The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-04-11

tighter-nis face grew blacker and
blacker.
In an agony of fear awoke. and
what was my horror and dismay to
find that my hand was really pressing
my companions throatl He did not
move nor stir, and his body felt as
cold as ice Great Godr' exclaimed
aloud, ''can he be deadl"
l jumped out of bed. The candle
which had left burning was not quite
extin guished. Selling it in my hand,
/ rushed toward the bed, and let It's
rays fall full upon the mans face. My
worst fears were realized. He was
dead, black in the facet lad strangled
him in my sleepl
/ shall not attempt to describe my
sensations at this horrible spectacle.
My body was bathed in cold per-
SEPARATION, my hands trembled and for
q few moments 1 believe was bereft
of my senses. recovered by degrees
but 1t was only to realize in a more
acute degree my situation
There lay my victim, and was
murdereri My trial, conviction, and
the hidsous gallows all passed before
mel Who would believe me2 sat
down, buried my face in my hands and
sobbed like child. My wife, my own
comfortable home, should I ever see
them again?
What was to be done? Should /
arouse the house and make a clean
breast Of 1t? But what could / say?
Tell them I had killed man In my
sleepp Not a soul would believe the
story Could effect my escape? I'm
possible; knowing the town l was in and
the nature Of its inhabitants, I could
NOT even hope for trial. Good God,
could see it all; the wild mob, the
hastily erected gallows, or perchance,
rope hung over the branch Of tree,
TO hang by the neck until dead.
Hanged by the neck! Yes, that would
be my fate. AS this terrible thought
crossed my mind, / cast my eyes around
the chamber, they fell upon a beam
with hooks in it;from thence they wan
dered to the mans clothes on the top
of which lay-evidently his-a large
bandanna handkerchief.
A sudden inspiration seized me; a
means of safety suggested itself to my
mind. Suppose l could make 1t appear
that the man had committed suicide.
Yes, that was my only chance, and |
determined to execute 1t. took the
dead mans handkerchief, and advanced
10 the corpse, with an awful repug-
nance, however. My hands trembled
so could scarcely adjust the moose,
but finally succeeded, putting one end
around the mans neck. stood on a
chair and fastened the other end of the
letting go of the body it swung to and
fro, into space.
jumped into bed and, closing my
eyes, shut out the horrible sight; by
this time 1t was broad daylight. As lay,
quaking with fear, heard the steps OF
two men on the stairs. They seemed
to be carrying something heavy be-
tween them. The long anticipated
moment had arrived. In a few seconds
they would discover the body. Would
the rusc succeed with them? If so
might hope to deceive others.
The door opened and two men en-
tered the room, placing something
heavy on the floor. never stirred.
"Well, I'm blessed if this ere man
amt gone and hanged himself again, .
said voice which recognized as the
landlords.
.By golly, that's truel'' said the
other man. mo, see how it is; the
stranger found out the trick you
played on him, and, not liking the idea
of sleeping with corpse, he tucked
him up there to get rid of him"
you're right" replied the landlord.
"He's cool 'un, anyway; and, would
you believe it, last night l took him
for coward. That shows how easy il
is to be mistaken in people.
Well, to make long story short, the
man, so / found out afterward, was g
miner who, coming into town, haC
gambled away all his money, and il
despair had hung himself in the cham
Der the night before.
When / went down to breakfast
everyone knew the joke and / wa'
looked upon as a tenderfoot with lott
of sand. l soon returned home ant
told the adventure to my friends, bu1
not as / have told it to you. deal
! read ers, but with the same construc
| ton that the landlord of the Colder
Eagle put upon it. However, my wif'
guessed at the truth have never
travelled as a commercial man since. =
E. J. Sargent. in Yankee Blade.