Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-02-22
HORRIBLE NIGHTMARE.
The Young Man Whose Hair Turn
ed White with Fright I'm a
Dream.

A communication in the Indianapolis
News says: ~ read with great interest the
opinion of a physician expressed in your pa
per to the effect that death sometimes occurs
in sleep from fright in nightmare l
thought some of your readers might be
interested in my case, for / can relate an
experience that seems 10 be phenomenal.
II am % years old, robust and sound, and
! never knew of premature age coming on
any of my people Yet am gray and old
far beyond my years. II all came about in
"A single night When was boy. hungry
poor, and forlorn, l was tempted into crime.
i saw in window open packages of rich
candies. BY stepping inside the door and
watching my opportunity l could reach
one Of them. thought nobody was looking,
but when | snatched one and fled | ran
straight into the arms of policeman on
the pavement outside. had good mother.
and the thought came that had betrayed
her and ruined myself. ! was almost craZed
with remorsc. begged to be released, but
The officer did his duty. Next day, when
was brought from jail and put on trial. |
saw among the molly crowd in the police
court man who did not seem TO belong
there. He proved To bc the the owner of
the store from which had stolen the candy.
When found this out my fright was in
creased. You can not imagine my surprise
that this gentleman, when called as a wit
ness, withdrew all charges against me and
asked the court, as "A personal favor, to dis
charge me. The request was granted. My
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 &c
his store, and advanced me from one position
70 another as the years rolled on, and finally
made me chief clerk and gave me the keys of
the safe
lone night, just "A year ago, found my
self down ut 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 go down town that night. |
wandered into the store, sat down awhile,
and finally opened the safe. i was tremb-
ling violently all the time-why would not
confess until the conviction forced itself up
on me that was about to commit second
burglary. An internal desire for that
money had complete control over me. Fin
ally took out the money, put IL into my peck
cts, and locked up the safe. Then / went
TO work in a clumsy manner TO conceal the
crime. ] thought could pry off the lock
and thus make believe that the safe had
been robbed by experts. | was sweating at
this felonious task when heard step be-
hind me, followed by "a voice: What in the
world are you doing, .lohng'
1T was the voice of my old employer and
old friend-the man who had saved me from
prison. and who had given me chance in
the world. Great heavens, how | suffered
Cold sweat stood OFT on me, and the thought
of my treachery WIS agonizing beyond hui
man endurance. was suffering all the tor
tuIe that DR. Jekyll must have known in
being transformed into Mr.. Hyde. felt
the very elements of my body changing
oh. the glorious relief, sweet delight, when
found that all of this real suffering had
been i'm nightmare only. and that was still
the trusted employee Of just man. Yet
when looked into the glass next morning
found that the snow which comes upon ordi-
nary mortals In old age had whitened my
head during that struggle in my sleep"