The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-07-29

bed room door open 80 GnaC COu'u uiake
a run of it if necessary. l fixed my eyes
on the bed as let my boot fall. The
droyer was evidently sound sleeper, for
although the noise made was considerable,
he did not make the slightest motion.
This decided me, and I hastily finished
undressing aud crept into bed.
Of course, was careful not to touch
my companion. I do not know how
long I lay awake, but the novely OF
the situation drove sleep from my eyes
for some time. By degrees, however, the
strangeness of my position wore OH. |
felt reassured by my bed.fellow's sound
sleep, and the gentle murmuring OF the
breeze outside caused me to follow his
example.
have no idea how long slept before
I commenced to dream. l suddenly,
however, thought that my companion
woke up and sat upright in bed /; that he
glared around him and at last his eyes
| fell upon me. He then uttered terrible
cry and threw himself upon ME. In spite
of nv natural cowardice, / saw if |
did not struggle should be killed. |
thought I seized him by the throat, and
tightening my grasp, saw him getting
black in the face. His hand fell
powerless by his side, smothering groan
escaped him; but still | pressed his
throat tighter. tighter-his face grew
blacker and blacker.
In agony of fear I awoke, and what was
my horror and dismay to find that my
hand was really pressing my companions
throat. He did not move nor stir, and
his body felt as cold as ice.
"Great God!" l exclaimed aloud.
"Can he be dead ?"
dumped out of bed. Morning had
dawned, although the sun had not yet
risen. 1 rushed to the window and pull.
ed back the curtain. 1 then ran to the
bed again and looked at my companion.
Nv worst fears were realized. He was
dead, black in the face-strangled in my
sleep.
shall not attempt to describe my SEN
sation at this horrid spectacle. My body
was bathed in cold perspiration, my hands
trembled, and for a few moments believe
I was bereft of my senses. l recovered
by degrees but it was only to realize in.
more acute degree the horrors of my
situation. There lay my victim, and l
was a muderer! My trial, conviction
and the hideous gallows all passed in
rapid review before me. Who would be-
lieye me? / sat down, buried my face
in my hands, and sobbed like a child.
! My wife, my own comfortable home
should ever see them again."
What was to be done? Should | arouse
the house and make clean breast of it I
But what could I say ?-tell them | had
killed man in my sleep? Not soul
would believe the story. Gould l effect
my escape? Impossible. The crime
weuld be discovered before could leave
the city, and should be hanged by the
neck until I was dead. =,
Hanged by the neck! Yes, that would
be my fate. AS this terrible thought
crossed my mind, I cast my eyes around
the chamber, and they fell upon the beam
with the hooks in it. From thence they
wandered to the handkerchief covering
the dead mans clothes.
A means of safety suggested itself to
my mind. Suppose l could make it ap-
hear that the man had committed suicide.
Yes, that was my only chance, and de-
termined to put it into execution.
I took the dead mans handkerchief and
advanced to the corpse with a great deal
of repugnance, but with more courage
than / could have anticipated. My own
fearful situation no doubt animated me
to an extent that l should never otherwise
have dreamed of. I made moose in the
handkerchief and slipped it over the
dead mans neck. I then lifted the dead
body out of bed, and standing on chair
fastened the other end ofthe handkerchief
to hook in the beam. I now let the
body 20, and it swung in space.
dumped into bed, and shut my eyes
to close the horrid sight from my gaze.
determined to wait there until somebody
would come into the room, and then pre-.
tend that l knew nothing at all about it,
but that the man must have got in the
night and hanged himself.
f. I lay quaking and shaking for over an
hour. 1t grew broad daylight. I felt
the sun shining directly on the bed, but
II dare not open my eyes for fear that |
/ should encounter the dangling corpse.
| Suddenly heard the steps of two men
on the stairs. They appeared to be carry.
ing something heavy between ehem- The
long anticipated moment was approach,
ing. In few seconds more they would
discover the body. My life depended in
great degree upon their opinion. If they
| were deceived by my ruse, others might
be-.
The door opened, and two men entered
the chamber, placing something heavy on
the floor.
"Well, I'm blessed if the man hasn't
hanged himselfagain," exclaimed voice
which knew to be the landlords.
"By golly that's true" said the other
man. mo, see how it is. The srtan-
ger found out the trick you played on
him, and not liking the idea of sleeping
with a corpse, he tucked him up there to
get him out of the way"
"you're right" replied the landlord;
"WelI, he's q cool 'un anyhow, and would
you believe it, last night I thought he
was q coward? That only shows how
easy it is to be mistaken in people. And
now he sleeps as soundly as church
IIets be careful not TO wake MIN.
! I breathed freely, for l Immediately
understood the whole matter. The land.
lord had put me to sleep with dead
man.
I heard them take down the body and
put it into a coffin-for it was that which
they had brought with them. They car.
ried it away, and 1 was left to myself:
| With my mind thus relieved, | fell
asleep and enjoyed twothours of delicious
slumber. I then got up, dressed myself,
and proceeded down stairs.
"Good morning" said l to the landlord,
| who was behind the bar.
Good morning, sir, he replied, (; sheep
ishly; II hope you slept we'll"
fSplendidly," I returned. "My bed.
fellow gave trouble at first, but soon
got rid of him."
1T know you did," returned mine host,
with knowing wink. "Well, l must