Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-19
AN AwruI. DREAM.
Greunawerh Upen which Poe MIGHT
Have Butit q Hsrrowfag Tale.

philadelphia News
An old friend Of mine, In whose word
I have every confidence, met mo on
Chestnut street yesterday afternoon.
He had in his hand q copy Of the Daily
Ne,rs, with that particular dream. Of
which i had spoken marked In blue
pencil. "There," said he, "you are
just the very man l want to see.
I've got q dream for you, il you
care to hear it, that would be
a bang-up foundation.stone for Edgar
Allen Poe to build up structure OF
horrors, beside which the Black Cat
and Facts in the Case Of SIR. Waldo.
mar would be tame. / am not an
immoderate eater or dripker and usual
ly sleep soundly every night. 1t has
been my custom for years to 90 to bed
between 10 and III O'Clock. always
breakfast at I, lunch at 2, and dine at
G. When l add to this that have not
changed my diet for twenty years and
that am not an imaginative man, you
will wonder how my mind should be
filled with such strange thoughts as
those am about to relate.
81 went to bed as usual on Sunday
night and slept, l should judge, until
about midnight. Something then
awakened me, and got up and lighted
the gas. did not know what caused
me to get out Of bed and went back
again. No sooner had my head touched
the pillow than felt myself trans
ported to neighborhood which seemed
like Fourth and cambridge streets. l
walked along Fourth, and as ! reached
cambridge a small dog ran out Of a
market house and caught Inc by the
leg. drew q revolver which | had
in my hip-pOcket and shot the
animal through the head. The
noise seemed to attract the at
tsntion of dozens Of other dogs that
rushed on me from all sides. All this
time was conscious that was in my
own bed at home, but felt that my soul,
OF my reason--if the term suits you
better-was going through this strange
experience. Gradually the conscious
ness of being in bed faded out, and |
seemed to be in whole fighting oil these
ours. | had Just succeeded in putting
bullet through the body of an enor-
nous hound when little, misshapen
negro ran out of house on Fourth
street. lie seemed to be frantic with
rage, and demanded why | had killed
his dog. i made no answer, but re-
treated, feeling a sudden and unac-
countable spasm Of fear. l ran into
house on the west side of Fourth
street with the little dwarf close at
my heels. l managed to shut the
yestibule door and lock it before
be had fairly reached the top steps.
walked through long hallway to what
seemed like a circular platform. In
the middle Of this there was a sort
Of we'll guarded by an iron railing
and outside of this railing could SEE
the opening of spiral stairway lead
ing down to | knew not where. AS
reached this platform, door leading
from the room or my right was sud
denly opened, and dog, precisely 9im
liar to the dog | had first seen in thu
market-house, darted out and flew a
my face. seized the brute by tn
throat and choked him until life wa
seemingly extinct. Then walked owe
to the well.like place and threw tn
body Of the dog over the railing.
heard it 60 bounding down until i
reached the bottom, which seemed t
be great depth.
"All this had taken but moment
and the hump-backed negro was stil
struggling at the door seeking to gal
an entrance. 1t instantly flashed acros
my mind that his anger, which eve
then seemed to be almost frenzy, woul
be intensified should he discover that
had killed another dog, and / started
run down the spiral stairway with
half-formed intention Of concealing tn
body of the dead dog. went dow
and down and down, and the conStan
turning made my brain whirl.
IL reached the bottom at last an
found myself in a vaulted chamber
The spiral stairway ended at the mout
of a brick well. looked about to fin
the dog but could not see him, an
while | was specializing as to whethe
| had tossed him into the well or moi
my eyes became more accustomed t
the gloom, and | saw ranged about tn
edge of the well twelve skulls, whct
from their size and conformation, too
to be the skulls Of infants. ! was jus
about to retrace my steps and ascen
the stairway when again | seemed
become a dual entity. ! knew that
was in my own home and in my ow
bed, but | could see myself stanC
ing in front of the twelve skulls, aud
actually wondered how my second Sc
would escape. Then happened a mo-
remarkable thing. | became full
awake, although still saw myself I
the bottom Of the stairway surrounde
by The skulls. | lifted myself on IN
elbow, and made sure that was NJ
dreaming. lleaped out Of bed on
the floor, and walked over to the bl
reau. To my intense amazement | sa
that the mirror was lighted up with
, | strange glow, and in dim vista | coal
see myself cropping about in the vaulte
chamber. must explain to you that Il
first sensation on awakening was thu
what ! saw was in my minds eye, an
the second sensation after getting out
,, bed was an actual seeing with the n
! tural eye. even went SO far as
wipe of the surface Of the looking.glai
/, with my handkerchief, but the illusic
was not dispelled. | perceived Il
misshapen dwarf force his way into Il
. entry and creep stealthily along unit
: he reached the head of the spiral stat
way. His eyes were blazing, aud b
|. every movement seemed to remind II
of what I had read Of the Evil On
; You cannot imagine the strange feelir
: of horror and apprehension that too
possession of me as | watched this blsc
fend peer over the railing as he Dire
from his bresst-pocket a long, kee
knife.
d., ~, >. III. L. -.ko.koj -, tho ca