The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-10-06
a TERRIBLE kETRIBUTION
An Accused Man Calls Upon God to Strike
Him Dead il, i, lie is G"ilV-lIc Falls
Instantly to the Floor u Corpse.
From the Chicago Times, 9th ult.l


Whatever version may be given to 4
circumstance that occurred in this city
yesterday afternoon, the most thought,
| less must per force admit that the re-
suit is both strange and startling, and
well calculated to turn the serious man
to more profound meditation, and evgl
stay the reckless man in his course \
man of robust health, and in the prime
Of life, is accused Of q crime under cir,
cumstances Of almost positive proofs
Of guilt, and while he calls upon God
to bear witness TO his ,hnocunca, is
strucl; dead almost before the apes.
has LETT his lips. Incredible as the cir
cums;ances may appear, they are lite
rally true. t....... ...a..., ,...
\ little oyera year ago there live III
4 small village in Sweden u man by the
name Of Ro&encriSt, whose ostensiblc
pursuit was that Of a tailor, but rumol
lad it that his principal revenue was
derived from poaching aAd stealing
md at least this impression was SC
strongly confirmed that Ap suddenly
left the ''iiIagc to eyaderth arm ofjus
ticc. re came to this country about
eight months ago, and took up his res
dcncc in Chicago, where he agail
worked at his trade. Having y family
he found it difficult 10 support them in
the city, and, consequently, sent them
on q farm fourteen miles from Chicago
He thcreupon took lodings at board
ing house, on Burnside street, and for
II long time no suspicious were enter
tanned rs to his character. Recently
several valuable articles belonging to
boarders at the house were found mis-
sing, but no clue to the perpetrator
could be detected. ... .
Yesterday afternoon another theft
was discovered, and the proofs ofguilt
pointed directly to Roscncrist, no one
else having been near the apartment
since the time the articles stolen were
last seen. On being accused, he stout
ly denied the theft, but inding no Gre
dcnce was given to the denial, he sud
denly grew more passionate and lifting
his handsto heaven exclaimed that he
hoped his tongue would rot in his
mouth, his head drop from his shoul-
ders, and God strike him dead on the
spot" if nc 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
fell to the iloor-dcad. The excite
mcnt this incident created among the
bystanders can better be ina gineu than
described. Strong men stood para 81
ed, women tainted, and none were able
to speak for some minutes. The Oc-
currcnce was so horr bic, thi; apparent
retribution 50 terrible, that men doubt
cd their senses. Blu, the dead man re-
mained PROSTATE on the iioor-a ghast-
ly proof Of the reality. The rumor of
this strange and startling fatality soon
spread through the neighborhool, and
in few minutes the house was filled
with horror stricken people, none Of
whom doubted that the hand of God
was thus made visible \ physician
was called, who pronounced the cause
of death to hc disease of the heart, pro-
ducad by ovcr-cXcitemeat The body
has been conveyed to the d-house,
where the inquest will be held to-day.