St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-04
A HORRIBLE NIGHTMARE.
His Hair Turned White With
Fright in Dream.
Indianapolis News.

Indianapolis News.
read with great interest the opinion
of physician expressed in your paper
to the effect that death sometimes oc-
ours in sleep from fright in night.
mare. l thought some of your readers
might be interested in my case, for
can relate an experience that seems to
be phenomenal.
am twenty-Seyen years old, robust
and sound, and [ never knew of pre-
mature age coming on any of my peo-
pie. Yet am gray and old far beyond
my years. 1t all came about in single
night. When l was boy, hungry, poor
and fOrlorn, was tempted into crime.
[ saw in window open packages of
rich candies. By stepping inside the
door and watching my opportunity
| could reach one of them.
thought nobody was looking, but
when I snatched one and fled l
ran straight into the arms of a police
man on the pavement outside. had a
that had betrayed her and ruined my
self. [ was almost crazed with re-
morse. 1 begged to be released, but the
officer did his duty. Next day, when 1
was brought from Jail and put on trial,
| saw among the motley crowd i'll the
police court 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. You can
not imagine my surprise that this gen.
tleman, when called as witness, with
drew all charges against me, and asked
the court, as a personal favor. to dis
charge me. The request was granted.
NV new friend called me to one side
after the trial, heard my story, and
seemed to have faith in my promises.
He even took me into his store, and adj
yanced me from one position to an
other as the years rolled on, and finally
made me chief clerk and gave me the
keys of the safe.
One night, just year ago, L found
myself down at the store at late hour.
We had received large sum of money
after banking hours, and this had been
placed i'm the safe in my keeping. For
some reason / was tempted to go down
town that night. / wandered into the
store, sat down awhile and finally
onened the safe. / was trembling viO-
lently all the time-why l would not
confess until the conviction forced itself
upon me that was about to commit a
second burglary. An Internal desire
fOr IndJ 1ilUucy udu COiuplNtC COutiOi VI
me. Finally took out the money, put
it into my pockets and locked up the
safe. Then | went to work in a clumsy
manner to conceal the crime. thought
I could pry off the lock and thus make
believe that the safe had been robbed
by experts. 1 was sweating at this fe--
lOnious task when heard step behind
me, followed by voice, "What III the
world are you doing. JOhn?"
1t was the voice of my old employer
and old friend-the man who had saved
me from prison, and who had given me
a chance in the world. Great heaVensi
How | suffered. Cold blood sweat stood
out on me. and the thought of my
treachery was agonizing beyond human
endurance. l was suffering all the
torture that DR.. Jekyll must have known
in being transformed into Mr.. Hyde. 1
felt the very elements of my body
changing. On, the glorious relief.
sweet delight, when i found that all of
this real suffering had been in night
mare only, and that was still the
trusted employee of just man. Yet
when looked into the glass next morn
ing | found that the snow which comes
mon ordinary mortals in old age had
whitened my head during that struggle
i'm nv sleep.