the dead mans handkerchief and |
advanced to the corpse with Il great deal
of repugnance, but with more courage |
than I could have anticipated, my own |
fearful situation no doubt aninaling me
to an extent should never otherwise have
dreamed Of. made a moose in the hand
kerchief, aud slipped it over the dead mans |
neck. then lifted the body out of bed
and standing on chair fastened the 9TH
er end of the handkerchief to hook in
the beam. l now let the body go, and it
swung in space!
! jumped into bed, and shut my eyes to
close the horrid sight from my gaze. l
determined TO wait there until somebody |
should come into the room, and then pre-
tend that knew nothing at all about it,
but that the man must have got up in the
night and hanged himself.
l lay quakiug and trembling for over IN
hour. It grew broad daylight. l felt the
sun shining directly on the bed, but dare
not open my eyes for fear that l should
encounter the dangling corpse. Suddenly
l heard the steps Of twoinen on the Stairs.
They appeared to be carrying something
heavy between them. The long anticipa-
ted moment was approaching. In few