Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-04-26

Fascinated and partly stunned as had
been by the fiendish face of my enemy and
the full significance of the evil fortune into
which l had suddenly fallen, like him, /
sat through the commotion. Every unim-
portant detail about him, from the broken
pearl button on his shirt front down to til.
grains OF powder in the pistol pan and the
line edge of the flint in the lock, found a
force of attraction to the eye only known
TO those who fall into sudden hopelessness
or deep depression.
But with the dancing of the tableware
quick idea shot through my brain, and
showed ms last despsrate chance to ex.
trioats myself from the coil about me.
Natural phenomenon in the shape Of a
breeze had saved me from the knife of the
negro, and now twas an earthquake that
might open way for my deliverance by
splashlng water from pitcher.
etrainlng my nerves to conceal the new
hope that had sprung to life, began to act.
Never had felt my muscles knit firmer or
been less in need of stimulant than when.
sinking back as if at last overcome by the
combined shock of his words and .ie con-
yulsion of nature, which had now passed.
said slowly and as though dazed:
II am but prisoner of war, sir. / was
forced for my own safety to come to New
York. l am no-spy-I will go-but-you-
let me drink. I feel lax and-diEzy."
"You have none of the Indian in YOU.
you pale-livered sneak!" he answered.
Drink, then, and gather your spunk and
legs for action. Beat me with the flat al
your sword! Fore God! But wait till /
can shift my eye from you! Drink, and then
move before we have another quake, and the
walls about us-'twill be your last dram. .
With apparent effort I raised myself.
reached for the bottle, and poured out q
stiff measure Of liquor, which I drank of;
then taking the pitcher, made q though to
fill the glass, but as tipped it, with q sud
den movement whirled full half gallon
Of water over the pistol, drenching the
printing and making the weapon useless.
With this action I sprang to my feet.
Scammell was quick, but not quick
enough. The water had but reached the
powder when heard the snap of the de-
scending hammer, and saw his first mo-
ton to gain his legs; but, following up the
drowning of the fire.pan, l lifted the heavy
table and overturned it on him, pushing
him backward, where to the floor went man,
furniture, and crockery with terrific crash.
At that moment there came vivid fash of
lightning, and hard upon it an appalling
peal of thunder. Though almost blinded
and deafened by the bolt, sprang round
the overturned table, and Selling the first
thing coming to hand, which proved to be
the water Jug still unbroken, grasped the
struggling tory by the throat and with an
my force brought down the heavy earthen-
ware on his, uncovered head.
The pitcher few to fragments, leaving
but the handle in my grasp, while Scanned
became limp and collapsed.
This action took place during the interval
at which the thunder was the loudest, and
was probably the reason that caused the
noise of the fall of the table to be unnoticed
by those below. But, as though it had been
insufficient, another violent convulsion fol-
lowed, which came and went with the
suddenness of the explosion of park of
artillery.
had but gotten to standing position
when conclusion rocked the house to it,
foundation. It sprang not from the earth
below this time, but from the air above,
the vibrations of which dashed the hang
ing glass from the wall and caused the win
dow panes to fly in pieces into the room. 1t
was not of the nature of an earthquake,
still less like thunder near or afar; much
it resembled the blowing up Of magazine,
though not until afterward did come to
know this as the solution of the matter.
The flash that had lighted my attack on
Scammell had struck powder ship just
from England as she lay at anchor off Wall
street. and no vestige of it or those aboard
was ever discovered. This combination Of
intense heat, violent storm, earthquake,
and explosion actually occurred in New
York city, Sunday, August 8, 1851
The vicious nature of the shock was un.
like the gradual coming and going of the
earthquake, and that it had occasioned
more alarm / soon knew by the shouts that
came from beneath my window. Rushing
to it, through the shattered panes 1 beheld
men running from the opposite houses,
while in the yard below was the squad Of
soldiers, which had pressed from the tavern
IN panic when it seemed that the build.
ing would fall
My safety still demanded immediate &C
ton, for should curiosity or distrust impel
the guard to come upstairs, would be un-
done. That move would drive me to bay,
and either oblige me to finally surrender OF
die like rat in a hole.
But 1 had determined course of pro.
cedure by the time had finished getting
into my clothing. Hastily setting the table
upright, 1 stopped over the body of Scam
nell. expected to find him dead, and was
surprised to discover that he was still Of
this world, the thickness of his curly hair
and a possible crack in the Jug having
saved him from crushed skull. He was
completely stunned, however, and with
little ado dragged him into the olosst and
sAut The door.
NJ sole shaass Of escape now ~ h ~ |
w - QAlne NJ Assesslse - 49,