The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-07-29
,ee iqthe dro,er dept soundIy or not.

70
had taken tho precautlon 70 leave the
bed room door opea 20 that could make
o run Of 1t If necessary. ! Fixed rny eyes
ON the bed ns | let my boot fall. The
.droyer was evidently sound sleeper, for
although the noise made was considerable,
be did not make the slightest motion.
This decided me, and / hastily finished
undressing and crept into bed.
or course, / was careful not TO touch
my companion. / do not know bow
long I lay awake, but the novely OF
the situation ovesleep from my eyes
for some time. BY degrees, however. the
strangeDess of my position wore Off /
felt reassured by my bed fellows sound
S!asr, and the gentle rnnrmuring Of the
breeze outside caused me TO follow his
example.
I have no idea how long I slept before
| commenced TO dream. I suddenly,
however, thought that my companion
woke up and SAT upright iu bed that he
glared around him and ut last bis eyes
fell upon me. He then uttered q terrible
cryand threw himself uron ME. In spite
of my natural cowardice. | saw Ii /
did not struggle I should be killed.
th0ugbt 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, tighter7-his' lace grew
,blacker and blacker. ia:t5 B ..sff ,i4
In agony of fear awoke, and what was
my horfor and dismay 60 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" / exclaimed aloud.
"Cnn no be dead?"
jumped out Of bed. Morning had
dawned, although the sun had not yet
risen. rushed TO ne window and pull
ed back the curtain, I then ran TO the
bed again and looked at my companion.
My worst fears were realized. He waa
dead, black in the ace-strangled in my
sleep.
shall not attempt 10 describe my sen.
sation at tbis horrid spectacle. Ny body
was bathed in cold perspira,ion, my hands
trembled, and for q few moments believe
was bereft of my senses I recovered
by degrees but it was only TO realize in
q moro acute degree the horrors of my
situation. There lay my victim, and
was q mudererl My trial, conviction
and the hidcous gallows all passed in
rapid review before me. Who would be.
lieve me? sat down, buried my face
in my hands, and sobbed like child.
Ny wife, my own comfortable home
should ever see them again."
What was to be done7 Should / arouse
But what could I sny g--tcll them had
Filled a man in my sleep3 Not q soul
would believe The story. Could / effect
my escape? Impossible. The crime
wenld be discovered before / could leave
the city, and should be, hanged by the
neck until was dead. Z. -.
Hanged by the neck ! Yes, that would
be my fate. As this terrible thought
cFossed my mind, cast my eyes around
the chamber, and they fell upon the beam
with the hooks in IL. From thence they
wandered TO tho handkerchief covering
the dead mans clothes. .aati
a means of safety suggeaied itself to
my mind. Suppose could make ID ap-
bear that the man had committed suicide.
Yes, that was my only chance, and de-
termined 10 put it into execution. e. =,
/ took the dead mans handkerchief and
advanced to the corpse with a great deal
of repugnance, but with more courage
than,I could have anticipated. My own
fearful situasion no doubt animated me
to IN extent that Ishonld ney er otherwise
have dreamed Of. I made nooga III the
handkerchief and slipped it over, tho
dead mans neck. then lifted the dead
body out Of bed, aud 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 eight from my gaze.
determined to wait there until somebody
would come into the room, and then pre-.
tend that knew nothing ut all aboit it,
but that the man must have got up In the
night and hanged himself. .''
q I layfquaking and shaking for over au
hour. il grew broad daylight. I felt
Che sun shining directly on the bed, but
j dare not open my eyes for fear that
should encounter the dangling corpse.
Suddenly heard the steps OF two men
on tho stairs. They, appeared to be carry
ing something heavy between tharl. TIE
long anticipated memeht was approach
ing. In q few seconds Iiiufo they would
discover the body. NY life depended in q
great degree upon theiropinion. If they
were deceived by my :rae, Others might
be. ~.
The door opened, and :w,o men entered
the chamber, placing something heavy ON
the floor. iliEi b,
"p!Vell, I'm blessed If the man hasn't
hanged himselfagain," exclaimed avoice
Which ] knew TO be the landlords.
rBy gollyl that's true,n said the other
man. mo. / see how IL is. The srsan.
ger found out the trick ,yeu played on
him, and not liking tho idea OF sleeping
with g corpse, he tucked him up there 10
get him out Of the Way.n
HYou're right" repli:d the landlord.
'Well, he's G cool 'un anyhow, and would
you believe .it, last night ] thought he
was Q. coward That only shows how
easy it is to be mistaken In people. And
Pow he bleeps as sour.lly as q church !;
let's be careful not to wake him. l!i ~
l breathed ffealy, for Immediately
understood .he Whole matter. The land.
lord had put me TO sleer with dead
man,
heard tbe.n take down the ba1y aud
put it into n cotfin-f0r twas that which.
they hR5ii he with them.
rled it away, and I wss LEFT to rpysele.
With nay mind THIS fglisSSd, E keif
asleep .Siid etij6yed tHp lDh Ispf del
slumher. ] thon got up, dressed myaelf,
and proceeded down stairs.
"Go0d morning, said to The landlord,
who vas behind lhe Dir. ;,i
Good inorning, air." he replied sheen-
ishly hUpe you slept we'll. 3 49,,
~ n. ,le.;a.aiy returned. "',My bed.
fellow CAV trouble at ffst, bsis I Nsinss
got rid cf sils.n
''I know yoa did, 2 returned p.rn0 host,
With q knowing wink. ''Welf, i, must
Ray; you are tho contest chap l ever saw