The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-09-15
A Night Of Horror.

scene in life, scenes wherein danger lurk-
ed and death smiled grimly. On water
and on land I have stood as it were, face
to face with that dread of the human race.
On the mighty ocean, when u fair bark
was tossed as if it were a feather, I could
gaze upon the surging pillows with awe,
aye, with veDeration-for there amid the
roaring of the tempest, 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 o
the thunder, had no dread for me. To
die thus, amid the war of the elements,
would be a glorious triumph over slow
death!
Why should l write this sketch? Why
describe a night of horror, the remem
brance of which, although many, many
years have passed away, makes me shud'
der still2 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. 70 test theory, | send you
this sketch, for the memory of that night
of horror.
The State-house clock had struck eight
when the clerks left the Office. ] remain
ed alone, asI had some important bust
ness to transact, with which the clerk
had nothing to do. / locked the front of
the office, and for one hour / was busily
employed at my work. In n corner of
thefur1ounting-house stood my mamoth
safe-a huge affair. I prided myself on
being the owner of the fixture. | could
giand upright in it and arrange my books
and papers without stopping. 1t was a
small house or an iron tomb, just as fan
cy might determine. Near the safe stood
an old-fashioned rickety bookcase; a
large, ponderous piece of furniture. The
safe door, when opened, came within a
few inches of it.
1t is necessary to mention this book
case, for, had it not been there, the adj
venture I am about to relate would never
@so. cIeRIitten.
| was i~llsruU-une sale, putting in its
! place the last book, when there came up
on my ear the cry of"ire !" followed by
the rush of engines down the street I
listened for a minute, and wa in the act
of leaving the safe, when-oh, horror
there came a crash the book case had
I fallen against the door of the safe, and
its spring was caught in the intricate
workings of the huge lock!
/ was thus enclosed ina living tomb,
and as. the dread sound echoed through
the safe I knew that it was the kneLl OF
my death. For a moment / steed utter
" COMPOUNDED, and when the true state
OF my situation was realized no tongue
can describe Or pen portray the remetest
idea of my feelings. Entombed, encased
In a cofin---all sound deadl The shout I
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 hushedl The few mo-
ments that had passed since my incarcer-
alton seemed as that many years,
How weu]d | die Rsving mad, perhaps
or by immediate sufocation. Already I
felt the presence of the condensed air act.
ing IN my br~ain--already / felt the blood
rushing in tumultuous waves to my
head To die thus, struggling for life in
an IRON vault was awful.
! calculated the hours, the minutes
and seconds before the time OF the Office,
and thele-then--the key of the safe---
great heavensi---it was in my pocket,
and there was no duplicate.
Hours and hours must pass away be-
fore the safe could be opened. Opened
BY whom !? The man who made It. Ihad
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
rohFame. How in heavens name could
that be? Never, never would they hear
the sound Of my voice again! Twas there
deaths prisoner in an iron vault tney
knew II not, D even imagined such a
horrible contingency could be attached
to my absence. Even if it were so--evsn
when the safe was opened, how would /
appear to them9 A l~ifeless corpse. or 4
raving maniac.
I did not shudder or groan. All cor
poreal sensation was lost In that Of the
brain. / feltthat death in some horrible
shape wss gathering its ahroud around
me. In my excited stats ] imagined I
that all was over with me. How should ] |
meet death? Dash my brains ont against
the ironssided prison? No, no; not
while reason remained. Ii / were to lie
iown with my face pressed to the floor,
and remain there quietly. shut my eyes
and keep out the oppressive darkness,
might ] net sleep2 ] threw myself full
length on the floor, for, as I have already
said, the safe was 8 large one, in the hope
that sleep 81 sufocation would end my
mental suffering. The density of the at
mosphere must naturally produce the
latter result, No, nc; here was no at
Hosphore, for that was invisible elostic !