Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-05-16

agination he had better abandon the
business. for when the moon Is obScured
bv clouds and he is walking about
cemetery, shivering from his heels
upward, he will mistake tombstOnes
for ghosts. He will think that the
owls, rs they whiZ past his ear with
their mournful hoot, are unquiet
spirits come to haunt the receptacles of
the bodies which they once permeated.
When the noise of his footsteps makes
the rats disappear with a rustling sound
into little thickets of evergreens he
will start and grasp his weapon. The
very whine of his dog will make him
feel nervous, and bit by bit his reason
will become impaired"
Il could give you some sad remi-
niscenses of people who watched grave
wards. - said one of the oldest watchmen
at Laurel Hill Cemetery, i'll a strange,
solemn tone. Then, half jestingly, he
added: but they're buried in the
plst, and it's my business to let what 5
buried remain so.n He did not mind
telling one story, however. Il used To
work i'm Brooklyn cemetery before i
came to this city, he began. 1t was
there that the terrible scene which |
shall speak of occurred. We wanted
an assistant night watchman very
badly, but none of the persons who pre-
Sented themselves could endure staying
mp with the graves for more than two
or three nights each. AT last there
came an unfortunate man whose health
seemed shattered by overwork and
lprivation. II was his last venture. He
had tried to get employment everywhere
without result and his wife and child
rem We're suffering. We took him on.
| don't think | shall ever forget his
face the morning after his first night in
the graveyard. He said he had endured
unheard-of agony, but was hopeful OF
getting over it in time. The following
night was dark and windy. Rain came
down i'm torrents and there were flash
es of lightning every few minutes. At
about O'Clock the head wathman
heard a low cry; there was sound of
running feat, followed by the report OF
la pistol. a search WAS made and the
unfortunate man WAS found lying on
his back across a grave dead There
was Il small hole in his temple, and his
lown revolver. one barrel of which was
empty. lay three feet away, where he
lhad- flung il. mbeded in the ground. Ii
was certain that some fearful creation
of the imagination had SO terrified him
that he took his life to escape from II. >
When the old man had finished this
narrative he was silent for many min
lutes. He sat perfectly still, with d
vacant look, and allowed bright tear
Ito chase each other down his cheek
Suddenly he made a brisk motion and
lforciblv forgot the subject of his nara
Tive. There are amusing things some
times" he said, speaking at first witt
Ian effort. a short time ago MAJ
was put to work at night i'll cemetery
not far from here. He strolled arounC
in an affected indifferent way, whlSthn9
tunes dear to his countrymen. In th'
course of his rambling he tmnbleC
bodily into a newly-made grave, and ;
, lot of loose earth feel on him when h'
, reached the bottom. He struggled
wildly. and in about an hour and three
quarters managed to get out, screamln:
, Justify that the devil had dug a grav,
, and tried to bury him i'll it. With ;
single bound he cleared fOur-foo
fence. rolled down a fortyfOot hill, am
j that's the last of him, for no one abOu
here ever set eyes on him again, dead ol
: alive. He must have gone back I,
| Ireland. for he wasn't hurt at all
= Some practical jokers once tried L
scare a watchman, a friend of mime
f 1t was immense fun-for the watch
= man. They got into the cemetery DIS
; guiSed as bOdy-snatchers, and pretende'
= to he opening graves. There were thre
individuals. One got seven buckSho
5 in him. the second received five IN hi
E leg, and | forget what happened to tn
r third. The only thing that is NOR
: dangerous than watching graves
a robbing them"
A What is it produces this dreadt'
f Imelancholia?" asked the reporter.
: The old man looked around him my'
\ teriously and added, as he moved away
: .'I'm not a doctor nor scholar, hut
lhave my belief that it's the maSm
n from the graves that poiSonS the bloc
= land warIs the brain. Just see, cool
I il is this evening, the vapor Is rising
+ rising" And the old watchma
o pointed toward the setting sun, again'
g which blazing background filmy mr
= could he seen ascending from the groun
t like the genii from the iiSherman'S ho
5 in the Arabian tale.