Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-11-23
A BLACK ACT IN PANTOMIME.

Lucy ildu puHlouCu edCi OlHCl oCNCIO-
ly.
A BLACK ACT IN PANTOMIME.
How Tennesseeau Nightly Re.en-
acts the Murder With Which
He is Charged.
From the Nashville American.
In the Davidson County Jail is con-
fined Il man on the charge of murder,
whose name will not be mentioned, the
american not wishing TO prejudice his
case. The prisoner in question is given
to somnambulistic habits. When the
bells of the city usher in midnight the
prisoner arises from his couch in
stealthy and nolSeless manneri creeps
out To the door of the cell and scruti-
niZes the hall, or rs much of it as can
be seen through the door, and also eve
ry corner of his narrow apartment, as if
intent upon satisfying himself that no
one is in the vicinity. He then proceeds
to take a cotton shirt and ILLS the body
of it with the covering of the bed, also
stutl;ng the arms full He places this in
one corner on Il chair and puts upon
the top of it hat. Having arranged
this to suit him the somnambuiist with
nOlseless tread walks over to the place
where broom is kept and grasps
it rs If it were gun, creepS with cat
like tread upon the figure in the chair.
The man9uvre consumes considerable
time, the "sleeper" apparently acting
as if he was engaged iii picking his way
through brush or low timber.
Having arrived ut a point from which
Il good view can be commanded he cool
ly and deliberately raises the broom in
right angles to his shoulder. After TAX
ing a long aim he goes through the
same motion that one would in firing e
gun. He then approaches the chair.
picks up the dummy" and carries it
to the remote corner of the cell. He
then goes down on all fours and goes
through the motion Of digging with his
hands. Having dug until the hole is
large enough he places the stuffed shirt
in it and carefully covers it up, stamp
ing the floor of the cell us il lie was
pressing down uneven ground. lie then
Scatters over it an armful of leaves,
which he goes through the process of
gathering from the different portions of
his cell.
The work concluded to his satisfac-
ton, the sleep-walker conceals the
broom under his bed, as if hiding
gun. He then washes his hands, eX-
amines his clothes carefully, us if to see
If there was any blood upon them, and
resorts again to his couch, to sleep
quietly until morning. The prisoner
when informed of his strange freak in
his waking moments, denies all know
ledge of the occurrence.
SEND THE CHILDREN To School.
One of the greatest drawbacks to the
success ofO ur Com mon School system,
is the irregular attend ence of many of
the pupils. In almost every school
there are children who seem to attend
by fits and starts, who are in their
place to-day and absent tomorrow. At
the end of term they are decidly behind
their more puncutal fe lows, and the re-
Spousibility is almost Invariably put OF
the unfortunate teacher. Parents who
permit their children to absent them
selves from school upon the most trivial
preteXt, are always the most severely
critical in their attitude toward teach
ers. They do not seem TO remember
that their children have only been in
the school room semi occasioniy, or if
they do remember it, they appear to es-
TEEN it as matter of minor impor-
tance. Yet it is fact that no child
ho is irregular in his or her attend
ance at school, will make much progress.
Parents ou ght to remember this truth
aud improve in this respect. Send
your children TO schoo every day and
you will be agreably surprised at the
result. -Philipsburg J0Uncl.