The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-04-28
NUMBER IA.
A DREAM OF MURDER.

The narrator said that. some years ago, he
was the "best-man' at the marriage of a
friend. who afterward proceeded with his
bride to a large town in England. The lady
possessed great personal charms, and bad
qsite following Of suitors, the most con-
spieuOus of whom was young chemist. who
did bear the most irreproachable of charae-
tiers but shortly before the marriage, this
young man disappeared. The married cou-
pie were very happy for several months, till
an event happened which bears on the stOly
Returning from a concert one evening the
young wife received a slight chill, which
threatened 20 rest on the lungs, and medical
assistance was procured The doctor came.
and after ordering a simple prescription, he
retired, remarking that his patient would be
all right in a day or two. This anticipation.
however, was not fulfilled. To the great
grief Of the husband, his wife showed svmp-
toms Of extreme lassitude, and the careful di-
agnosis of an eminent physician failed to ac-
count for the abnormal condition. Medicine
was of course prescribed freely, but with no
beneficial result. Exhaustion supervened !;
and at this crisis the husband telegraphed
for his friend to Edinburg to come and per-
form some little business
The summons was readily obeyed. as the
friend had a sincere admiration for the bus-
band, and the greatest respect for the suffer
ing wife. Seated that night in a Midland
carriage, with nOcompaniOn but his thoughts
the young man recalled all the circumstances
of the marriage, not forgetting the sinister
incident of the disappointed apothecary's
disappearance. As he thought on all these
matters, he fell asleep. He awOke with a
start, and he was at Carlisle. His sleep had
not been refreshing, for it had been disturbed
by dream that troubled him. Unsentimen-
/ tai by nature, he tried to laugh the fancy
away but it refused to be exercised. Still
harping on some Of the incidents. he reached
ms friends home, and found the young wife
in a hopeless condition. The husband was
saddened and perplexed; and his friend.
realizing that action of some kind was neces-
sary to raise the mourner from his stupor
succeeded in getting him to talk about the
business he wished transacted They went
through number of streets conversinp IA
miliarly, when all Of a sudden the husband
found himself gIasped by the arm, and look.
ed around to see his friend gazing eagerly
into the window Of ashop. Recovering him
self in an instant, the visitor talked freely.
and did not volunteer an explanation Of his
rather erratic conduct but on returning to
the house, he requested the servan ut to bring
the bottle containing the medicine last given
TO the suffering woman. The girl brought
the bottle, and said she had Just washed it,
as the doctor had ordered her to 90 for an
other dose
This was disappointing, certainly. But the
friend was born detective, and not to be
baked. The girl went for the medicine
When she returned with it the young man
took the bottle, and without acquainting the
husband of his intention, left the house with
the prescription, returning after a brief in
teIval with the medicine. During the night.
the breathing of the patient became easier.
aud when the doctor called the next day. he
was able to report symptoms of recovery.
In the evening the friend, accompanied bv
man OF severe demeanOr, entered the room
where the husband sat and requested him
to come out on a little piece of business
They walked in silence through several
streets, and at last reached police station.
which they entered. Behind the desk there
there was seated a man with his face buried
in his hands. The officer on duty, without
much circumlocution, told the business
which had called them there. Adde'S
the husband, be said that the man seated in
the Office was charged with administering
nOXiOus drugs. When the accused stood up.
the party saw the altered features of the
missing chemist. A light seemed to fash
over the husbands face and after he had
made all the necessary depOsitious he hur-
rted home. At the next assizes, the chemist
was sentenced to ten years penal servitude :;
and as he pleaded guilty, the public knew
nothing Of the circumstances more than was
contained in the charge One of the prose-
cutors. however, had manifested great in
terest in the case; and as the husband and
his friend were leaving the court, he request
ed the latter to give some explanation Of the
manner in which his suspicious were first
called forth against the criminal The
friend at once told his story.
In the railway carriage, he had dreamed
that he was walking through large city
which he had never visited. At length he
came upon row Of shops, and at window
of one of these he observed the face of a
man, ,debased and vindictive in its expression,
and quite familiar to him. The man held a
mortar and pestle in his hands, and while he
mixed up some drug, there was a baleful
light in the fishy-lOoking eyes. Then the
sharp whistle of the engine awakened the
dreamer. The sequel was plain. Walking
with his friend through the labyrinth of
streets, could he despise his sleeping fancy
when he saw before him the actual row of
shops. while at one of the windows stood a
figure that haunted his memory like night
mare? 1t was a perfect revelation. When
he returned, and secured the medicine and
prescription, he went to another chemist,
and procured the needed restorative. and
then called upon an analyst with the first
bottle. 1t was found to contain a deadly
narcotic; and the police authorities having
been satisfied with the main facts, ordered
the arrest of the jealous and wretched man,
before the guilt of actual murder Law at his
door
NATURAL CURIosITY.-One of the most
singular vegetable natural curiosities to be