The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-03-17
EBENSBURG PA, THURSDAY, MARCH H. 1870.


the 5Oth Regiment, a carpenter. This
man wanted to see the sharks teeth, and
to open the jaws, forced handspike into
his mouth, and held the handspike very
carelessly in his hands. Master shark lay
very quiet, but some of the bystanders
cautioned this man TO be careful of what
be was doing. The soldier laughed at
their advice, but the smile was hardly off
his countenanee, when bang came the
handspike down upon his foot and smashed
the big toe to jelly, the shark having
closed his powerful jaws on the handspike,
and thereby caused this unfortunate acci-
dent, The man was taken to the hospi~
tai, but death ensued from lockjaw. We
cut off the sharks head, and gave his
body to the blacks, who, as soon as they
got it commenced to dance around it, at
every other movement giving it thump
with stick and calling it all manner of
names and they finally ended by eating
him up!"
Sergeant of the guard sergeant of
the guard !" shouted a terrified voice from
without, just as the story had finished
We jumped up and hurried to the door
of the guard room, and on opening il
found the sentry WHO had been posted at
the lock gate lying fiat on lis face ON the
ground. We raised him and found him
to all appearances dead but after warm
ing him at the fire, and rubbing his limbs
smartly, he began to show signs of life,
and opened his eyes Questions were
eagerly put to him as to what had hap
pened, but no answer could be got. He
ouly looked around him with strange,
vaeant stare, and then relapsed into an
other fit.
A fresh sentry was ordered out. and
non commissioned officer accompanied
him, to ascertain, if possible, what had
overcome the first man with such mortal
terror. AS they approached the sentry
box, they discovered, to their astonish-
ment, the dead body of man lying half
in and half out Of 1t. Their immediate
impression was that some horrible crime
had been committed, for the Plumstead
Marshes were at that time infested with
smugglers and other desperate characters.
On examination, discovery was made
which added to the mystery. The body
was nearly naked, having only shirt on
The natural question was, "Where did it
come from 2" And this was followed by
The equally Puzzling query, GLOW did it
come there p
The mystery was rather intensified
than otherwise, by the next discovery
made. Close examination of the shirt re-
vealed that it was marked with The broad
arrow, and it then flashed across onr
minds that it must be the body of dead
convict. Lying in the river, close to the
guard-house, was an old man-of war,
called the Justictd, the home of convict
felons. These convicts were employed in
the arsenal in all kinds of drudgery. All
this we knew we'll enough but it did
not help US to understand how the body of
dead convict had found its way into the
lock gates sentry box.
After a time the sentry recovered con-
sciousness, and was enabled to recall and
communicate what had happened to over
come him with such mortal terror. Most
eagerly was he questioned, and this was
what be had 10 tell: He said that
after he bad been placed, he walked TO
and fro till slight shower of rain came
on, when he stepped into his sen.ry-box
backwards, while gazing out on the
Marshes As he got into the box some
thing fell against him, and on turning his
head to see what it was, he, TO his indies
cribable horror, saw ghastly face peering
over his shoulder At that sight his
courage forsook him he took 10 his heels,
and made for tho guard-room, where he
was able to raise cry, and then, over
come with excess Of terror, fell down
senseless.
This statement accounted in part for
what had happened, but still left the great
est mystery of aIl-the presence of the
convict's body in the sentry box-as far
from solution as ever. The poor sentry,
who was completely Frustrated, was sent
to the hospital, and for some time our Gu
riosity remained unsatisfed. At last the
truth oozed out. One of the guard was
terrible fellow for playing practical jokes.
and on some suspicion falling on him, he
admitted that this mischief was of his
planning. He knew that the sentry who
would be placed at the lock~gate, was
simple, nervous fellow, and determined to
play off joke upon him. When con-
vict died, it was customary to place his
body in a small wooden shed, called the
'convict's dead>house' until it conld be
buried. This dead house was not more
than four hundred yards from the lock-
gates, and our incorrigible had actually
gone to the dead-house, got body lying
there, carried it on his back, and placed it
in the sentry-box, situated as described
1t was he who told the shark story, watch>
ing all the time for what was likely TO
happen and nightly he enjoyed the
joke. But he had to pay for it. He was
made prisoner, and tried by court-mar-
tial, and the officers composing that court,
having no turn for humor, passed severe
1 e. -.