The Delta independent., 1888-05-29
IMPRISONED In A TOMB.
A Haohinist Endures Hours Of Agony and
Horror.

How . Young Mans Hair Turned White ir
aDay When He Was "a Years Old-Savec
BY Friends Dream.
Charley Barber is So years old and
his hair is gray. Twelve years ago
when he was "a years old. his hair was
silvery white. 1t turned white in 9
day. Mr.. Barber is one of the pro-
prietors of the saloon known as the
"House of David" In his youth he
worked at the machinist's trade in
Elmira, N. Y. He was born in
Schuyler County. his father being 9
woolen miller. Old Caleb Hill, father
Of Gov. Hill. of New York, built the
mill.
One day Charley Barber was sent by
his employer to the Elmira cemetery
to place brass hinges on vault door.
The vault was large. 1t contained be-
tween twenty and thirty bodies. II
was built in a hillside. Barber finished
his work about o'clock in the after
noon. The day was warm. The
atmosphere of the vault was cool and
inviting As he expressed it. ''he
wanted to make a half day of it." SO
he went inside the vault and lighted
his pipe, leaving his tools lying on the
graveled walk outside. Half an hour
later the door of the vault suddenly
closed silently. The wind had blown
1t shut The new hinges had been
oiled and worked easily. The key was
In tho lock on the outside. The lock
closed with a spring and Barber was
imprisoned. His first thought was that
some one was playing joke on him
somebody had closed the door to
frighten him. But he was killing time
for the afternoon. He didn't care. He
smiled and puffed at his pipe. II can
stand 1t as long as they can," he
thought They'll come back and open
the door after awhile"
An hour passed and no one came to
open the door. Barber grew frighten-
ed and uneasy. He clung to the hope
that somebody had closed the door and
would release him. He dared moi
think that no one knew of his imprison-
mont There were horrors in that pos
sibility. For long time he stood
close to the vault door listening
with straining senses for footsteps on
the walk. None came. His nerves
became strained to their highest ten
sion. He could take no account OF
time. Moments were like hours. His
S,ro; -nrIad upt;l e ,ao,,ad 20 bo;1
The vault was cold. but sweat ran down
his temples. He knew that he must
wait BE knew that to fight was use
less, but he could not wait-he must
find relief in fighting against the inn
pregnable. He shouted for help. The
terror in his voice frightened him-as-
founded him. He shrank down and
covered his face with his hands. And
then he felt that he was weakening
that he was giving way to his terror.
He was q strong man. Without being
able to define it he fe 1t that his fright
must never be allowed to reach the
point Of helplessness. He must fight
to keep his mind He sprang 10 his
feet He seized the heavy handle OF
the heavy iron door and wrenched with
all his power. He shouted continually
':Helpi Helpl Helpr' With frenzled
strength he kicked against the door
until he burst his heavy boots and
bruised his feet, He struggled until
he was exhausted. He sank to the
ground. He was getting wild and he
know IT. He must calm his red-hot
frame he pressed his hands to Ills
head The panorama of his life pass.
ed before him like whirlwind. How
quickly and how clearly and distinctly
he could recall every act of his life.
And how calm and happy seemed his
life. But now he would surely die. He
would waste away. He would become
crazy with suffering. He would starve
to death. He imagined himself break
ing open coffin and tearing with his
teeth at the. cold, dead body. He shud-
dered and wept. He could see himself
a mumbling. groveling maniac. His
fright became frenzy. Now he
screamed instead Of shouted, and beat
his hands and bleeding feet against the
stone walls OF the vault His head
seemed burstin-. He fell unconscious to
the ground. He dreamed. And with
his outward senses numbed, nature
taunted him. In contradiction to his
horrible position he Teamed that he
was boy again, at the old home in
Schuyler County. His mother was with
him. and, holding him by the hand. led
him through the fields. He chased the
butterflies and the ground squirrels.
He rolled on the piles of fresh-cui
grass and climbed the apple trees. He
drove the cows along the dusty lane
and whistled at the robin in the hedge.
He stretched himself out on the hay in
the NOW and watched the mud swal-
lows fly in and out. and while he
watched them he fell asleep. he
awoke. His hands and feet were bruls-
ed and sore. The close darkness about
him startled him, and with the return
of his senses his former terror, redoub-
led. seized him He sprang up and
again began his fight for freedom.
How long he struggled and screamed