The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-06-15
Il NIGHT or HORROR.

| have passed through many a trying
scene in my life, scenes wherein danger
lurlcd and death smiled grimly. On water
and on land have Stoud as it were, face
to face with tuat dread OF the human race.
On the mighty uccau, when our fair bark
was tuS>C0 as il it were a feather. | could
gaze upon the surrieg hillnAs with awe,
aye, wtt.. venerati for there, amid the
roaring of tlir tempest, The lashing of tie
waves | saw The power ana might of the
Deity.
Death amid the storm and tempest. the
NISheS of lightning and ,he rearing of tie
thunder. had no dlead for me. TO die
thus. amid the war Of ripmcut$, would be
a loriuuS Triumph over slow Aca1h
Why should write This sketch Why
DESERT a night cf horror. the rcmrm-
brance of which, although many years
have passed away, makes me Sliudder :, III :?
is il because it lives il memory. like some
harlid sp,cieI? it may. however, tcId t."
withdraw the mind from ihat one feai fu
cul>ode in my lfc, which, like II tlaik
shadow. keeps out all Sunshine. 10 test
this theory. send y0u this sketch, for ,hc
memory of that night of hor1o",
I.ik" u drop til night aud day
Falls cold and c'ascicss, and wears my heart
a,rnN.
The State House clock struck eight when
the clerks left The Office. | remained alone.
rs ] had some Important business 10 trans
aC'. with which ihe clerks had nothing to
do. | locked the front OF the Office, and
fir one hour WAS huSily employed at my
work. In one corner uf ,he counting house
stood MY mammoth Safc--a huge affair. |
I'ri.lrd myself on being the owner of The
fixture. ] could stand upright in il and
arrange my books auG papers without stoup
iug. l. was like small house or an iron
tomb. iHs' a. fancy might determine. Near
the safe stood an old-fasIiioncd, rickei v
bnull-case lai ge. pnnderouS piece of
furniture. The safe door. when opened,
came Unhin few inches Of il.
II i< necessary to mention this book case.
for had it uoj been there, the adventure |
am about 40 relate would never have been
| written.
/ wa- inside the safe. putting in its place
the last book, when lherc came npnn my
/ ear he cry of fire y r,lrwed by the ruSl
! of the engines down the street. isten"ti
/ for Il miUuic. and was III the act ot leaving
| the safe whcn-oil. horror there came a
| crash The book case had fallen against
| Ihc door of the safe. and 49, spiiHg Was
/ cnuIhs in the intricate workings of the
/ huge lock
/ was thus inclrsed ~ living tomb, and
as The dread suuud echoed >hrCugh the
safe | knew it ~as She knell of my dea h.
/ For a moment st"ud utterly corfuunded,
I
realized no tongue can describe nor pen
I uottrav tlie ren,ctrst idea of my feelings.
/ Eniunibcd, iucaSed in an iron Coitin~-all u
sound dead The shout ! sent forth as 1t
( it. cuuld be ever heard. came back in re
| vcI berutirg echoes. Then again All was
I sfili--siill as death, for niy voice was
/ hushcG The few nnmeut~ lh"t had passed
( since ny incarceration seemed hS so many
wears. How wuuld die? Raving mad.
4 4 f.,sn MI, n ion
: ready frit the presence Of jhe condensed
/ air acting on MY brain-already felt The
/ blood rushing in tunUituous waves :" my
/ head 10 die thus. struggling iUr lie III
an irou vault. was awful.
caIrnEdco the hours .hc minutes. and
Seconds before the opening OF the Office,
! aud then-thcu-the key of :hc safe
} rreat heavens lit WAS III my pocket, aud
7 there was no duplicate.
Hours and hours must pass away before
/ the safe could he opened. Opened hv
! whom? 'fhe man who made Il . bad
MARINER i'm the business my clerks won q
/ noi suspect that anything had occurred a'd
I they wnuld not attempt the opening o! the
! .nr,. unfi they had heard frcm me. How
/ in Heavens name Couid that be? Never,
/ vould they hear the sound ot my 70 c.
train ! WAS there-deaib' s prisoner ~
an irt,u vault they knew ii not, nor even
inaoirsd suci, horrible con inurucy gould
/ 5e attached to my absence. Even II i
wore ~r--cveu whcr she safe was opened.
| ,,u,, would appear TO them? a l:ieiess
rnrl.sp. or ravinG maniac.
/ | did not shudder nor g~nan. All cor
I ro,aI sensation was lost IN that "F the BRAIN.
| fclt that death in some horrible share
+ was % herring its shruud around me. IN
4 nv voted state | imagined tina; aii was
over win me- How should meet death
I Dash MY brains ont against the iron s'dvd
prison? No. no: not while reason remained.
I IC wp,e to I've dawn with my face pressed
"a Tie h,,nr. and remain there qnicti ~. Shr'
my ewes ard keep nui the oppressive dark
rcss might. 1 not sleep? | threw myself
fnu length on the floor. for. as have al
ready said. the safe was large one ~ 'he
l,,c sheen or suffncatiou would end my
,,srtaI suffering The density of the at