Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-09-19
A Terrible Night.


that fearful night | spent in New
York State.
l had often passed Newburgh on
the Hudson River steamers and on
the cars, but had never stopped there.
They had pointed out to me Washing
toms headquarters, for it is poor
town in that part of the State that
has not Washington's headquarters,
and, all in all, the place was so pleas
antly situated that / always said to
myself: "The next time ! come | will
stop and see the place."
One time when was on my way to
England and found that l had day
to spare. it occurred to me that | was
on the West Shore Railroad and
would pass directly through New
burgh, and have no ferriage to pay,
as would have been the case if we're
on the line on the other side Of the
river, | would stay all night and see
the town in the morning, and perhaps
run the risk of missing my steamer by
climbing some of the hills in the
neighborhood, for there is always n
delight in cuttings things close, and il
is quite a thing to run the risk of miss
ing an Atlantic steamer when you
have had your stateroom taken and
paid for.
So when the brakeman yelled out
"Newburgh," l got off and left my
belongings in the station and went up
town.
Well, it happened that that day and
the next they were having some sort
of Washington celebration in New
burgh, as is the custom there, for
there is hardly day in the year that
Mr.. Washington did not do something
or other in and around Newburgh,
and they always celebrate it, so that
people will not forget Washington,
and especially Newburgh, and so the
town is in more or less constant state
Of celebration.
| went to the principal hotel there
and was told that the town was full,
as also were many Of the inhabitants,
and the only accommodation they
could offer me was section of a some
what used-up billiard table, with the
proviso that l would take my boots
,ff, as they might want to use it to
play billiards OH between that and
he next celebration. l refused the
,ffer somewhat contemptuously and
vent to the next best hotel and found
hat full also, and, what was more,
he billiard tables all taken. The
nan thought was rather reckless in
having refused the part of the billiard
able at the other house and advised
ne to secure it if it were still unten-
lnted, but | went to another hotel in
tead, and found that there was no
'oom there either. So | went on
coming down and down in the hotel
world until took to going into shady
averns that | would not have looked
It when / first came into town. 1t
vas about this time that | began ment-
lily to abuse the father of my coun-
ry and wish that the British had
,ept him occupied at any other town
'ut Newburgh. | regret this now
nd may say, in case l should ever
un tor office, that Mr.. Washington
las completely regained his place in
ny esteem, although Ibid think hard
y of him that night.
At last ] struck suspicious-looking
lace that looked as if everybody had
voided it and | asked if they had a
oom. was told they had. / was
ather tired and asked to be shown
0 it at once. 1t was pretty high up
nd overlooked the Hudson, on which
he moonbeams glittered and made
cry pretty picture.
The man who showed me my room
,as forbidding looking fellow who
semed capable of any crime, and, al
hough | should have suspected him
rom his brutal appearance, yet | nev-
r thought of any harm until he ask
d if it was getting late, and when
as idiot enough to pull out my gold
'atch and tell him the time, cold
bill ran through me as I noticed the
'ok he gave at the timepiece.
Then began to think of the place
was in.
When he had gone, leaving the
noky lamp with me, was the more
|armed to notice that the door had
o lock, and what was the more sus-
icious, the lock had evidently been
iolently wrenched off.
There was a chest of drawers in one
huer and that pulled over against
le door. | looked out of the window
} see what chance there was of escape ,
that direction. Almost directly
nder was the railway over which ]
ow regretted | had not gone on to
'ew York, and beyond that still fur
Ter down was the river glistening in
IN p,oonlioht