The Northern star, and constitutionalist. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1834-1837, 1835-06-13
CURIOUS ANECDOTE.


wheel at Orleans, for highway robbery;
and not having friends to bury his body,
when the executioner supposed he was
dead he gave him to a surgeon, who car
ried him to an anatomical theatre as a
subject to lecture on. The thighs, legs
and arms of this unhappy wretch had
beel broken, yet on the surgeons COM
ing to examine him, he found him survi-
wing, and by proper application of proper
cordIals, he was soon brought to his
speech.
The surgeon and his pupils, moved by
the snflerlngs and solicitations OF the rob
ber, determined on attempting his cure |;
but he was SO mangled, that his two
thighs and one of his arms were amputa-
ted. notwithstanding the mutilalion,
and loss Of blood, he recovered, and IN
this situation, the surgeon by his own de-
sire, bad him conveyed IN cart 90
leagues from Orleans, where, as he SAID,
he intended to gam his livelihood by beg
gns
Has situation on the road side closo BY
a wood, aud his deplorabie Condition ca
cited compassion from all VINO saw nim.
In his youth he had served in the. army
and he now passed for soldier who had
ost his limbs by cannon shot.
A drover returning from market, where
he had been selling cattle, was solicited
by the robber for charity, and being mo-
we'd by compassion threw him piece OF
silver. 'Alas !" says the robber, II can
not reach 1t you see | have neither
arms nor legs" (ior he had concealed
his arm winch had been preserved, be-
hind his back) $50 for the sake of heaven,
put your charitable donation into my
pouch, and lord bless YOU"
The drover approached him, and as he
stopped to reach up the money, the sun
shining, he saw a shadow on the ground
which caused him to look up, when he saw
the arm of the beggar elevated above his
head, and grasping a small bar. He ar
rested the blow in its descent, and seizing
the robber, carried him to his cart, into
which having thrown him, he drove of to
the next town which was very near, and
brought his prisoaer before "a magistrate.
On searching him whistle was found
in his pocket which naturally induced a
suspicion tha: he had accomplices in the
wood the magistrate, therefore, instantly
ordered guard to the place where the
robber had been seized, and they arrived
within half an hour after the murder OF
the drover had been attempted.
The guard having concealed them
selves behind different trees, the whistle
was blown, the sound of which was re-
lmarkably shrill and loud: and another
whistle was heard under ground, three
men at the same instant rising over
the midst o! bushy clump Of brambles
and other dwarf shrubs the soldiers fired
on them and the fell The bushes were
searched, and descent discovered in .
; cave. Here were found three young girl.
and boy. The girls were kept for thu
offices Of servants and the purposes o
lust the boy, scarce twelve years Of age
, was son to one OF the robbers. The
: lgirls, in giving evidence, deposed, thai
they had lived near three years in the
cave, he'd been kept there by force from
the time of their captivity that dead
bodies were frequently carried into the
cave stripped and buried and that the
old soldier was carried out every dry day,
and sat by the roadside for two or three
hours.
On this evidence the numbering mendi.
cant was condemhd to suffer a second ex.
ecution on the wheel. AS but one re.
mained, it was 10 be broken by severa
strokes, in several places, and finishing
stroke being denied, he lived in tortur,
for near Ave days. When dead, his bod,
was burned to ashes and s,rcwn before thu
wind