Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-10-14

failed to conceal his guilt and only
part Of what be desired happened.
The divorce had been brought about
but Callnhan's hope that he might
subsequently marry Mrs. Goodwin. and
derive benefit from the large fortune
which she held In her own right was
blasted. He had cultivated her hus-
bands acquaintance for years for the
purpose OF finding an opportunity for
the qualification OF his OWL desires
The opportunity had at last come but
In his attempt 10 use IL he had been
thoroughly thwarted.
although he had stolen nothing,
the act of breaking into the house
constituted burglary and he was sent
to prison for foY years. 1t is here
interesting to note that the man
oeuvres which brought ill-luck 10 Cal
lahan brought good luck to me Soon
after he went to prison l married
Mira Goodwin and have since lived
happily with her. During his i'm.
prisonment the photographer brooded
over his troubles. aud when he was
released he was IN a murderous mood.
| L
were walking la a thinly settted dis
trict Of tho city. we were startled by
two pistol shots fred In rapid sue
cession by some one behind US.
turned around and running a few feet
back grAppled with our assailant
threw him upon the ground aud sue
oeeded in holding him there until
two men who happened to be In the
vicinity hurried to my assistance.
Tho villain was Callahan who had
secretly followed me and my wife un.
Til there was favorable opportunity
for him to attempt murder He
cursed me in friRhtful manner when
he found that he was prisoner A
second time he was punished by be-.
ing inoarcerated. Three years later
knowing that he had q disease that
would soon end his life he be-
| queathed his remains for anatomical
purposes to the physician OF the pris.
on. TO whom he mad taken a great
liking. ! was we'll acquainted with
this doctor, and rs a token OF his es-
teem he presented me with Callahan's
skull he being we'll aware that | WINS
at that timo engaged in making
choice collection Of skulls OF all sizes.
The skull was placed in my COL
lection. which was kept IN a closet
connected with my ONCE and
thought no more about il until one
day l was seized with the desire to
see how tho skulls would look when
arranged 20 that they could all be
seen at once. Accordingly l placed
them in three rows on broad table
in my Office. CallahRn's being in the
center OF the front row being ao-
corded. as 1t we're the place OF honor
I had just seated myself In a CHAIR
for the purpose OF gazing at the array
in an admiring manner when mes
senger arrived aud asked me to visit
a patient whose symptoms had sud-
denly become alarming.
1T was late at night when / re-
turned to my Office / lighted gas
jet but turned on so little gas that
the flame was small seated myself
in the chair which l had left when
disturbed by the visitor aud gazed at
the skulls which were about ten feet
distant They looked uncanny. un-
earthly. perhaps. is better word. in
the dim light had alwnys prided
myself on not being superstitiouA and
had frequently laughed at friends who
stood In awe OF the supernatural
But somehow as gazed at that ghast-
ly array OF grlnning sluls listened
TO the solemn tick Of a great clock
that rested on top of a dssll felt that
/ was alone and that all OF the people
in the city except few watohmen
were sleeping. ] felt chill run down
my back and my heart began to
thump as the thought came to me
that those skulls might move against
me- Might not Callahan, who had
tried to kill mo who had hated me
intensely during his second term of
imprisonment DO able to introduce
his troubled spirit into his skull mar
shall the spirits belonging 10 the other
skulls each spirit in its appropriate
receptacle, and as a horrid deaths
army, so TO speak swoop upon me
and quickly batter out my brains. 1t
was fantastic, an utterly absurd
idea but it was nevertheless, the
kind OF idea that disturbs person
when the nerves are shalsy.
Il soon recovered myself, however
and smiled with contempt for my mo-
mentary weakness But the next in
slant a frightful fascination compelled
mo to stare at tho skull OF Callahan.
There was slight noise in it and it
actually moved little The lidless
eyes appeared to glare and the jaws
about the gaping mouth to move up
and down / sprang to my feet and
grasping tho back OF tho chair with
both hands raised it in readiness for
an attack. The skull moved again,
more decidedly than before and
trembled all over There was loud
rattle big movement OF tho skull
it crashed to tho floor and bounded
to my feet / jumped SO high that
my head Rrazed the ceiling. and as l
came down the skull shook violently
turned over and out sprang big rat
that soampered across the floor and
disappeared
Il felt sheepish enough. I had
been frightened like child by some
thing that was as far removed from
the supernatural as anything that