Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-05-31
WHOLE NUMBER 684.

reality OF these events to my own alb
Fsolute satisfaction, was it likely that
Others would regard them as any
thing but the creations of an excited
Imagination
wandered for couple Of hours
through the city, trying to fud my
way to the house, the exterior of which
| felt certain | should recognize. l
could not even trace the road | had
taken, and at last gave it up. The
conviction slowly and reluctantly grew
up in me that | was suffering from
the effects of vivid nightmare. Its
impression remained painfully strong
on my mind for many days Il left
Cologne the same afternoon;) and,
indeed, for some weeks l never fell
asleep without living over again those
terrible hours. But the effect of all
things must wear out in time, and as
months rolled on the memory of my
night in Cologne became to me no
more than a remarkable experience
OF the strange phantasmagoria which
the mind may conjure up, and invest
with every appearance of reality,
when volition is removed. | drew
over and over again, in my sketch
book, the heads of those two sisters as
they had appeared to me; and | wrote
down, with extreme particularly,
every word they had said, and every
small circumstance of my dream.
One winters evening in the follow
ing year, [ again passed through CO.
logne, on my road home. | was
richer man now than | had been eigh-
teen months agony foot was on the
round of the ladder, for had painted
a picture which had sold well. 1t was
no longer necessary for me to carry
about my worldly possessions on my
back, or to seek out the poorest
gasthaus. The steamer landed me,
with other passengers, on the quay,
hard by a handsome hotel | resolved
to patronize it. The evening was
cold-but all along the quay outside
the hotel, in the courtyard, groups of
people were standing, and talking with
a slow heavy power of speech, beto-
kening that the native mind was moved
by some topic of more than common
interest. | caught word here and
there which reused my curiosity. |
asked the keiner who showed me to
my little room what the subject of
such general interest was? An exc
cution, he replied; adding that exc
cutions were rare events there now,
and that III usual interest had been
excited by this one, from the fact that
the persons who had suffered the ex-
treme penalty of the law were two
sisters, murderesses, whose crimes
had long escaped undetected.
| must have turned white instantly,
for the man looked at me with some
surprise.
Did YOU ever see these women p
managed at last to stammer out.
"No, mein Herr. Icould not leave
the hotel, to attend either the trial or
execution. But there is an officer in
the Speise-saal who can tell you every
thing about them, for he saw them in
prison, and commanded the troops in
the Platz to-day"
| said no more to the man, but
went down to the coffee-room few
minutes later, with my sketch book in
my hand. At one of the small round
tables middle aged Prussian officer
was having his supper. Without
more ado, | accosted him.
'Sir, you will forgive strangers
intrusion. hope. [ am an English
man just arrived in Cologne. / un-
derstand that you were present in an
official capacity, this day, at the exc
cution of two women. You will
oblige me greatly by giving me what
information you can respecting them.
The motive that prompts me to ask
this favor is something beyond COM
mon curiosity, as You shall presently
learn
"Be seated. sir" said the officer, po-
litely, pointing to the chair opposite.
Il will tell you all | know concern
ing the sisters Strauss. You are ac-
quainted with the nature of the crime
of which they stand convicted? 1t
was for the murder of one Hausmann,
a young pedler. Not for the sake of
his money, for he was poor enough,
but for the sake of his hair and teeth" !"
| (I shuddered, but said nothing. He
continued y "This was by no means
their first crime. They were discov-
erred to have been driving their horri-
bic trade for two or three years past.
1t is supposed that they murdered up.
wards of twenty persons, men, women
and children. Numbers who disap-
peared mysteriously are now said to
have been made away with by the Sis
!: ter's Strauss. Their victims were all
strangers or friendless, to whom they
offered hospitality, and touching whose
disappearance no inquiries were like
ly to be made. Some few had money,
perhaps; the generality were poor
but several watches and considera-
BILE sum of money were found secre-
ted in the house."
1t had a garden | said, as though
l saw it all again" a garden walled
round, with a postern at the farther
= end. In the house were three rooms. .
: Just so. All the world has been
: visiting that house during the last few
days. A great number of skeletons
3 have been found in the garden. The
' popular execration was so great that
t it was feared that the women would
E be torn to pieces on their way to the
y paloen' uaIlovsl TODAY. Had it not