The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1877-08-04
From the Hartford Times.
A NIGHT OF HORROR.

/ have passed through many trying
scene in my life, scenes wherein danger
lurked and death smiled grimly. On
water and on land have stood as it were,
face to face with that dread of the hui
man race. On the mighty ocean, when
our fair bark was tossed as if it were q
feather, | could gaze upon the surging
pillows with awe, aye, with veneration-
for there amid the roaring of the tenn
pest, the lashing of the waves, | saw the
power and might of the Deity.
Death amid the storm and tempest,
the flashes of lightning and the roaring
of the thunder, had no dread for me-
To die thus, amid the war of the ele-
ments, would be glorious triumph over
slow death
Why should / write this sketch? Why
describe a night of horror, the re-
membrance of which, although many
many years have passed away, makes me
shudder still? Is it because it lives in my
memory, like some horrid specter? 1t
may, however, tend to withdraw the
mind from that one fearful episode in
my life, which as a dark shadow, keeps
out all sunshine. To test theory, send
you this sketch, for the memory of that
night of horror
Like a drop that night and dav
Falls cold and ceaseess wears my heart away.
The State-House clock had struck
eight when the clerks left the office.
remained alone, as | had some important
business to transact, with which the
clerks had nothing to do. | locked the
front of the Office, and for one hour
was busily employed at my work In one
corner of the contingencies stood my
mammoth safe-a huge affair / prided
myself on being the owner of the fixture
| could stand upright in it and arrange
my books and papers without STOPPING
1t was small house or an iron tomb
just as fancy might determine Near
the safe stood an old-fashioned, rickety
bookcase; large, ponderous piece of
furniture. The safe door, when opened,
came within few inches of it.
1t IS necessary TO mention this book
case, for, had it not been there, the adj
venture | am about to relate would never
have been written.
| was inside the safe, putting in its
place the last book, when there came
upon my ear the cry of g fire." followed
by the rush of engines down the street
| listened for a minute, and was in the
act Of leaving the safe, when-oh, hor-
ror.-there came a crash the bookcase
had fallen against the door of the safe,
and its spring was caught in the intri-
cate workings of the huge lock!
| was thus enclosed in living tomb,
and as the dread sound echoed through
the safe | knew that it was the knelI of
my death. For moment | stood ut
terly confounded, and when the true
state OF my situation was realized no
? tongue can describe nor pen portray the
remotest idea of my feelings. Entombed,
encased in an iron coffin-all sound dead !
The shout | sent forth, as if it could
ever be heard, came back in reverberating
echoes. Then again all was still-still
as death, for my voice was hushed! The
few moments that had passed since my
incarceration seemed as though many
years. How would die? Raving mad,
perhaps, or by immediate sutfocation.
Already felt the presence of the con-
densed air acting on my brain-already
| felt the blood rushing in tumultuous
waves to my head! To die thus, strug-
Cling for life in an iron vault was awful.
| calculated the hours, the minutes
and seconds before the time of the OPEN
ing OF the office, and -then-the
key OF the safe-great Heavensl-it was
IN m! pocket and there was no dupli-
cate.
Hours and hours must pass away before
the safe could be opened. Opened by
whom? The man who made it. | had
no partner IN the business my clerks
would not suspect that anything had oc-
CURED, and they would not attempt the
opening of the safe until they had heard
from me. How in Heavens name could
that be! Never, never would they hear
the sound OF my voice again! | was there
deaths prisoner in an iron vault: they
knew II not, nor even imagined such q
horrible contingency could be attached
to my absence. Even if it were so-even
when the safe was opened, how would
appear to them? \ lifeless corpse. or >
raying maniac
| did not shudder or groan. All cor
poreal sensation was lost in that of the
brain. felt that death in some horrible
shape was gathering its shroud around
me. In my excited state | imagined
that allwas over with me- How should
meetdeath? Dash my brains out against
the lron-sided prison? No, no: not
while reason remained. If / were to lie
down with my face pressed to the floor,
and remain there quietly, shut my eyes
and keep out the oppressive darkness,
might | not sleep? | threw myself full
length on the floor, for, as have already
said, the safe was large one, in the hope
that sleep or sufocation would end nv
mental suffering. The density of the at
mosphere must naturally produce the
after result. No, no; here was no at