Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-12-11
From Belgravia. .
A SILENT WITNESS.

I doubt if a more terrible thing ever
happened to any man than that which
happened to me in the autumn OF 1888.
The memory of it all is with me now as
though it were only yesterday. And
sometimes l wake shrieking in my
dreams and lie awake all night, op-
pressed with d great agony of fear.
was ERIK in Burton's Bank at Ex-
eter. For some days [ had been queer
and out of sorts. More than once | had
been conscious of what seemed to me
to be sudden numbness of the limbs.
For instance, on two separate occasions
] had been incapable of rising from my
Office stool. My wife and fellow clerks
noticed that did not seem to be In my
usual health, and my wife in particular
had been urgent IN entreatlng me to
take my annual holida without delay.
But | had some complicated accounts to
balance which [ was unable to leave
undone: and that more especially since
they had given 1ne al infnitude of trou-
BILE. the sought-ior balance being exact
~ the thing [ could not get.
It was the evening of September IA.
It was Friday. | had decided at the
last moment to remain at the bank af-
ter the rest had gone, for | had ar
ranged that il could only get the &C.
counts all right, would start for PEN
lance on the following morning with
my wife. God alone knows how /
yearned for the sight OF the sea !
1t had been hot day, that Friday-a
terribly hot day-and al day long | had
been conscious not only of curious
unwillingness, but of an absolute inca
pacity, to move. In some extraOrdin-
airy way my limbs seemed in measure
to have passed from my control. | sup
pose it was past O'Clock. / was all
alone in the bank; the rest of the estab-
lishment had left a good hour ago. /
was leaning forward on my desk, rack
ing my brains to think where the error
could be, when-shall ever forget it
in an instant-in flash of lightning
J. became conscious of a singular sensa-
ton which was stealing over me. 1t
was just as though some malevolent
spirit had woven spell AMI deprived
me of the power of motion. l was
spellbound, rooted to my seat, as help
hand Of death. The strangest part of it
was that while in that sudden AWFUL
visitation had lost the use of my M BIS,
had preserved my faculties intact. l
could see-stralght in ront, that is-for
not only could [ not turn my head a
hairs breath TO either side, not only
could | not even close my eyes, but [
could not even change the direction of
my glance. l could only look straight
in front of me with what felt instinc-
lively must be a fixed, horrible, CLASSY
stare. But what there was in front of
me. that [ could plainly see. And |
could hear Indeed, my hearing
seemed to be unnaturally keen. For
instance, Burton's Bank is in the
Cathedral yard. Not only could hear
every foots ep which passed even on
the other side of the Cathedral-no
slight distance tor the sound OF foot to
travel-but | could hear the traffic that
went up an down Fore Street Hill and
over the bridge, right away to st.
Thomas on the other side. And
worse-for God knows that in the hor.
ror of all that followed it was OF a surety
the worst OF all II could think. My
brain, like my bearing, seemed to be-
come phenomenally clear. Instantane-
ously [ knew what had come upon me.
It was catalepsy. | was in a cataleptic
ft!
I 'elt no pain-physical pain, at least.
In that sense [ was like a man whose
physical side is dead, but whose mind
still lives. And as | sat there hour al
ter hour, dead, my agony of mind rose
to such a climax that | cannot but
think that | transcribed whatever
agony of body the most morbid imagin-
alton has at any time described.
1t became dark-so dark that my eyes
became useless for any purposes of
sight, and yet they woul1 not shut. It
became silent, too. the intense silence
Of the night. But all at once, when the
night was stillest, a sound struck on nv
ears-a peculiar sound, as OF one who
walked with muffied steps. And then
could it be? Yes A window was
being opened close at hand.
I cannot doubt that the only thing
which had kept me from promptly fall
ing on to the floor when the fit had first
taken me was the fact that [ was lean
ing so forward that the greatest part of
nv weight was on my desk. So, lean
ing onward On the de K, | stayed. Just
in front OF me was a gl.ss partition on
the other side of which was the inner
Office, in which the safe was Kept. 1t
was the window of the inner Office
which was being opened now. By
what | cannot but suppose was provi-
Dental accident, since [ could not alter
the direction of my glance, the safe was
ElRut III 1iilC VI Anu 81. dl-
though I could not Immediately see
who il was that entered, directly the
mysterious intruder came between N.Y.
sell and the safe | could see him plain
ly.
at first all was dark. Then a light
was struck, and someone. bearing
shaded lanlern in his hand, appeared
IN my line OF sight.
1t was philip Morris, our head cashier,
and practically the manager of the
bank
| shall never forget my unutterable
amazement when [ perceived that it
was he. What could bring him there at
such an hour, in such a way? He wore
a light dust coat, which Was unbuttoned
down the front, SO that could see his
dress clothes beneath and the dia-
monds leaning IN his shirt. He car
ried small leather bag in his hand.
He took a bunch Of keys from his peck
eft; with these be unlocked the ga e.
From it be took a quantity of notes-I
could hear them rustic and several bags
of gold, which Jingl d as he dropped
them in us bag. Then he turned right