The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-08-27
HAUNTED TO THE DEATH.

repeating to your practical readers a
story which DR.. Simpson of Boston
told me. LIDO not ask you to believe
1t. am not prepared to say that l
believe it myself. But 1 must insist
upon the fact that DR.. Simpson be-
ieved 1T, or I shall be simply wasting
my time.
l do not suppose you ever met DR..
simpson. Well, he was altogether one
OF the most eminent men in our pro-
fession. He possessed the acur.
ate scholarship of q French uni
versity, the skill OF q thorough
physician, and the tact of q man of
the world OF the best type. His sue
cess as physician was almost mar
v.elous, and his amiablepersonal quail
tiles made his ministrations so agree.
able that he vas much in demand,
ana obliged, in fact, to set limits to
his practice.
His standing in his own profession
threw him into contact with those of
equal standing in the otter profes-
sions. One of his most distinguished
patients was q criminal jud ye, whose
name he did not tell me. The name
OF this distinguished man is the only
secret he felt called upon to keep from
me in the whole affair.
This Judge, whom he attended reeu-
larry as physician, without any ap-
parent cause OF illness, was visibiy
wasting away. A sombre melancholy
had fallen upon him. His family had
upon different occasions interrogated
the doctor, and the doctor had on
his side questioned his friend, without
eliciting much from him but vague re-
plies, which awakened his anxiety, in
proving to him that secret did exist
without informing him what that Sc
cret was.
Finally, one day the doctor reason
ed so earnestly with his friend that he
admitted he was i'll, and taking the
doctors hands in his with sad
smile he said:
"Well, yes! am sick, and my sick.
ness, my dear doctor, is all the more
incurable in that it exists solely in
my Imagination"
What! In your imagination?"
eyes; am becoming mad"
"I ou are becoming mad! And in
what respect? ask you this because
do not see the slightest evidence of
it. You have lucid look, calm
voice (here the doctor took him by
the wrist and an excellent pulse"
"This is what makes my case 80 Sc
rious. can see it and judge for my
self"
But in heavens name! in what
does your madness consist?"
"Shut the door, so that we cannot
be disturbed and | will tell YOU"
The doctor closed the door and
returned to take seat beside his
friend.
"You remember, do you not" said
the judge to him. ''the last criminal
case IN which | was called upon to
pass sentence9'
Yes. A man who had poisoned his
wife. You sentenced him to be hanged,
and the sentence was carried out"
Exactly. WE'LL the moment | was
passing that sentence the criminal
looked at me with angry eyes, and he
shook his fist. did not pay any at,
tention to him. Such menaces are
quite common on thepart OF crimi,
nails. But, the day alter the execution,
the sheriff who superlntended the
hanging called at my house, apollo.
eized humbly for the intrusion, but
declared that he considered it his
duty to inform me of something; the
wii@ poisoner, on the scatfold, haG
pronounced q sort OF death curse or
my head, saying that the next day al
six O'Clock, the hour in which he was
executed. I should hear from him"
II half Thought there might be some
thing in the threat; the man had beer
guilty OF many other crimes and was
q celebrated cracksman. / thought il
barely possible that an attack might
be made upon me by some OF his con
federates- One should be prepared
for any emergency. So, as six O'Clock
came ON, put out n brace OF pistols
on my bureau and shut myself up il
my bedroom.
1.-The clock began to strike six.
had been much preoccupied with thi!
disclosure of the sheriff, but the las
stroke OF six sounded without my
hearing anything buta peculiar soune
which was not familiar to me. turn
ed around and perceived great blacl
cat with fiery eyes. Howilad it enter
ed? 1t was impossible to say; my
animal must have been shut up il
the room all day.
~ had not dined. rang; my maj
came, but he could not enter becaus
had locked myself in. went to tn
door and opened it. Then spoke tt
him about the black cat with the fer,
eyes; but we searched in vain; it hat
disappeared. thought no NOR
about it.
"The evening passed by. that night
the next morning, and the next day
Again the clock struck six. At tina
very moment heard q noise behint
me and I saw that cat.
''This time it jumped upon m.
knees.
81 haue'no antipathy to cats, ant
still this familiarity gave me strange
ly unpleasant feeling. chased itfron
my knees. But hardly had done Sc
when it sprang up again. I threw i
down but as vainly as in the first in
stance. Then got up. walked VI
and down the room. The cat follow
ed my footsteps. Finally. out of al
patience. I;rang rs on the evening be
fore. My want entered. But tn
cat had taken refuge under the bed
where we looked for it in vain. l
had disappeared.
~ went out during that evening.
visited a few friends and then returned
to the house, which entered by means
of my latch key.
"As l had no light, I went softly NJ
stairs for fear of humping up agans
the wall. When arrived on the las
step heard my body servant talkin!
to NY Mife's maid