Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1871-07-06
A Night with the Dead.
A TALE OF HORROR.


ed the Inspector Of the dead house
and moving about among the corpse
he gave orders TO four sturdy attend.
ants that followed him concerning the
removal of the bodies. knew him,
FOR L had met him on his mysterious
errands in the dissecting-room in the
college adjoining the dead house, and
with which it was connected felt a
thrill of joy that was in the presence
of the living. l knew, also, that it
was in the morning after my adventure
in the street-perhaps eight hours
later-for the Inspector was now going
his usual rounds. Would this deadly
paralysis ever leave my body? The
men were carrying out the bodies, hur-
rying them away on biers. My fate
was suspended by hair. A motion,
groan might attract their attention.
How | strained and strove with the in
sane energy of will to bring into ac-
ton my dormant powers The in
spector came my way. | saw him
glance at me, and give an order to a
man close by. He was turning away
He spoke to an attendant, and then
disappeared through the door he had
entered at. Oh, for moments lease
of voice, of sinew, and of muscle =
How soon would | cross the narrow,
covered walk between where lay and
the yard of the medical building-re-
join my fellows, and swallow greedily |
some antidote for the deadly poison
that had left me a soul without a
frame?
One by one the corpse disappeared
through the doorway, borne by the
same men whose Office it was to fetch
the morning victims for the dssecting-
room. Soon all were gone but two
lying in the further apartment-ghast-
ly specimens. My turn was next
Was |, then, after all, to follow the
train of the citys outcast, and be
cast, with dozen others, living, into
the over-crowded grave? The men
approached me. They lifted me, and
/ was on bier. They raised me, and
/ was carried, not after the others, but
to the rear of the apartment. Anoth-
er door was thrown open, and l enter
cd dark room, the atmosphere dark
and feted.
In an instant | knew the place for
l had been on previous occasion
privileged with a peep at the secret
mysteries of the Medical University.
Great Heavens They were bringing
me to the keeping-room, where the
subjects were left till sufficiently {
decayed for the purpose of dissecting,
and where doors were open to mortal
tread only at intervals Of days.
The men sat down my bier, then
brought in the two remaining bodies,
and left, double-barring the inner door,
and banging the two outer ones behind
them. l was alone.
l know not how much longer I lay
in this halfalive condition 1t may
have been hours. At length, change
crept over me. My brain seemed to
loose its vivid force. The dreamy
sense passed away. I was conscious
of slowly returning physical power
My sensations became more natural,
and at length the breath seemed to
swell in my chest, and start once more
in my lungs. My breast heaved. A
few more inspirations of air, and the
blood started and pulsed in my veins
and heart, warming and quickening
my returning life as it flowed. 1
never shall forget the peculiar, delight
full sensation impaired through my
whole system by the awakening life
current as it now penetrated the re-
hottest corners of my frame. 1t seem
ed as though my physical life had COM
menced from the very point where it
had been arrested by the vaporous
poison, and 1 awoke with the same
freshness and vitality of eight hours.
Presently, a muscle relaxed involunta-
rily. In another moment my limbs
acknowledged the supremacy of will,
and sat up, the change in my feel
ings seemed wonderful. Now l was a
MAJ.
The place now assumed its real
character to my natural reason. 1t
was close, low room, with only few
rays of light streaming from sash in
the ceiling, upon row of biers in the
centre of the floor. On one of these
/ was sitting. On my left, near the
door where l had been brought in, lay
the bodies-my recent companions in
the dead-room-and that had been
brought in with me. On the right was
a long row, CHASTITY, horrid and often
sive, of human forms and skeletons,