Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1866-10-03
a Terrible Retribution.

An accused Noa Calls Upon God to
/ Strihe him Dead II he is Guilty-Hs
Falls instantly to The Jloor, Corpse
Whatever version may be given to
a circumstance that occurred in this
city yesterday afternoon, the most
( thoughtless must per force admit that
/ the result is both strange and STARTLING
and we'll calculated to turn the serious
man to more profound meditation, and
even stay the reckless man in his
course. A man Of robust health and
in the prime Of life, is accused Of a
| crime under circumstances of almost
positive proofs of guilt, and while be
calls upon God to bear witness to his
innocence, is struck dead almost be-
tore the appeal has left his lips. In
credible as the circumstance may APP
pear, they are literally true.
\ little over year ago there lived
III a small village in Sweden a man
by the name Of Rosencrist, whose os-
tenslble pursuit was that Of a tailor,
but rumor had it that his principal rev
enue was derived from preaching and
stealing, and at last this impression
/ was so strongly confirmed that he sud
! denly left that village to evade the
1 arm Of Justice. He came to this coun.
! try about eight months ago, and took
/ up his residence in Chicago. where he
! again worked at his trade. Having q
/ family, he found it difficult to support
them in the city, and consequently
sent them TO farm about fourteen
/ miles from Chicago He thereupon
/ took lodgings at a boarding house No
! IA, Burnside street, and for a long
! time no suspicious were entertained as
/ to his character. Recently several
valuable articles belonging to boarders
! at the house were found missing. but
/ no clue as TO the perperator could be
/ detected. Yesterday afternoon another
theft was discovered, and the proofs of
| guilt pointed directly to Rosencrist, no
/ one else having been near the apart.
ment since the tine the articles stolen
/ were last seen. On being accused, he
stoutly denied the theft, but, finding
no credence was given to the denial,
he suddenly grew more passionate,
/ and, lifting up his hand towards heav-
Ell, exclaimed thathe hoped his tongue
! would rot in his mouth, his head drop
( from his shoulders, and God strike him
dead on the spot" if he was guilty.
/ No sooner had these words escaped
his lips, when he suddenly began to
reel and stagger, and, before support
could be given, he tell to the floor
dead. The excitement this created
among the bystanders can better be
imagined than described. Strong men
stood paralyzed, women tainted, and
none were able to speak for some min
utes. The occurrence was so horrible,
this apparent retribution so terrible,
that men doubted their senses. But
the dead man remained PROSTATE on
the foor-a ghastly proof Of the reali-
ty The rumor Of this strange aud
/ startling fatality soon spread through
the neighborhood, and in q few min
utes the house was filed with horror
stricken people, none Of whom doubt
ed that the hand of God was thus
made visible ! physician was called
who pronounced the cause Of death to
be disease of the heart, produced by
over excitement. The body has been
conveyed to the dead house, where an
inquest will be held to-day Chicago
Times