Brookings register. (Brookings, S.D.) 1890-1894, 1894-02-02

that / had so much dormant imbecility
in me, should have been indignant. |
am, moreover, an imaginative man,
and imagination is curse on such oc-
casions.
However, determined that I would
not give way in this manner. Advanc-
ing in another direction, was stopped
by wooden wall or partition. Just
then the moon came out for few mo-
ments, and saw that was looking in
to prisoners dock.
There, close in front of me, stood
some of the men and women who dur
ing the present century had become
most notorious in crime. Their fea-,
lures were, in number Of cases, famil-
lar to me from old books and recent
prints.
instantly recognized, among others,
Burke and Hare, the former of whom
was convicted in 1929 of a horrible
series of murders on the evidence of his
accomplice; James Bloomfield Rush,
the Stanfield Hall murderer of 1S48;
Maria and George Manning, the two
atrocious criminals of lS49; William
Palmer, the Rugeley poisoner of 1856,
and William Fish, Catherine Wilson,
Henry Wainwright, the Stauntons, Le-
troy and Lipski of later dates.
What blood guilty assemblage with
which to pass the night! How the crime
of every individual seemed indelibly
written on his face!
One mans expression transfixed me.
held me spellbound and filled me with
loathing and horror. Who he was | did
not know, but could not take my eyes
from his face. And when the place
again grew dark saw it still standing
out alone in the surrounding gloom,
with the suppressed grin of cruel and
unrelenting fiend.
hid my face in my hands. threw
myself on the floor until the vision
slowly faded away, leaving me trem-
bling in every limb. dare not get up
nor open my eyes for fear that should
see it again.
Suddenly a peculiar sound of jan
Cling and creaking fell ON my ears.
What could it be? 1t seemed to come
from the corner of the chamber where
the instruments of torture were ar
ranged for exhibition. The thumb
screws, tongue pinchers, branding irons,
masks and cinctures, the gressil0I, the
moltiere, the cubitoire-all seemed to
my excited imagination to be in move
ment and rattling one against the other
Thoughts came into my mind of all
the unspeakable agonies that had been
inflicted by those diabolical inventions
This place would kill me. felt l was
going mad. Let me get free somehow
anyhow! | sprang to my feet and
rushed like maniac in the darkness,
striking wildly at everything in my
way in search for the door. Figure aft
er figure 1 hurled to the ground as it
came in my path.
All at once l felt strong arms close
around me! l was struggling madly
for life with this terrible unseen some
thing that held me by the throat and
was st1angling me in the dark. | now
saw again that fearful face! Was it
that of my antagonist? l tried to cry
out, but I was choking. Gradually |
relaxed my hold, and everything be-
came blank.
"You have been very i'll, George,
dear, but you are better now."
l looked around me. | was in a
strange bedroom, and my sister Lucy
was bending over me. l convinced her
that it would be best for her to explain at |
once all that happened, for my terrible
experience in the dark chamber now |
came back to me.
She said that the night watchman,
thinking he heard sounds in the cham |
Der of horrors, had descended to the |
place, when l Immediately ran into his |
arms in the dark. In the struggle |
had tainted. Brain fever followed, and |
l had narrowly escaped with my life.
My address had been found in my
pocket, and my friends communicated
with. The peculiar sounds that had
heard and exaggerated were doubtless
produced by the keys Of the watchmsn
as he unlocked the door of the chamber |
Il Condon TIT t-Rits