The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1877-11-08

being smooth, like the latter, it was COM
posed of twelve iron plates, overlapping
each other as on the outside, and so
plainly to be distinguished that / could
count them without the slightest diff
Guilty.
When / had finished examing my pris-
on, | determined to pass the night as
comfortably as possible, and, sitting
down, reclined my head on the table, and
closed my eyes. | fell asleep. How
long l slept know not, but was awak
ened by peculiar sound. At first /
thought it was some one grinding a knife
on a grindstone-fo it was a purring,
rasping sound. But soon found that it
was too loud for that, for it caused a
slight, vibratory motion in my prison.
/ jumped up from my seat and rubbed
my eyes. Was it fancy? but l really
thought that my dungeon looked little
smaller than before l went to sleep. l
cast my eyes up to the ceiling, and
counted the iron plates of which it was
composed. There was only eleven!
Pshaw! | had counted them incorrectly
before.
"What fool my Imagination is max
ing of mel" exclaimed, as | sat down
again. g l suppose my friend, Mr.. Sloane,
is at work with some of his machinery,
and it is this that causes the sound and
gives the vibratory motion to the room"
suppose quarter of an hour elapsed
before | decided this knotty point. |
then again raised my eyes and glanced
around me. | felt myself grow pale as
death, and my heart almost stood stood
still. The dungeon was certainly smaller
-palpably, Enthusiastically smaller. l
again cast my eyer up TO the ceiling, and
counted only nine plates or divisions.
The roof was certainly lower. There
could be no mistake about it now-the
walls were visibly closing in all around
me. The ceiling was now so low that l
could touch it with my hand. The
sound of machinery at work now became
deafening to my ears. At last | sank eX
hausted in the chair, and fell into kind
of stupor.
| remained in this condition perhaps
half an hour, and was aroused at last by
something pressing against my knees. |
jumped up from my seat, and struck my
head violently against the roof of the
dungeon-for the ceiling had become so
low as not to allow me to stand upright.
The walls had now approached SO closely
together that | could reach any part of
them by stretching out my arms, and it
was the pressure of the relentless iron
against my knees that had aroused me.
| now counted but three divisions in the
ceiling. While gazing on the top of the
dungeon, an inscription traced on the
ceiling for the first time caught my eyes:
"This machine was invented by Ed
ward Sloane, Esq, for the purpose of
superceding death by hanging. The
walls are SO constructed that they re-
vOlve on themselves, every revolution re-
ducing the size of the apartment several
feet. After certain time the walls
meet, crushing any object within the
apartment perfectly fat. In ten hours
from the time the machinery is first
started, the work is completed"
| understoodit all now. The mailman
had chosen me to make his first expert
ment with. And / was destined to be
crushed to death. The walls were now
pressing on my back and chest at the
same time. began to suffer insutferable
tOrments for want of air. | gave one
unearthly scream, and believed my last
moment had come, when suddenly the
room assumed the same size as when j
had first entered it, and [ rose up and
shook myself, as | heard voice outside
exclaim:
"Anyone in there"
In few hurried words explained all
that had happened.
I tha,, inf rp,a1 ,hnt
was Mr.. Sloane's nephew, who had arriv-
ed at his uncle's house an hour before.
He had heard the machinery at work
and curiosity had impelled him to ex-
plore the upper portion of the house.
The moment he entered the garnet, my
fearful scream reached his ears He saw
the machinery in motion, and what APP
peared to him a narrow cylinder. With
admirable presence of mind, he took his
knife aud cut a wide leather strap by
which the machinery was turned. This
was no sooner secured than the circular
dungeon assumed its natural form with
such a sudden spring as almost to send
him down.
After this explanation, he ran to his
uncle and procured the key. Mr.. Sloane
was Vel! Hhucu ing liteieu winch nc loullu
that he had been discovered.
When was released, consented, on
the entreaties Of the nephew, not to
prosecute Sloane, on condition that the
internal machine should at once be de-
stroyed, and tdlat the inventor should
leave the village.
The monomaniac agreed to these con-
ditions. The machine was at once de-
stroyed, and Sloane left the place the
next day, and | have never heard of him
sSnce