, 1885-12-05
A NIGHT OF HORROR.
The Terrible Ordeal of a Beau
tiful Girl
Locked in a Room With a
Fierce Maniac.
Why a Young Lady's Hair
Turned White.

age, ten days ago was invited to spend
the Christmas holidays with her aunt,
living about ten miles from Harper's
Ferry. She accepted the invitation, and
in due time arrived at her destination.
Several other guests had arrived a week
previous, 30 that the house was literally
packed, leaving no accommodations for
another visitor. On the lawn, a short
distance from the mansion, had been
built a one-room cabin. 1t had been
comfortably furnished by the hostess in
anticipation Of an emergency OF the pres
ent character.
Tho hostess stated to her niece that she
would be obliged to place her temporarily
in this cabin unless sho objected to the
arrangement. Bessie was naturally of a
bold and adventurous disposition, and
lacked the natural timidity of most girls,
so that she quietly agreed to the plan.
Tired out with her trip. she told her aunt
that she would like to retire early, so a fire
was built on the cabin hearth and every
thing made comfortable for the night.
Bessie was accompanied by her hostess to
the cabin before she retired, and sat with
her for some time talking over family
affairs. AS she started to leave she dis
covered that the bolt had been broken off
the door, necessitating her locking the
door on the outside to keep everything
secure. This she did after bidding her
niece an affectionate good night.
Bessie fell into a deep sleep, from
which she awoke near morning. She
heard something move once or twice
under the bed. She nearly tainted from
fright, but, having treasured herself into
the belief that it was merely a dog, turned
over to 90 to sleep. Suddenly she felt
the bed move, accompanied by a loud
yawn. She lay in constant dread for
several minutes, not daring to stir for
fear of betraying her presence, but finally
decided to make a sudden dash and gain
the door and liberty. She was on the
point Of putting her resolve into execu-
ton. when she suddenly remembered that
the door was locked on the outside and
that she was practically a prisoner and at
the mercy of the unknown intruder. She
laid quietly in bed, moving neither hand
nor foot, the horror of the situation still
increasing, till she feared she would lose
her reason. The seconds and minutes
dragged their agoniring length along, till
the first streak of daylight appeared. The
monster several times during these awful
hours raised the bed, causing its occu-
pant to feel untold agonies of apprehen-
sion.
Finally the object crawled out from I'M
der the bed. It proved to be a man
clothed in %tatters. with the fragments of
heavy iron shackles hanging to his wrist
and ankles, The hair and beard of the
strange visitor were tangled and unkept,
the former hanging below his shoulders.
The brute stretched his full length out by
the fire and, giving a grunt of satisfaction,
fell into a deep sleep. The occupant of
the bed, realizing that at daybreak she
would inevitably be discovered. cast her
eyes wildly around for a hiding place.
The heavily eurtained recess in one Of the
windows caught her eve, and she instant
ly resolved to make an effort to reach it.
Raising herself quietly on her hands, she
crept noiselessly from the bed, and reach
ed the window in safety. From this
point of vantage she looked with agoniz-
ing dread on the sleeping brute.
Overcome with fatigue and fear, she
was almost in the act of sinking to the
floor. when she suddenly became aware
Of the baying OF hounds and the rapid
hoof beats of g~alloping horses. They APP
preached nearer and nearer, till she could
distinguish the excited voices Of the rid
ers. She realized suddenly that they
were on the track OF the strange intruder,
and silently prayed for immediate succor.
The voices died away in the distance,
grew louder and then sank fainter, the
alternate conflict of hope and fear almost
rendering her frantic. They again APP
preached closer, till they seemed to be
Just outside the cabin door.
While listening she had unconsciously
dropped the curtain folds from her face,
and suddenly glancing in the direction of
the fugitive, she saw that he also had
been awakened by the confusion, and
having arisen to his feet, was Rlaring at
her face with an expression that left no
doubt as to his madness. For a moment
she cared ixedly into his eyes, and then
made an involuntary movement toward
the door. The spell which held the man
lac was broken, and he sprang toward her
with a wild snarl.
The unfortunate lady gave a scream Of
despair and sank senseless to the floor.
As her eyes closed TO Inconsistencies she
became dimly aware Of a bursting crash
and terrific struggle about her. When
she again came to she was lying in bed in
her aunt's residence, surrounded by
weeping relatives. The terrible shock
incident to the night Of horror resulted in
in an aggravated attack of brain fever,
the effect OF which was such as to unset
tie her reason. The strangest part Of tn,
story, is that during her illness her hair,
which was ola chestnut tinge, began tC
change color. and ultimately became
white. The maniac was the son Of {
neighbor, and had been mad FROM birth
He was considered SO dangerous as Il