The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-14
PUNISHED BY = DREAM.
Physical Changes Wrought By the
Anguish of q Nightmare.


From the Indianapolis Ne'os.
I read with great interest the recent
opinion of physician expressed in your
paper TO the effect that death sometimes O.
ours in sleep from fright in nightmare. /
thought some of your readers might be in
terested in my case. for can relate an ex-
perience that seems to be phenomenal.
] am o. wears old, robust and soGnd and
/ never knew of premature age coming on
any OF nv people. Yet / am gray and old
far beyond my years. 1t all came about in
a single night. When was boy, hungry,
poor and forlorn / was tempted INTO crime.
/ saw in q window open packages OF rich
candies BY stepping inside the door and
watching my opportunity i could reach
one of them. thought nobody was look
ing, but when snatched one and fled ran
straight into the arms of policeman on
the pavement outside. had
a good mother, and the thought
came that had betrayed her and ruined
myself ! was almost craSed with remorse,
! begged TO be released, but the officer did
his duty. Next day when l was brought
from Jail and put on trial l saw among the
motley crowd in the police court a man
who did not seem to belong there. He
proved to be the owner of the store from
which / had stolen the candy. When /
found this out my fright was Increased.
y ou can imagine my surprise that this
gentleman, when called as witness, with
drew all charges against me and asked the
court as a personal favor to discharge me
This request was granted. Ny new friend
called me to one side after the trial heard
nv story and seemed to have faith IN my
promises. He even took me into his store
and advanced me from one position TO
he nd IL
made me chief clerk and gave me the keys
to his safe.
One night, Just year ago, found nv
self down at the store at a late hour. We
had received a large sum of money after
banking hours, and this had been placed in
the safe in my keeping. For some reason
! was tempted to 90 down town that night
l wandered into the store, sat down awhile
and finally opened the safe. / was trem-
bling violently all the time-why would
not confess, until the conviction forced
itself upon me that was about to commit
my second burglary. An internal desire for
that money had complete control Of me-
Finally ] took ont the money, put it into
my pockets ana locked up the safe Then
went to work in a clumsy manner to con
ceal the crime ! thought l could pry of
the lock, and thus make believe that the
safe had been robbed by experts. | was
sweating at this tolonlouS TASK When heard
a step behind me, followee by voice
what il the world are you doing, John p
1t was the voice Of my old employer and
old friand-the man who had saved me
from prison, and who had given me "a
chance in the world Great heavens how
suffered. Cold blood-sweat stood out on
me, and the thoaght of my treachery was
agonizng beyond human endurance I
was suffering all the torture that Dr. Jekyll
must have known in being transformed into
Mr. Hyde felt the very elements Of my
body changing o, the glorious relief, sweet
delight, when found that all of this real
suffering had been in nightmare only, and
that was still the trusted emplove of Just
man. Yet when l looked into the glass
next morning found that the snow, which
comes upon ordinary mortals in old age,
had whitened my head during that struggle
in my sleep.