Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-04-11
THE LIVING DEAD.

1t was in the summer Of 49,, during the car.
lier years Of my practice, whilst in the Crescent
city, that on an inauspcious Friday, a young
aud lovely Creole girl was doomed ~ suffer tie
extreme penalty oi the law for that most unnal'
ural Of all crimes -inhnuCide.
had been present at her trial, and Ind b!
come enthusiastically interested III her, 81 A..
count Of her cxtrchle youth, her apparent ano'
ccncc, and her wonderful beauty. She was Il
perfect drcain Of OvclinrSS, fjtuiteSs in feature
aud limb; one whom the widest imNgining' Of
a pOet.nrliSt would have chosen tor his Ideal o.
the perfect in beauty.
Her story was one, alas! too common. She
had been loved by u man Of wealth aud cJns E
quencr in the worlds eye, who had deserted her,
and cast her oil u the ScUrn Of nil around her.
In moment Ul frenzy she had rcvengcd ncrSrIl
by killing her Scducers child. So the court
said but did not choose to believe the court.
preferred rather 10 trust the purity and earnest
innocence expressed in her dropping, pleading
eyes aud her small, rXQuiste!y Ihnncd mouth,
which during the trial She kept clused with such
patient, placid resignation.
was not present at The last sad scene which
terminated her existence. But notwithstanding
the intense, SutIOcatnS heat Of the day, the pr.
son yard was thrOnged. The fearful ceremony,
MS was told was FASTENED over, the execution
crS feeling unusually IOath IL sacrifice 50 much
youth, tenderness aud beauty.
In t ic evening u the day Of the execution, !
was invited by the celebrated DR.. R, To
meet select number OF brother physicians at
hi, house, Tor the purpose Ol di>srcting u new
subject The time appointed for dissection was
i,
detection, aud / alone Of the party had agreed
to he ut nr. Rs before eleven.
We had chatlcd Oh various topics Of the day
for sometime, when the doctor, looking ut his
watch, exclaimed, 1--WE have more than an hour
before our friends arrive; let us go W into my
study have several curious fossil specimens
that would interest You
When @c reached the study, the doctor look.
ed cautiously around, locked, barred, and ddu.
bic barred The doors; and tnrn passing over to
window that looked ont on n Uncovered pUr.
lico he noiSrlrs>ly opened it, looked out, gave
\ low whistle, when was answered BY another
equally as low. Upon this the doctor opened Il
snail drawer in his writing desk, took out some
ropes, aud brckUning 10 me, first having rXtin.
guislIed the lights, we stepped from the low
window out upon the piazza. The night was
m0oncsS aud StarleSS, 50 dark, III fact, you could
not see yUur hand before your face.
On the repetition Of the low signal and its re.
ply, the doctor threw down one end Of each rope,
and the soft whistle being repeated, We began
to pull in the ropes until the appearance Of u
Sack-or what the students Eacctiou,y called n
bag Of oranges--which was carefully and nOsc.
| lc$Sy lifted through the window into the room
by the doctor and myself. The window was
then shut down, the heavy curtain drawn the
lamps rclighted; upon which tue doctor turned
down one end Of the sack.
What was my surprise and horror, when !
saw the features Of Clara v, the young infant.
cidc!-Sllc who that morning had, in her youth
and loneliness, been ANONYMOUSLY hung.
"Oh, DR.. r., ;" exclaimed |, "lcannot remain,
| was ut the tlia of this girl, aud my feelings
were too deeply interested for her. | cannot
SIC butcher knife stuck in her fair form. Oh,
it would he too horrible aud covered my
eyes from the sight.
"NonScn>c! my young friend" replied DR.,
r., in his inpcrlulbnblc tones. "Whrn You
have llvrl us long aud cut up as many as
! have, you won't mind such tribes. Tut, tut,
man, what signifies her beauty: So much tic
better for us BIT | shall ho obliged to leave
you for few minutes. Stay at least until re-
turn, and keep watch for me. 1t is now ten
minutes after ten. Ned and Patterson will moi
be here until eleven. Is your watch in time:
Al, see. All right Now, my good friend
oblige INC for little pcriui, and you may then
retire or stay, as yon choose. But do not bC
too SQucamiSh, and nr. K. laughed his fat jolly
laugh. 10 be continued