The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-03-03
4 NIGHT I'M
..7HE..
IRON CHAMBER.
From the German.


On the oath Of September, 1901, Mar
In INLAND, the young man in charge
" the old castle of Rothberg, followed
he last visitors to the door and began
10 put everything in order for the
ight. He passed through the cells of
he prison vault, arranged the rusty
hains and thumb-screws, tongs, and
,ther implements of torture which had
seen left in his care by the fathers Of
he town.
He was slender young man, with
crave face and clear but restless eyes.
BE lived in his books so entirely that
ne doctor had warned his father
against the sons exaggerated bent
or study But, the boy earned $500
:rowns by taking charge of the old
astFe, and the money was welcome,
sOr his father was not rich, and besides
ae had cousin in the army who need
I'd assistance.
Three days before the opening of
his story Martin had lived through an
experience more grewsome than usual.
He had suddenly had the hallucination
hat the sinister room was full of vic
inns. He saw agonized faces and heard
he death groans of the prisons. Sud-
ienly, however, his fear changed into
devilish JOY. He imagined that he
- vas himself the executioner and was
.orturing the victims with his own
lands. Then he suddenly came to and
sound himself alone with his books.
He told nobody of this experience,
but while still under the impression of
It he vowed to give up his study of
The Middle Ages. When morning came,
however, he laughed at his terror and
continued his work and his studies, as
The dungeons.
The evening on which this story OPP
ms, his cousin, Paul INLAND, who was
1t home on furlougn, became anx-
tous over Martins prolonged absence;
and when, late in the evening, his
cousin had not come home, Paul went
TO the prison. The guard at the gates
let him in, and he raped on Martins
hoor several times before it was
opened, and Martin beckoned to him to
some in
''My dear Martin, what is the mat
ter?" he cried, startled by the CLEAN
In his cousins eyes. why do you
look at me in this way? Are you i'll?
Wait, while l go for a DOCTOR"
Martins only answer was TO shut
the heavy door and lock it. Paul was
not surprised; he was used to his
suspectingly through the hall into the
vault, where in the middle ages un-
thinkable horrors were practiced. Here
he again asked, What is the matter,
Martin? You want to say something
to me?"
The answer was long, wailing cry.
It seemed to Paul like the howl of a
wild beast and he knew at once that
his cousin had gone raving mad. Paul
INLAND, however, was not afraid
Though the scene was grewsOme-
lark prison lighted by a single lantern,
Sar from any living being-it did not
occur to the young soldier that he was
in danger you are i'll Martin" he re-
peated; come home with me-"
His cousin did not answer, but paced
up and down like Gagged beast, NUT
tering the long forgotten names of
prisoners who had been tortured to
Leath in the chamber centuries ago.
Once he stopped at the rack, bending
over it, and fearful howl of Joy ech-
oed through the vaults.
Then Paul made a fatal mistake. He
tried to take Martin by force and carry
him home in his strong arms. But the
mailman sprang upon him with super
human strength and they rolled over
on the stone floor.
Paul was dragged over the floor
toward the iron chamber and then the
intention of his cousin began to dawn
upon him. The awful. thought para
lyzed him; he tainted where he lay and
Martin could do with him what he
pleased When Paul INLAND regained
consciousness he was bound hand and
foot so firmly that he could not even
move his head. A faint strip Of light
coming through a door showed him
where he was-locked up in the iron
chamber. He still hoped, however,
that Martin only wished to brighten
him and tried to wheedle his cousin
into letting him out. But he received
no reply and the full horror of the sit
uation was soon clear to him. He knew
the secret Of the iron chamber-that
the door would close inch by inch in
the course of an hour, or 20 hours, ac-
cording to the regulation of the mech
anism. He heard his cousin breathing
heavily and understood that Martin
was lying in an apopIectic fit outside
the door of the chamber. Giving a loud
schriek of terror Paul began to cry
like a child, for he was young and in
the town was girl waiting for him.
If no one heard his cry, and Martin
should recover consciousness, the hour
was not far off when the iron door
would close in upon him and spear
him on the long daggers which would
entsr his brain, heart and eyes.
He shouted again and again, but the
cries tssd away in the vault, unheard