The Helena independent., 1894-11-26
THE OLD TUNLEY oLooK.
Silent Tor Years In cauot Except When II
Announced Calamity.


Lyons, Nov 25.-Amohg the household
goods that Joseph Tunlcy brought to
America with him from England moro
than ninety years aRo was tall wood
on clock which had been In the Tunley
family for generations Joseph Tunley
aettlcd IN what IN now the town 81 So
dus, this county. lie died years ago.
The clock was loud-tiolSinR, loud
striking timeplecc. six feet high, and re-
auircd TO bo wound but once week,
10 had run without stop, variation, or
repairs OF any kind for eighty years.
when one day II suddenly ceased going.
Expert clock tinkers were called IA 10
find out what allied the ancient clock
ana 10 ilx II, 80 the timeplece would run
again, for II was thought fondly OF by
the Tunley family, the head OF which,
In whose possession the clock was, was
Joseph Tunley, son OF the cmlgrant
Joseph, None OF the clock makers aud
members could discover anything wrong
with the old clock. There was nothing
out or repair with lis machinery, and
there was no reason they all said. why
II should not tick and strike Just as well
ns 10 ever had. But Il wouldn't Swing
It's pendulum as mitch as they might,
no sound would issue from the clock,
and at last the family reluctantly
slowed the stubborn heirloom In the
garret. This was twelve years ago.
Four years ago Joseph Tunley then a
very old man, became seriously ill He
had been III several days, and al mid
night one night he aroused suddenly
from seml-stupor In which he had
been lying, rose up In bed and said To
his son Joseph, who was sitting by him.
Joe, | hear the old clock again!"
The son went out into the sitting
room, opened the door 10 the stairs, and
was startled 10 hear the loud and al
most forgotten tick OF the clock from
US place up In the garret. He called
his wife. And she too, hearing the
ticking, they went into the garret. The
old tlmepiece, covered with dust aud
cobwebs, had started AT l2 o'clock that
night, and was running with all It's an
Client Vlgor. This uncnnny proceeding
naturally gave the family great uneaRi-
ness. The old mans son returned to
his fathers bedside.
You are right, father" he said
"The old clock is running as well as
ever. Will carry II downstairs to-mor-
row and set IL In your room"
The old man turned on his side and
sank Into a peaceful slumber. the first
he had been in since his illness. He
slept for nearly three hours. Then he
suddenly started up. again.
"Harkw he said. II hear the clock
again.
AS he spoke the words the clock
struck 3. IL had not struck the hour at
either | nor 2. Al the last stroke of 3
the old man sank back In the bed. He
was dead. His son went 10 the garret
In the morning. The clock was not run
ming. II had stopped at the hour of 3.
The eccentric timepiece was left 10 its
Hecluslon In the garret. II remained as
silent as II had for the eight years pre-
ceding its strange starting up on the
night old Joseph Tunley died. Besides
his son and daughter-in-law, old MIR
Tunley was survived by a grandson
One afternoon I'm the latter part OF last
month this young man and his father
went out 10 the orchard to gather
apples. An hour or so later Mrs. Tun-
ley was alarmed TO hear the old clock
strike three, and then begin ticking
loudly from its corner in the garrett
Although she was greatly frightened
she went into the garret 10 see IL she
might not be mistaken. She was not
The clock was running as II II had
never stopped. Filled with foreboding,
Mrs. Tunley hurried from the house TO
summon her husband and son. She met
her husband coming from the orchard
He was carrying his son, who was un>
conscious. He had fallen from an apple
tree and fractured his skull. II was
nfterward known that he had fallen
from the tree at just o'clock.
Young Tunley never recovered con-