The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-03-09


aware of it, increased his unsavory reputa
ton. Not that she was suspected of doinl
any thing wrong, but she was believed to b,
the victim of her husbands occult practices
Blonde, pale with ligh blue eyes and sof
checks, she trembed before her spouse as
poor bird trcmbles that has been fascinated
by scrpeant Besides, she was subject Il
lethargic fits. Sometimes she would remair
for days wrapped in u strange slumber 81
closely resembling death that when she wa
first attacked they came near burying hei
alive.
Such were husband and wifc.. Not having
any special charge to make against Josias
who was active and honest, we never
thought of discharging him, and attached
but slight Importance to the reports that
had gained currency concerning him.
Josas, besides his work in the garden
had certain tasks assigned him in the house
One Saturday, the day of the week he
usually devoted to waxing the floor of my
library, | happened to enter the room sud
denly, and surprised him standing neal
these shelves in the act of reading this
| Bible. On hearing me come in he closed II
hastily, but, as the passage seemed to inter.
| est him greatly, not before marking the
place with bit of paper he had in his hand
the very piece you are now looking at, and
which has on it an expense account for the
first week of the month OF July, 1T9-.
l said nothing, seeing from his agitation
that he thought he had been indiscreet. He
put the volume back in its place, and as it
was not this one that had been annotated
by the great Frederick, never thought of
taking out the mark.
And it is just here Herr Magistrate that
| the mystery begins. The next day being
| S.,,p t,iy oF h, J,ta t1,o
not having seen any thing of the Frau
Josias, and becoming alarmed, went over to
the cottage in the kitchen garden. She
found the unfortunate woman stretched on
| her bed, white and rigid, her eyes wide open
and the pupils dilated.
"A lethargic attack" remarked Josias,
without the least emotion.
The advisability of calling in physician
was suggested, but Josias would not hear
of it.
'No no! ] haven't any money to throw
away. She'll come to all right, as usual"
Three days later when the body began to
decompose, he at last consented that a doc
tor should be sent for. The latter said at
once that the woman was dead, which did
not seem remarkable considering the pre-
carious condition of her health.
A month bcfore-note this fact also-Frau
JUsldS ldllGH uelr 10 quite ulCc llutlc
sum OF money and had at once willed it to
her husband.
You will no doubt ask, Herr Magistrate,
what connection there is between these
events and the mark in the Bible. Have
patience.
The Counselor stopped moment to en-
JOY the interest manifested by his auditor
in the narrative, and then proceeded:
After the death of his wife, Josias, rich
TO the amount of several thousand thalers,
left us and set up on his own account in the
District of F.. We subsequently learned
that fortune so long waited for, continued to
smile upon him, and that he had become
burgomaster of his village.
He was never seen again at s., and
never visited the burying ground where
the body of his wife rested.
In fact, the burying ground itself soop
disappeared. 1t was so damp that masma
arose from it night and day. invading the
ncighboring houses and feeding the wan
dering fires that after dusk mised and
frighted belated travellers. 1t was first or
dered to be closed, and ten years later was
altogether obliterated, new strategic road
aaving been surveyed across il.
In the month OF July, 1S--, the mattock
was first used, and some bones brought to
the surface. One morning when the dig
gers were about getting to work they no.
ticed an old bcggar woman who had got into
the graveyard through n hole i'll the wall,
and was engaged in picking up the dead
branches of trees, or worm eaten pieces
fallen from the wooden crosses that marked
the graYcs. Suddenly she sprang backward
in alright and gave Il terrible scream. They
ran up to aud questioned her. She could
only succeed in making them understand
by gestures and a few disjointed sentences.
that she had seen u skull moving along the
ground.
''LooI, it movesl" cried the terror.striclsen
woman.
Every one started back instinctively
True enough, on heap of human remains
and stones skull came bouncing along,
propelled by some strange energy.
One workman was of the opinion that the
rector should be notified. Another--a more
virilc intelcct-ran for doctor. was also
sent for, and reached the spot us soon as the
physician.
He first ridiculcd the cowardly supcrsti.
tions of the by-standers then stopped down,
picked up the skull and inside it found a
toad, that, having got into the cerebral cav
ity through narrow opening, was vainly
trying to get out of its prison.
''You see, he said laughing, sthe--,"
But he did not finish the sentence. A
second discovery checked the words on his
lips, and froZc the smile on his face-a long
steel spike, slender as an upholsterers
needle. was imbedded III the occiput, and
must Mt some time have passed entirely
through the brain.
"TIoh 'h~',''' N -, ,lr'r-,ol ~ clever as.
sassin that Death instantane ~ ofr"-
sion of blood, and, thanks to the hair, no
visible trace. My predecessor II doubt at
tributed it TO the rupture of aneursm."
How to find out the name .....--...
ala. I.,tU "a iI,S .L,...I.
In this portion of the cemetery the labor.
ers had demolished four graves and thrown
the remains in single heap. The tomb.
stones were the only means of identification
left One of them bore the inscription:
"Here les CorReiia JosiaSn
How to find out, for find out | was re-
solved / should
Suddenly thought flashed through my
brain like lightning. Two names stood be-
fore me as if printed in letters of fire. How
ever, it was only a personal conviction;
proofs were necessary.
ran and shut myself mp in my library
the very room in which we now are.
opened book--this Bible.
The proof was there. | no longer sus-
,ected. 1 no longer merely believed-I
NEW.
The next day the represe natives OF the |
aw presented themselves at the residence |
# Josias, whom they found alone eating his |
upper
A police officer accosted him, placed his
land on his head, on the very spot in fact,
n which the nail had been driven through |