The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-08
The aip Eagle zorne ebrnaru 1881

/ tv Of space between ham and the OUT
side without touching him at all
/ screwed ny courage up. and began
/ to undress Before finishing, however,
/ / determined TO make an experiment &c
! see whether he slept soundly or not.
/ I had left the bedroom door open, so
could make a run for it if necessary.
fixed my eye on the bed as I let my
! boot fall
The man, whose clothes, By the way,
lag on q chain ri the foot of the bed,
from the quality Of which I imagined
he was miner, never made the slight.
est motion. lie was evidently SOUND
sleeper. This decided me, and hastily
finishing undressing, l crept into bed.
OF course I was careful not 70 touch
M companion. I do not know how
long lay awake, but the novelty OF the
situation drove sleep from my eyes for
some time. Gradually. however, Nor
pheus gained the escendancv, and
being treasured that my bedfellow
slept profoundly. soon followed his
example.
have no idea how long slept be-
fore l commenced TO dream. I SUD
denly thought that ny companion
woke up and sat upright IN bed; that
be glared around, and suddenly his
eyes fell on Eae. He then uttered q
terrible CITY and threw himself upou re
In spite Of my natural covvardice, I saw
that II I did not struggle I should be
killed | thought l seized him By the
throat and tightening ny grasp, / saw
him getting black in the face. His
hand fell powerless by his side, a
smothered Groan escaped him; bat still
! pressed his throat, tighter and
tighter-his face grew blacker and
blacker.
In an agony OF fear awose, and
what was my horror and dismay 70
find that my hand was really pressing
my companions throat. He did not
move nor stir, and his body felt as
cold as ice. Great God.' exclaimed
aloud, '-can ne be dead!"
/ Jumped out Of bed The candle
which had left burning was not quite
extin guished. SEEING It in ny hand.
I rushed toward the bed, and let its
rays fall full upon the mans face. Ny
worst fears were realized He was
dead. black N the face-I had stTangled
him in my sleep!
l shslI not attempt to describe my
sensations at this horrible spectacle
Ny body was bathed in a cold per-
spiration. ny hands trembled and for
a few moments believe was berefs
Of my senses. Uncovered By degrees
but it was only to realize in a more
acute degree my situation.
There lay my victim, and I was q
murderer! Ny trial conviction, and
the hideous gauows all passed before
ne! Who would believe ne? I sat
down, buried my face in my hands and
so bbed like child. Ny wife, my own
comfortable homo, should I ever see
them again?
What was to be done? Should I
arouse the house and make . clean
breast OF II? But what could ( say?
Tell them l had killed man II ny
sleep? Not q soul would believe the
story. Could effect my escape? In
posi- bic; knowing the town I was in and
the nature OF its inha bitants. I could
not even hope for trial Good God. I
could see it al: the Wild mob, the
hastily erected gal-Ows, or percha1ce.
a rope hung over the branch Of a tree,
TO hang by the neck until dead.
Hanged BY the neck, Yes, that would
be uy fate. as this terrible thought
crossed nay mind, I cost nv eyes around
the cham Der, they fell upon a beam
with hooks II it.from thence they wan
Gered 70 the mans clothes on the top
Of which lay-evidently his-a large
bandanna handkerchief.
4 sudden inspiration seized me; a
means Of safety suggested itself TO my
mind Suppose I could make Il appear
that the man had committed suicide.
Yes that was ny only chance, and I
determined To execute II. took the
dead mans handkerchief, and advanced
70 toe corpse. with an awful repug-
nance. however. Ny hands trent led
50 ! could scarcely adjust the moose.
but finally succeeded, putting one end
around the mans neck. l stood on a
chair and fastened the other end Of the
handkerchief 70 a hook in the beam;
letting go Of the body 1t swung to and
fro, into space.
l jumped into bed and. closing nv
eyes. shut out the horrible sight; by
this time II was broad daylight. AS lay,
quazing 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 q few seconds
they would discover the body. Would
tie ruse succeed with them? II SO I
might hope 70 deceive others.
The door opened and two men en-
tered the room, placing something
heavy OF the floor. I never stirred.
well. I'm blessed if this ere man
amt gone and hanged himself again
sand a voice which l recognized as the
landlords.
BY goly, that's truer" said the
other man. NO, see how Il IS; the
stranger found out the trick you
played on him, and, not liking the idea
OF sleeping with q corpse, he tucked
him up there to get rid Of him"
You're right, replied the landlord
Hes 4 cool Ut, anyway; and, would
you believe il, last night took him
for a coward That shows how easy i
Is to be mistaken il people"
Well. to make q long story short the
man. 50 found out atterward. was q
miner who, coming into town. had
-aEl 0.ed away all his money, and IL
despair had hung himself n the cham .
Der the night before.
When l went down 10 breakfast
everyone knew the joke and was
looked upon as 4 te16e-toot with lots