The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-05-31
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beck 10 ths dfssks snd RoBiss thA
bedies dDpetsdus Who die under ssns
tence Of excommunication do NOT decay,
but devonr their own flesh and dur
ing the night leave their graves and
suck the blood Of living persons.
This old superstitioh has been revived
in this city under extraordinary circum-
stances. "A young man who boards mt
ono of our most respectsble boarding
houses has for some weeks past been
growing weak and pale from the loss of
blood during the night. For some time
he could not imagine the cause of the
lassitude he felt every morning, but
about week ago he discovered small
puncture on his arm, from which it
was evident that blood had been
drawn, and every morning there
after he found new puncture
upon some feshy portion of his body
He was mystified as how theee pune
lures were made, and what made them.
For several nights he remained awake
late in the night for the purpose Of
solving the mystery, but such was his
weak condition he invariably became
exhausted and fell asleep before morn
ing, and always found fresh puncture.
He got an acquaintance to sleep with
him, but becoming tired of watching,
he too fell asleep, and in the morning
there was fresh puncture upon both
of them, which so alarmed his acquain-
lance that he refused to sleep in that
room again. Between the loss of blood
and his anxiety to know the cause OF
II, the young man was nearly crazed,
presenting haggard and care-worn
appearance, and he was an object
of solicitude to his friends, who
sympathised with him in his dis
tress, and advised q change Of scene;
but such was the fascination with which
he had become imbued that nothing
they could say could induce him to fore
60 his determination to remain and
clear up the mystery. His body by
this time WAS q strange sight, being at
most completely covered with small
swellings from the punctures, which
were great source ofirritation. 4 Anew
nights ago he was awoke by a
stinging sensation in his arm be-
tween the elbow and shoulder,
and instantly reached his hand to the
spot, but could feel nothing, and al
though light was burning in the room
could see nothing. The, cid supersti-
ton OF vampires at once became fixed
upon his mind, and he resolved to leave
the house, which he did the next morn
ing, repairing to another part of the
city. Strange to say, since his change
of quarters he has not been again visited
by the midnight blood-sucker, and is
fast regaining his health. Since his
story has became known, we have
heard of several other persons, who
occupied the same room, that were
Visited in the same way, but they
never staid more than few nights be-
fore they left the house, and said moth
ing about it for fear Of iDjuring the
reputation of the house. We have given
the facts as they were related to us, and
have no reason to doubt the veracity of
the parties; but we have no faith what
ever in the superstition regarding vam-
pires, and are inclined to thing that the
blood-loving visitant was more OF
material than supernatural creature.
We have suppressed the names of the
parties concerned in this strange affair
ut their own request. ~ ..-..