The Indianapolis journal., 1884-01-19

slacllened upon my chest and legs, I felt the
cords slide away, and once more free.
The worst Of the danger was over, but
not all; truly had the use of my arms and legs
and could fight for my life; but these people
would be desperate at the idea of their dlaboll
cal plan being discovered, and the odds in such
IL fight would be terrible against me. | must
keep cool and not yield to panic 1t still
quite dark, yet | feared to strike light, and,
after gropng for my clothes and dressing my
self, ] sat down in a chair and waited for the
dawn. Can | ever forget the horror OF that
vigil! Surrounded by an impenetrable black
ness, over which brooded the phantom of mur-
der; scarcely daring to breathe lest | should be-
tray myself to some stealthy listener; fancying
footsteps; that l could feel an
invisible presence; that could
see shadows moving across the darkness, and
outstretched hands making for my throat!
Would the dawn never break 1t came at last,
wan and CHASTITY as the face of my dream; but
never had the most glorious sunrise been so
grateful to my eyes as was that CLEAN of cold,
gray light that broke at last through the shroud
of darkness that enveloped me.
] advanced on tiptoe to the window and eau
tiously peered through the glass. / could see
that it was at least twenty feet from the ground,
and looked into paved yard with high walls.
That way was hopeless. If | attempted TO leave
the room | might find the assassin lurking on
Jne STAIRS Ine safest plan would be 10 WalG ull-
til later until the doors of the house were open;
until people were about the streets. and there
would be chance of assistance should needlt.
/ looked at my watch: 1t was past o'clock.
Just then heard some one stirring below
door open and shut. While | stood listening
with my ear to the keyhole my attention was at
tracted by another sound it came from beneath
the bedstead and might have been the gnawing
OF Il rat Fixing my eyes upon the spot whence
the noise proceeded. presently saw portion of
a NNnn6An at clpGpI hOftOm
the bedstead move away, and the next moment
the space was filed by a head covered with long
black hair and a white CHASTITY face, shaded by a
stubby black beard. Themorning light was still
dim and the room full of shadows, but
that livid face started out of its dark
framework with terrible distinctness. |
could not stir, very fascination of horror seized
upon me. Our eyes met: / could see the pupils
of the other dlate the mouth open, and almost
the very hair stir with terror. For seconds we
faced each other thus Then heard cry of
Mon Dieu!" and the head was gone, and heard
a scratching and scrambling.
| could endure no more: without even waiting
to put on my hat | turned the key. shot back
stairs The girl was sweeping out the hall-the
outward door was open-1 rushed past her into
the street, and ran at headlong speed until
reached the center Of the town
As soon as | recovered my breath / sought the
bureau of the police and told my extraordinary
story. From my strange appearance and ex-
cited manner am sure they took me for mad
man; but, nevertheless, prevailed on them to
allow a couple of gems darmes to accompany me
back to the hotel Yet brief as had been the
time thus taken up, it had been sufficient to
allow the criminals to escape. The examination
of the premises, however, quickly revealed the
internal machinery to which | had so nearly
fallen victim. The chamber I had occupied
was built over what had formerly been a coach
house. but which was now used as a lumber shed.
Between the ceiling of this place and the floor
of the room was loft about three feet
high also apparently filled with lumber, but
in reality it was only the entrance that
was stopped up; the rest of the place was per-
fectly clear. and it was from here the machinery
was worked. The pallet of my bedstead was
simply a wooden plank secured to the frame
work only in the center where it Vas made to
revOlVe to any angle by means of an iron rod
that acted as an axis. 1t was supported at either
end by two iron legs attached to the floor. but
not to the plank; that portion of the flooring
that was beneath the upper half of the bedstead
could be sunk like a stage-trap into the loft.
so as to admit of the pallet being raised
from the horizontal to the perpendicular;
cords cunningly reefed into the quilt were
passed through the flooring into the loft and
thence into the coach house below. and worked
by small windlasses, which enabled the operator
to secure the victim to the bed The rush of
blood, caused by the head hanging downward,
more especially after man had been partaking
of a drugged drink, was almost certain to pro
duce apopleXy, more especially as the curtains
were so arranged that they closely embodied the
victims head, and rendered breathing almost
impossible.
Some few months afterward the man was
arrested In the meantime it was discovered
that he had been the landlom of La Crox
dor" at La Tour-d -du-Pn at the time of the
Travellers mysterious death. He afterward
made full confession of his crimes at least
he owned to having committed six murders in
the manner have described, and would probably
have committed as many more but for my
miraculous escape. Without some such chance,
detection was almost impossible; there was no
trace of blood or poison, no mark of violence
and nothing to suggest the mode by which the
crime had been committed. After the suspicious
aroused at La Tour-duPin, however, he had
with the bodies of his Victims; four, nearly con
sumed by quicklime, were found buried in the
yard of the hotel in which had slept