Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-10
PROLONGED TORTURE.
Riding Away from Death ON . Horse
Determined to Go at q Foot Pace.

ain 20" said somebody to Globe-Denaocrat
correspondent, 81 was q green young country
boy, and had commenced studying law in At
tica-that little place we just passed. In the
summer time friend of mine, who knew 1 was
devilish hard up, suggested that go out to his
farm and spend q couple of months while he
ana his wife made visit to Philadelphia.
was only too glad to do 1t. He lived about four
miles rom Adtiea. nald the way over turn
rather pretty, location.
1.-The only other person there was a farm hand.
time. One day, I remember it was boiling
hot-in July, think-the hired man went to a
picnic and left me alone on the farm. Toward
noon go: q diabOlical tOOthache. It was the
jumping kind; felt every moment or two as If
somebodyhad hit the nerve with a tack hammer,
ssnk o
j recoliected all of q sudden that there was q
small bottle OF whisky on the pantry shelf.
where 1t was, SO rushed in. grabbed the bottle,
and took q swig. As sat it down Iglanced at 1t,
and TO my unspeakable horror read the wOrd
'Laudanum' ON a big black label. 1t struck
me instantly that had got the wrong bottle,
and also that had strange taste in my
and ends in the pantry, and that accounted for
"For moment my brain was in a whirl, and
then collected my thoughts and rapidly sur
veyed my chances. did not know exactly
how much opium there was in ladanum, but
realized that had certainly swallowed enough
to Kill a dozen men, and that my only hope
lay in obtaining prompt medical assistance.
thrust the bottle into my pocket to indicate
how much had taken aud ran for the barn,
'There was only one horse on the place-an
old, wind-broken, dirty-white bag OF bones,
that hadn't been out OF q walk since the year
was q caution to snakes My hands trembled SO
that could scarcely fasten the buckles, but
finally got our rattletrap Of two-seated buggy
hitched up and started for town.
81 didn't stop to shut the gate. lust leaned
over the dashboard and Hammered the old
scared gate, half run and half trot. In a mo-
ment or two he got used to the licking and it
was almost impossible to keep him going. If
Bergh had seen me would certainly be in the
penitentiary to-day for cruelty to animals.
smashed him over the back until great welts
stood out like burrows on q plowed field, and
hOwled and raved and swOre. Itseemed to me
we snailed along SO slowly we were scarcely
moving at all, and the minutes sped in dia-
out and walked, but dare not trust my legs Tor Tor
the distance.
Meantime I felt the poison working in nv
had read Of such things and 1 felt them in all
their magnified horrors. It seemed in some
strange, fnexplicable way, as ii had a dual
sleep, come what might, and the other fired
with all the energy OF despair to reach the
No tongue tel the battle
The stranger took out his handkerchief and
slowly wiped the beads of perspiration from his
'.Inch by inch the horrible inertia crept over
me. Ny body seemed enormously enlarged
My arms were yards long and my hands OF
one Of the effects Of opium poisoning It ap-
peared to mel fear that cannot make myself
understood-that the sense OF will Travelled very,
very slowly, and waned and died out before it
reached its end. When wished to raise my
hand, for instance, 1t seemed to take ages to
communicate the desire 70 the muscles, and
then they were too feeble to respond. Do you
follow me?"
~ believe 1 understand you"
l<<pk nA xrStL s.~<1A
teams on the road, but there was little travel on
the turnpike have described, and none at ali
that day: l passed several farm houses, it is
true, but the people were all In at dinner, and
dare not take the time to hunt them. Ny life
hung on the moments.
"By this time had lost all volition. The
whip dropped from my nerveiess hands, and
the reins slid into my lap. 1t Is needless to say
the horse fell into q very slow walk. Occasion
I tried to yeil at him, but, although desired
TO make q noise with an intensity Of will that
Tas nn my tongue seemed chained and
At last, 1t seemed ages, Attica came in sight.
oraced every nerve for final effort. We
and occasionally pausing to nibbie . tempting
bunch OF grass. 1t was there that registered 9
mute oath to nay him alive II he ever pulled
ave entered by the main street, and I
counted count the seconds as we approached the post
suddenly dawned on me: I was unable
TO move, unable to speak, powerless to attract
attention, and, sir. as hope to be saved. that
infamous horse deliberately walked past the
doctors, straight through the town and out the
He paused for a moment and looked silently
out Of the window.
"You have probably read OF mariners" he
went On, starving, desperate, famiShed, who
are tossed on raft in mid-ocean and see a
great ship sail pest them on the horizon. Well.
1 ieit something the same way, only worse, as
speechless and motionless sat dying like q
craven image on the buggy seat and saw the
town disappear behind my back There were
few people on the streets-you know how IL Is
In country place at noon-and those who saw
me supposed was only drunk.
don't know whether IL was absolute de.
SPAR that partly broke the spell, or whether
the edge OF the town, and upon this the horse
made It's very first exhibition OF energy and
ran on. They carried me back to the doctors
once ana laid me on the floor. was still
unable to talk, but feebly motiOned to inv
pocket and they took out the bottle The
doctor uncorked IL, smellcd IL and remarked
tnat ne was sorry to see me intoxicated. This
out: - sSP
rh., Hor old idiot can't you see I'm poisoned.
u Its nothing Of the kind he said, its
LOOK at the label, you maniac 1 shrieked.
ne turned over the bottle.
THAT'S IN old label he oaid and crr,..o<a
out. ! filled the bottle myself with WHEY.
wnats the matter with you, anyhow
~ se.t my symptoms suddenly disappear.
when found the door, i disappeared to0 I
snerward hunted up . big niger and gave
him quarter TO kick me, and But here's
danyetts, / sse. This h nay stopping place.