Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-01-18
TORTURE IN DREAMS.
Physical Changes Caused by Intense Sc
fering in Nightmare.

Physical CHANCES Caused by Intense Suf
fering in Nightmare.
'I read with great interest" writes n cor
respondent of the Indianapolis Ne,cs. 18th,
recent opinion Of a physician expressed il
your paper to the effect that death some
times occurs in sleep from fright in night
mare l thought some Of your readers
might be interested in my case, for can re
late an experience that seems to be phe
nomenaL
II am twcnty-seven years DID, robust
and sound, and never knew Of premature
age coming upon any of my people. Yet |
am gray and old far beyond my years. II
all came about in single night. When |
was boy, hungry, poor and forlorn, was
tempted into crime. l saw in a window
open packages of rich candies. By step
ping inside the door and watching my op-
portunity l could reach one of them. I
thought nobody was looking, but when I
snatched one and fed ran straight into
the arms Of q policeman on the pavement
outside. / had a good mother, and the
thought came that had betrayed her and
ruined myself. l was almost crazed with
remorse. begged to be released, but the
officer did his duty. Next day when was
brought from Jail and put on trial 1 saw
among the motley crowd in 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 imagine my surprise that this
gentleman, when called as a witness, with
drew all charges against mo, and asked the
court as personal favor to discharge me-
This 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 into his store
and advanced me from ono position to an
other as the years rolled on, and finally
made me chief clerk and gave me the KEYS
to his safe.
Zone night, just a year ago, found my
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 l
was tempted TO go down town that night. l
wandered into the store, sat around awhile
and finally opened the safe. was trembling
violently all tho time-why would not con.
fess until the conviction forced itself upon
me that was about to commit my second
burglary. An internal desire for that money
had complete contro. Of me. Finally took
out the money, put it in my pockets and
locked up the safe. Then went to work in
clumsy manner to conceal the crime I |
thought l could pry Off the lock and thus
make believe that the safe had been robbed |
by experts. was sweating at the felonious |
task when heard a step behind me, fol- |
lowed by voice: What in the world are |
you doing, Johna
1T was the voice of my employer and old
friend-the man who had saved me from
prison and who had given me chance in
the world. Great heavcnsl how suffered.
Cold blood-s' eat stood out on me, and the
thought of my treachery was agonizing be-
yond human endurance. was suffering all
the torture that DR.. Jekyll must have
known in being transformed into Mr.. Hyde
felt the very clements of my body chang
ing o. glorious relief, sweeG delight, when
] found that all of this real suffering had
been in nightmare only, and that was still
the trusted employe of Il just man. Yet
when looked luto The glass next morning
| found that the snow which comes upon
ordinary mortals in old age had whitencd
my head during that struggle III my sleep"