Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-02-03
-sTAUNTON SPECTATOR AND GENERAL ADVERTISER
lead black in the face-strangled in my

sleep!
I shall not attempt to describe my
sensation at this horrid spectacle. My |
body was bathed in cold perspiration,
my hands trembled, and for few mo-
ments I believe I was bereft of my |
senses. I recovered by degrees-but it
was only to realize in more acute de-
gree the horrors of my situation. There
lay my victim-and I was murderer!
My trial, conviction and the hideous
gallows all passed in rapid review before
me. Who would believe me? l sat
down, buried my face in my hands and
sobbed like child. My wife. my own
comfortable home-should I ever see
them again?
What was to be done? Should arouse
the house and make clean breast of it ?
But what could say tell them had
killed a man in my sleep? Not soul
would believe the story. Could effect
my escape? Impossible; the crime
would be discovered before could leave
the city, and I should be arrested then
the law would take its course, and I
should be hanged by the neck until l
Hanged by the neck? Yes, that would
be my fate. AS this terrible thought
crossed my mind. cast my eyes around
the chamber, and they fell upon the
beam with hooks in it. From thence
they wandered to the handk erchief COW
eIing the dead mans clothes.
A means of safety suggested itself to
my mind. Suppose [ could make it ap
pear that man had committed suicide
Yes, that was my only chance. ard
determined to put it into execution.
I took the dead mans handkerchief
and advanced to the corpse with great
deal of repugnance but with more cour
age than I could have anticipated My
own fearful situation no doubt animated
me to an extent that I should never
otherwise have dreamed of l made
moose in the handkerchief and slipped
it over the dead mans neck. I then
lifted the body out of bed, and standing
on chair fastened the other end of the
handkerchief to a hook in the beam.
I now let the body go, and it swung in
space
jumped into bed, and shut my eyes
to close the horrid sight from my gaze.
| I determined to wait until somebody
pretend that l knew nothing at all
| about it, but that the man must have
got up in the night and hanged him.
self.
lay quaking and trembling for over
an hour. It grew broad daylight. I
felt the sun shining directly on the bed,
but / dare not open my eyes for fear
that should encounter the dangling
corpse Suddenly I heard the step OF
two men on the stairs. They appeared
to he carrying something heavy between
them. The long anticipated moment
was approaching. In q few SECONDS
more they would discover the body
NY life depended in great degree upon
their opinion If they were deceived
by my ruse others might be.
The door opened, and two men en-
tered the chamber, placing something
heavy on the floor
"Well, I'm blessed if the man hasn't
hanged himself again." exclaimed a
voice which recognized to be the land
lords.
BY golly! that's true" said the 9TH
err man No, see how it is, the'stran
ger found out the trick you played on
him, and not liking the idea of sleeping
with corpse, he tucked him up there
to get him out of the way"
"You are right, replied the landlord !;
"well. he's a cool 7un anyhow, and
would you believe it, last night thought
he was coward ?-that only shows how
easy it is to be mistaken in people. And
now he sleeps as sound as a church, let's
be careful not to wake him."
I breathed freely; for [ Immediately
understood the whole matter. The land
lord had put me to sleep with a dead
man. I heard them take down the
body and put it into a coffin-for it was
that they had brought with them. They
carried it away, and I was left to my
self. With my mind thus relieved I
fell asleep and enjoyed two hours deli.
cious slumber. then got up, dressed
myself, and proceeded down stairs.
"Good morning" said to the land.
lord who was behind the bar
"Good mornin'. sir" he replied sheep
ishly; II hope you slept we'll"
"Splepddly," I returned !; "my bed
fellow gave trouble at first, but soon
got rid of him "
II know you did," returned mine
host, with knowing wink. "Well,
must say you are the coolest chap I ever
F saw"
Not another word passed between us
with reference to the affair. And af
, terward learned from the conversation
of the people while I was at break fast
that my companion for the night was q
drover who, having made a ruiDous
speculation in cattle, had committed
snicide by hanging himself in the cham.
Der the night before
, II left the Golden Angel that morn
ing having Obtained quarters at Bar
, NUNS Hotel went to the convention
voted six hundred times for -, and
returned home having given full salts
faction to Mr. Ardew.
told my adventure to my friends
not as have told it to you, dear reader
hut with the same construction that the
landlord Of the Golden Angel put upon
it Everybody thought had displayed
extraordinary GOODNESS and intrepidity
There is one thing. however, to which
I have fully made up my mind, and
that is. [ will never attend another po'
litical convention as long as 1 live.