Alexandria Gazette

A Terrible Experience.—The Pittsburgh Mail says:—Attached to a certain Episcopal Church, not removed from the East Park, Alleghany, by any considerable distance, is a mild-mannered, respectable, but somewhat superstitious sexton. Beneath the church, or rather a little on one side of it, are situated several vaults, belonging to wealthy members of the congregation, in which are deposited the dead belonging to the several families: In one of these have been placed the encoffined remains of three generations. In pursuance of his duties, the sexton one day last week opened the massive door leading to the home of the dead referred to, taking with him a broom to sweep up the floor and shovel with which to remove any dirt which might have accumulated. His descent into the vault was noticed by a number of thoughtless schoolboys who were loitering in the vicinity. The sexton left the key outside the door. Quietly stealing their way to the portal, the lads, inspired by the spirit of mischief, closed the massive door, and while the sexton was engaged in his work, turned the key, and he was locked up—a living inmate of the charnel house where the decaying anatomies of generations were deposited.

Having swept the floor of the vault, the unsuspecting official gathered a shovel full of the debris and started to the door—locked! He was stunned by the discovery, Shovel and its contents fell from with almost superhuman force he pushed against the portal in his wild endeavors once again to reach the land of the living The bolt refused to fall back and in despair fearing living death he descended again and paced the floor of the vault Every sound was to him fraught with weird and ominous meaning The footsteps on the sidewalk above sounded like the echoing farewell to present life the whistling wind as it moaned through the unclosed cracks of the door seemed the message of death from forgotten world his own footsteps seemed to sound his own death-knell He was alone amid the ravages of the dread monster death-the coffins spoke of ended life the fleshless frames on which living creatures had moved were like spectres and as he gazed upon the crumbling caskets he momentarily expected that they would part and that bony fingers would clutch him by the throat and crush from him the last remnant of sacred vitality.

A noise was heard. It was the sound of a shooting bolt. Once again the frantic sexton ascended the strong stairs and as he did door flew open and the softened light of the moon ray fell upon his joyous eyes With one bound he passed the open portal and he was released from a living death.

For three hours he had been confined in the charnel house. One of the boys had been present father lad when of the the he sexton event was locked might and but up have for and died the informed in candor living of trouble The parent promptly proceeded to the and unlocked the door As it was he was almost frozen, and for the two days following his incarceration he had to keep his bed.