New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-05-15
A Fool's "Joke.v

A FOOLS ,sJOke.''
Hon. Clarence Newcomb, prominent
member OF the Young Mems Christian
Association, and son of ex-U. S. Marshal
and ex-Congressman Newcomb, under
went an experience few days ago which
he will not soon forget The sportive
humor of a friend led to the preparation
OF joke which came near having a
serious termination. Mr.. Newcomb had
stepped into the. vault attached to the
office Of Lonergan & Thiel, of the Detec-
tive Agency, where he is interested. The
vault is used for the storing away Of
valuable books, papers, etc. A gentleman
Who was in the office at the time closed
the door upon Newcomb by way. of a
practical joke. The door closed with
snap, and Mr.. Newcomb felt some mis-.
givings as he found h1msel surrounded
with a darkness which was most palpable.
His fears were increased by the recol-
lection Of the fact that, except himself
and Mr.. Thiel, no one was in possession
of the numerical combination. by which
the safe was unlocked, and that Mr..
Thiel had stepped out few minutes be-
fore. In the meantime the practical Joker
went out exultlng in the funny plight in
which his victim must find himself
when he discovered that he could not get
out. Mr.. Newcomb's reflections were
becoming more and more serious every
moment. He could not hear any sounds
from the outside, and wondered what
had become of his friend. He tried to
cry out, but knew that his voice, even if
rased to its highest pich, could not pen
citrate through the thick walls. that sur
rounded him. He tried, but the rever-
berations Of his voice in the narrow tomb
were almost deafening. He pounded
against the walls, bruising his hand in
an attempt that he knew must be inefect-
ual to attract attention. A strong and
powerful man, he felt himself to be a
helpless prisoner, almost without the
slightest hope Of relief.
The ticking of his watch, plainly au-
dible in the dense darkness, adlmonished
him Of the rapid flight OF time The in
tervals between the seconds seemed long
er than he had ever known before. The
quiet had become so intense that he could
u.
thumped against his side like the sound
of a pile-driver, falling at regular inter
walls, and driving so he. thought-his
burial place deeper and deeper into the
earth. He thought he could hear his
blood as it was pumped out of his heart
and coursed through his veins. 1t re-
minded him of mumur of brook flow
ing through the woods and trickling over
messy stones. The action OF his lungs
had become suddenly and strangely aud
ible. Respiration was becoming diff
cult. The Irregular inhalation and ex-
halation of his breath sounded like BET
lows that was being worked with diff
Guilty; The labored action of his lungs,
constantly becoming harder and harder,
brought to his mind the terrible question
how much longer he could live in this
confined astomsphere.
He calculated how much air was con-
aimed in these marrow walls, and how it
would support life. At the farthest it
appeared to him that he could not live
more than twenty minutes, and then he
would have to breathe this vitiated air over
and over again. He cried out again, but
stopped at the reflection that this was
useless expenditure of the very hydrogen
on which he must depend for life for
some time to come. The silence began
to be broken by a murmur which he could
not at first understand The lnurmur
gradually increased to loud buzz, and
then he realized that this must be caused
by a rush of blood to the head, the effect
of his continued CONTINENT The buzz.
ing increased to a roaring thunder. He
felt himself stagger and then lost con-
sciousness.
e At this moment Mr.. Thiel came IN
hurridly, having been informed Of the
situation. and unlocked the safe. Mr..
Newcomb had tainted but was restored
by the free use of water, mixed with some
stimulants st. Louis Post.
The new French life-saying mattress
ic hirh}u commended II ia fnr,nad 1f