Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-11-19

3 ~ ! dog or aey1bing elss 70
( lo Nap1nT, when y 6Ard = noisA
aS esls|I S l5Sl 81 Bsss.s s..y. i:
Within ten feet Of me was table upon
which was . subject, covered with the
usual sheet, and that sheet was moving
as though the subject was determined
to get up and come after me. There
was no mistake about it; the sheet was
moving or being moved at very lively
rate. could almost feel the hair try
ing to get out of my head. I looked ct
it and the motion continued. could
not have moved if my life had depend
ed upon Il The dead body seemed to
be having o regular convulsion under
that cloth, and finally one foot seemed
to get out and then the other. My low
er jaw seemed to hang down to my
waist and I was in an agony of terror.
Then the head got out from under the
sheet. That Mortified me into strength
and, seizing lag home. ! throw IL with
sll the force that / could command at
that moving covering. Then the mo.
tive power in the shape OF four OF five
rats jumped to the floor and ran off.
But l did not go into that room again
at night for year, and / could scarce.
ly look at sheet for two months with
out feeling an almost uncomfortable
impulse to rum"
Those stories reminded me of an ex-
perience which student at the Albany
Medical College had some six years
ago. He was well known as man OF
great nerve, and some of the students,
desirous Of testing him. made a wager
that he could not sit all night in the
room with corpse, with his back to-
ward it, only looking at it every halt
hour. When he did look at it he was
to remove the sheet and record the ex-
act appearance Of the countenance.
He readily agreed to settle the dispute,
and in q few days one of the students
came to him and said that q stranger
had died in one of the hotels, and that
he could try his experiment there. He
was to go on duty at $3.50 at night, and
was on hand at the appointed time. He
made his first examination OF the face
and saw that it was in q state of per-
feet repose He then took his seat,
with his back to the body, and read un-
til 8 O'Clock, when he noticed what he
thought he had at first overloaded that
there was slightly drawn expression
of the countenance. This was recorded
and he resumed his reading.
At 80 be uncovered the face and
was astonished to see that the lips were
slightly parted and that he could just
see the teeth between them. This was
also recorded, and he sat down and
tried to read, but could think Of moth
ing except the parted lips At 10
o'clock he was q good deal excited
when he got up to make his observa-
tions; his hand trembled as he drew
back the cover from the face, and. he
was Mortified to find that one hand had
moved from its position, that the eyes
were half open and thrown back, and
that there was CHASTITY grin on the
face. Hetried to detect any movement
OF the face, but had not the nerve to
watch. When he sat down he imagined
he heard o movement behind him, but
could not look around. He longed for
10 80 o'clock, and yet felt that he could
not uncover that terrible object again.
The half-hour seemed to come all too
quickly. and with . fierce determine
tion he looked toward the table and saw
that the body had moved.
Almost fainting with terror, and yet
nerved by the remembrance Of his
promise. he drew away the sheet
Great drops Of prespiration stood out
ON his forehead As he saw that the
corpse had raised itself to its elbows,
the hands clinched. the grin more hor-
rible than before. and the eyes wide
open and staring wildly across the
room. Although almost paralyzed with
fear, he faithfully recorded what he saw,
but he could not look longer; it was
too terrible Then he sat down, and
for half an hour his blood was chilled
by hearing regular movements behind
him. He would have given, worlds to
look around, and could only restrain
himself with the greatest difficulty.
Eleven o'clock came finally, and with
. great effort he arose TO perform his
duty; ~ he turned around he saw the
body slowly glide from the table to-
ward him. Though terrified beyond
expression. and almost crazed with
fright he either became the brave man
that he had always bean or was driven
10 desperatfon, fof iis seized chair and
made for tho subject" which gave =
yell and rushed to the door Just n the
other stu 1snts burst in aud congratu-
lated him on his wonderiufnerve. He
at once saw that he had ban the vic
tim Of : practical joke and was him
self again in Z fewsminutes.
They Had nail N nOf0r of rome noto