The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-21
MR.. cURRY's COFFIN.

Kingman county, was overtaken at the
village of Waterloo by heavy thunder
storm, which, upon the electricity hav-
ing discharged itself, settled down to an
all night pour.
The book agent sought shelter and a
nights lodging at the house of man
named Curry. The book agent and Curry
sat up until about half past nine, and the
guest was shown TO his room by boy.
1t happened that just as the two reached
the room where he was TO sleep sud
den gust Of wind blew the lamp out. The
book agent felt for match and found he
had none. The boy had no light and pro-
posed that ne go down stairs and get one.
But the book agent told him not TO mind
that he would find the bed all right, and
babe him good night
AS his kind usually is. the book agent
was good and tired, and lost no time in
peeling off all his clothing but his shirt
and turning down the covers, he piled
into bed and was soon fast asleep
He was awakened by a horrible dream
about four o'clock the next morning. He
had dreamt he was buried alive. As soon
as he was partially awake he became
aware Of an odor of decomposition, which
chilled him and seemed to revivify the
dream. 1t was pitch dark; he could see
nothing; he noted then with a gasp that
he was lying on his back, with his hands
across his breast. Cold sweat broke out
on his brow. Maybe he was buried alive!
Good Lord! He was afraid to lift his
hand upward for fear it would strike
against glass. He argued that even if he
were buried alive it would be better not
TO discover ii, better TO die slowly by
asphyxiation in doubt, than to die in
agony over the sure knowledge that he
had been buried alive He tried to think
if he had been sick. The last thing he
remembered was going TO bed in room
in house owned by man named Curry
at Waterloo, Kingman county, Kansas.
But perhaps that was a phantasm of his
delirfum accompanying his sickness. Was
he really dead? Had he really been
buried. He started to raise one hand, but
the horror of the thought of finding a
glass pane in front of him sickened him,
and he drew the hand back.
But his agony was broken by low
growI as of thunder, and he began to
hope that if he was buried alive they
were digging down to him, perhaps
ghouIs to steal his body, and he snickered
almost at the way in which he would
brighten those grave robbers. But what
he heard was thunder, and in a few mo-
ments there was an intense flash of
lightning, brilliantly Illuminating the
room and showing him something which
brought him bolt upright in bed, stiff,
frozen with terror and every hair brist-
ling with fright. He waited for another
flash and watched the corner of the room
over near the door he had entered to
make sure that he could not be mistaken.
The flash came. He was not mistaken
Near the door, with a chair under its
foot and a chair under its head. was a
great black coffin. He waited again for a
flash, but the lightning, contrary as
usual for visual purposes, did not fash
again and gave him time to reflect.
He was not buried alive surely. but why
had he been placed in a room with COT
fin. He then reflected on the odor he had
shifted. and caught the smell again dis
tinctl..
The window of the room was opened
slightly and through it there came a slow,
majestic. aspirated moan from the wind.
There was another quick fash of light
ming and the coffin again came out into
view.
The low moan of the night wind the
CHASTITY whiteness of the lightning, the
odor and the coffin Enthusiastically there be-
fore him was too much for his nerves.
He filed his chest and gave one unearthly
yell. Then another; and another. He did
not pause to find whether he had aroused
anyone and consequently did not know
that the whole house was up and madly
running to his room to rescue him from
a supposed attempted murder. The family
broke into the room almost simultaneous
ly, Mr.. Curry himself carrying a lamp
and an ak, which did not reassure the
book agent. Mr.. Curry set the lamp down
on the coffin and asked his guest what
had troubled him.
Now, although the book agent had been
scared to death. he felt ashamed of him
self and mentally searched for some sort
of an excuse for the row he had raised.
He lied: Il had a horrible vision" he
said. "A kind Of nightmare. I thought
the dead man in there raised right up and
grinned at me-"
Curry laughed.
Has he been dead long?" asked the
guest.
"Who?' asked Curry.
''Him-the gentleman in the coffin
Curry laughed long and loud II beg
your pardon for not telling you before
~.
it-nothing hut air"
But what did I sneH?'' asked the guest.
Curry shifted. II do smell something
myself he said: maybe someone has
sneaked in there and died" He opened
The coffin and said. Empty"
1T must he a dead mtuse," suggested
the boy, and a dead mouse it was found
10 be.
If you don't mind" said the book
agent n Curry as the BOY went cut % the
room. I'd AXE YOU 10 stay with me till
I dress I think IA better De going on
nv journey"
s. Curry remained. and as the book
agent dressed. told him the story Of the
coffin. Several years before Curry had q
quarrel with man named D1vis Davis
slaShed him with pruning knife. diSeal-
hcwelinS him. DIT Yancev e K.n-1an
was summoned and sewe5 Garry I'D the
best he knew how, but told him he would
have II die. \ man was sent % Wichi-a
for coffin 70 have n Waterloo - time.
The coffin was a ere one and co>t Sl19
IN the meanwhile curry had been removed
- the home ~ Frank Wilson. Rut he
did not die. He gor Wei He had the
coffin and couldn't get ria Of e. ard 50
kept IT. Some years ago he moved 30
Cantri.I. II. He took the coffin with him.
and the chances ara has IL YET.
vr~,r----s Try wins go