The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-03-31
Under the Bed.

Inc Nlan IN the moon mas prODaDly
never been the subject of half as much
scientific investigation as that other skele
ton in the family, the man under the bed.
1t is an awesome feeling to timid,
shrinking. sensitive woman, to remem.
Der just as she has put the light out. and
crawled into the safe and comfortable
retreat where she expects to peacefully
lay her head on smooth pillow, and
sleep If not snore-that she has forgotten
to look under the bed! In moment she
is as wide awake rs if confirmed victim
of insomnia; she imagines she can hear
some one breathe; she knows he is there,
dressed in brigandish suit-red-fannel
shirt, military boots, SLOUGH hat and
mask and whole arsenal of firearms;
her heart beats thick and fast, strange
noises ring in her ears. the perspiratiOn
starts out and bathes her in clammy
folds. She has locked the door, and he
will murder her if she moves? Ina very
-ecstscy of terrier she slips one white foot
out on the carpet, it touches cold rub
Der shoe of her own that is lying beside
the bed. and with shrek that rouses
the whole family. she tears op n the door
and when the alarmed household inquiries
the cause of her fright, she cop'ly an
swers: "I thought heard II. in the
room"
The man under the bed does not always
prove myth. Perhaps it is an actual
fact that women who pray look for him
more regularly than others of less spir-
ituaa turn of mind; when the good woman
kneels at the bedside to offer her devo-
tons, it is the most natural thing in the
world for her to first explore that historic
territory and satisfy herself that 10 con-
-cealed burglar is listening. It is also
. well authenticated fact that pious
woman in the suburbs of London did dis
cover the legs of bold, bad, house,
breaker sticking out, just as she began
her petition. She did not shrek, but
went on with prayer for that particular
sinner, that would have melted the heart
of a Newgate thief. Iwish that it might
be added that he was converted on the
spot, came o,t and was pardoned and
afterwards married the petitioner. But
truth compels me to add that the woman
WAS interrupted in the most solemn part
of her prayer by peal of laughter from
the graceless younger brother who had
enacted the part of q burglar.
More tragic was the story of the lady
who travelling alone stopped at an inn
and mentioned the fact that she had been
followed and watched by villainous
Cooking man with a shock of red hair,
who she feared had designs upon the
valuabies she carried with her. As moth
ing was seen of him at the inn she re-
tired for the night, carefully locked the
door and was soon in bed, leaving light
burning in front of mirror. No sooner
wal he: head on the pillow than she had
a distinct view of the man with the red
hair crouching under the bed; she made
no souud, but reached softly for scarf
she had laid near, made it into a running
moose and waited. The next morning
when her servants broke open the door;
they found the lady sitting up in bed,
grasping with both hands the moose in
which she held the fearful weight of the
dead man; she had strangled him, but
was herself a raving maniac from whom
reason had forever gone.
Some years ago prominent Judge in
Birmingham, New Hampshire, was found
murdered in his own house and no clue
to the murderer. 1t was Immediately
after an adverse decision he had made
in acase of great Importance, and the
murder was supposed tohave been insti-
gated by desire for revenge, but as all
the parties were respectable people it
was impossible to fasten the guilt on any
one. The Judge was a widower and
lived alone with the exception of a young
daughter and the servants. This daugh-
ter was beautiful. and on the evening in
question had returned home from a ball
at late hour and had gone directly to her
u own room where she stood before her
mirror taking off her jewels. As she did
so she held her white and rounded arm
above her head, and conscious of its
beauty said aloud: g What beautiful
armr' little thinking the idle remark
e of such consequence as it proved to be in
the tragedy that followed. The girl
both saw and heard her fathers muir
derer, but as he was masked failed to
distinguish his features, but always de-
.clared she should know his voice if ever
she heard it. Several years passed, and
in another city she was standing in a
crowd observing some passing sight,
when she was conscious of the curious
regard of stranger who stood near.
Looking at her with singular intensity
he made this remark: 80, the beautiful
armr' She knew the voice in an instant,
and throwing herself bodily on the man,
denounced him as her fathers murderer.
He was arrested, tried and convicted,
and told how he had lain hidden un-
der the bed and heard the idle remark
of the young girl which she herself had
been scarcely conscious of. He had rec
.cgaized her on meeting her, and invol-
UNFAIRLY betrayed himself. as he had been
a stranger and an unsupported party.
1t is not . pleasant thing for any
woman to awaken in the night and see
a masked burglar standing over her
with pistol in his hand. Yet such an
occurrence happened to Mrs. Mary
Scotch. sister of Mr.. Daniel Scotch Of
Sprngwells, only q week or two ago.
Mrs. Scotch is lady well known in
Detroit, and she is the one woman who
did not up to the time mentioned, be-
,lieve in either ghosts or burglars. So
much faith had the lady in her kind
that she failed to use the burglar-chain