Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-03-29
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There is a farm house about two miles
from Arnold Station, Clay county, over
which sadness and sorrow and terror are
brooding, for in one of the rooms of the
house are two strong men heavily ironed
and chained to the floor.
They are waiting there for a most terri
BILE malady to take possession of them, and
after putting them TO torture thousand
time worse than that of the old inquisition,
to destroy their lives.
When a mad dog killed by Campbell at
Liberty, several days ago was on its de-
stroying mission throughout the country,
these two men crossed its path and receiv-
ed its terrible bite. The maidstone was ap-
piled, but fearing and doubling its efficacy,
they prepared for the fearful ordeal of an
attack of hydrophobia. Not knowing at
what moment the fell disorder might make
its appearance, and fearing for the safety of
their wives, little one and friends, they had
heavy irons made for the purpose, and
bound themselves so securely that it would
require the strength of Sampson to break
their fastenings. Their hands are securely
manaced, strong iron band is locked
around their waists, and to this band is
welded heavy chain, one end of which is
fastened to heavy ring bolt in the floor
and there they stand, waiting.
Waiting for the dread approach of the
awful maddening stupor that announces the
flow of the poison through the blood and
the brain; waiting for the stupor from
which they will revive by the quick and
sudden twitching of the muscles, deadly
pains in the head and through the body,
and burning eyeballs, while poisonous
froth will gather at the mouth. They will
be seized with an uncomfortable longing
to bite, to tear, to destroy. The stupor
gone, they will be writhing, swapping,
snarling, growing, bowling, tortured, de-
mons-pressing hard against their fasten-
ings, glaring savagely upon all around
them the ties of love, of blood of humani-
ty obliterated from their understanding
going into horrible convulsions of rage and
pain, clanking and rattling their chains in
order to free themselves from restraint,
and with but one thought, one desire-to
kill and destroy-to rend with teeth and
nails every living thing, and after this,
with hot, scorching eyes strained and twist
ed back in their sockets, and blood and
foam streaming from their parched and
burning lips 10 die-to die amid the con-
vulsive agonies and tortures of hydropho-
bia, worse even, 1t is said, than the pains
of hell itself.
This is what these unfortunate men are
waiting for, and there is terror in every
breath they draw. Little children with sad
dened faces, fondlo aud caress them with
increased love, for the dreaded fate of their
fathers have been whispered in their ears.
Fond wives and mothers, with fearful eyes
and falterlng hearts, tenderly care for them
and see that every want is supplied and
the bondage made as light as love and
sympathy can render it. These loved ones
are also waiting, watching, not knowing
what moment they will be drawn away
out of the reach of the two men, whose
very touch may soon be almost sudden
death.
Up to this time no indication of madness
has been manifested, and as the time has
already passed in which the disorder at.
tacks its victims after the poison has been
infused into the blood, the friends are very
hopeful that the mad-stones has proved Of