Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-08-13

Just about passing our unquallneu appro-
val and admiration of so mild and benign
penalty, when the Commodore said
with q quiet smile: ats pretty severe
though. Would any one like to try for
minute or two?n "Yes, yon may give
me five," said and amidst chorus of
the joyous cries of the party, Give him
five! give him five. Commodore" step
ped into the box, and the door was locked
upon me. found myselfimmured with
i'm four sides of wooden box, so scanty
in room that it touched my body on every
side. / am but of medium stoutness, but
what could be done with prisoner but
few inches stouter than As it was,
there was not room enough on any side,
between my body and the box, for me to
raise my hand to my head, an d when the
door closed upon me had to stand up
so straight that the back Of my head
touched the back of the cell while in
front there was barely an inch of room
between the inside of the door and my
face. As the box was wider than it was
deep, | could not even turn in it. The
breathing. holes were at some distance be-
low the level of the cyes-in fact, they
were on n level with my mouth, so that
even the miserable consolation OF peep
ing through upon dimly-lighted deck
was impossible. For the same reason
that the arms could not be bent, bending
the knees was alike impractcable. The
box was utterly dark, and the first sensa-
ton that began TO experience was
sickcning, horrible feeling of want of air.
To he placed alive in n coffin, and TO have
the lid closely screwed down over your
face. would have been no worse than
this. was in fact nhumed alive. My
chest began to heavc with great violence,
as gasped for fresh air; the blood rush
cd to NV head and seemed TO threaten
apoplcxy, and | could not reach my hand
to my throbbing temples. Meantime all
remained still rs the grave on the out
side suppose by the Commodore's di-
rectionS. Then thought OF men, living
men, imprisoned in this narrow house
and forgotten in the tumult of great
storms at sea, or periShng by slow fam
inc in this terrible sarcophagus, long al
ter the crow had deserted the wrecked
ship. Think of man lying helpless on
his face in such wooden case. or per-
haps standing upon his head Oor such
might be his positon) on wrecked yes
sci. Bnt these fearful thoughts. rs To
what might happen to others, soon gave
way To- the real horrors of my own situa-
ton. The Sutfocation occasioned by the
closcncSs of the air in the box produced
in me sudden desire for water. My
lips grew hard and dry, and my tongue
was like chip with 4 sudden fever OF
unqucnchable thirst. Although | had
determined 10 remain rs quiet rs posi-
Bile, the time being so short. yet reason
itself began to play fantastic tricks. Per
haps they had deserted me, | thought;
perhaps the Commodore was practica!
Joker, and, instead OF few minutes,
might keep me here for IN hour or so.
What was to prevent him? All was still
as death OH the outside. Could they have
gone to the upper deck and left me? |
knew that these were all idle surmises,
but Mey ,c0uH comc-and come-and
with increased power, too. My neck
cloth became too tight for my throat; |
was almost stranglcd with it, and yet
could not reach my hand to it 10 unite 1t.
Should cry out The torture and ago
ny were becoming unsupportable. The
perspiraiion began to stream from every
pore. The box became intolcrably close
fancicd it full of humid vapOr-thc five
minutes must have elapsed long ago
the dav itself had receded-how long
had the sun gone down was ii dark on
the deck above? OF course, | cannot re.
call all the sensations that thls took pos
session oi my soul and body IN that brief
trial ola sweat box IL was in vain to
call reason to your aid. You could no
more dismiss your thoughts ut will when
in such place than You could imagine
the ietid vaper of the box to be the fresh,
the blessed, breezy air of morning. 1t Is
this very condition of mind, to which the
victim of this living death is brought,
that forms the principle torture of the
punishment. And think Of the poor
wretch compelled to endure this agony
for rtwenty- -four hours-or even longer
without water, without food, without
rest. When stepped forth from my vol
untary burial place, | saw, by the faces
ofmy friends, what a change the briel
experience of few minutes had made in
me. In fact, felt it, for although tried
to smile away the impression, my whole
frame was weak aud feeble compared with
what it had been few minutes before.
Commodore, said "you keptm me there
longer than bargained for" "How long
do you supposc?' said he. double the
length of time, should judge" The
Commodore looked with another OF his
queer smiles at tho rest of the party.
I'VE all timed you" he said, and from
the instant | turned the key on you, until
| let you out again, it was exactly three
minutes. told you the punishment was
molly Sarnrn =