Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-08-28
A DiabolfcaI Exhibition.

"In the year 1882" said to us yesterday a
distinguished legal gentleman of New Orleans
Il visited Paris, in the course ola European
tour, that my Americanism might he polished
down by a little atirition among the genteel
particles of Persian society. / found the
world of Paris in very considerable state of
excitement IL consequence of an extraordina-
ry performance which nightly exhibited
by an eastern Juggler, and which was moth
ing more or less than the apparent decapita-
ton OF a man in the presence of an audience
and under the very noses of committee of
medical gentlemen who stood only so far dis
tant while the operation was being performed
as to escape the swing of the long, two
edged sword with which the jugglar smote off
the head | went to see this exhibition,
which took place in a theatre, in company
with several Americans The theatre was
crowded with between two and three thous-
and spectators, and the curtain was up dis
playing common table, six feet long, upon
the stage at the very edge of whcih / obtain
ed seat, having gone very early.
At the given time. the juggler a singular
looking man, came upon the stage. with his
shirt sleeves rolled up to the shoulders, and
bearing long. heavy two-edged sword He
upset the table on the boards and showed
that there was no concealed drawer or other
recess, and placed it in the blaze of the foot
lights near the edge of the stage. In a few
words. he stated what he was going to do,
and requested some of the audience to come
forward and stand upon the stage, that they
might see there ''scas no deception" A number
of medical gentlemen who bad been chosen
as committee to investigate the matter, if
possible, took their position upon the stage
end soon after the victim, who had been sit
ting In the parquette, mounted the stage, re-
moved his coat and cravat turned back his
shirt collar. and, laying down on his back on
the table, elevated his chin to more fairly
exposed his neck to the hcadsmans weapon.
The juggler then raised his keen and fearful
| looking sword and. giving it wide sweep,
brought it down. say brought it down up
on the neck. for no one could see that he did
| not, even those within three feet of him
| upon the neck of the subj ect with great force
Blood spurted high into the air. some of it
| falling on our party, and deluged the stage,
while the most fearful sound, something
| between groan and a shrek of horror from
| the whole assemblage, shook the building.
and numerous women and some males fell
| fainting in their seats, and were borne out hy
| the nshers of the house. The juggler raised
| his sword again, repeated the blow, and the
discovered head fell upon the floori Taking
| 1t by the hair he held it up to the audience
! for full five minutes, until the blood had
ceased to flow from the severed arteries, the
lower jaw had fallen and the face had assum-
ing 1t heavily upon the stage, be requested
the committee 10 examine it, which they did
passing it from hand to hand. They then
examined the body upon the table, from the
headless neck of which the blood bad not yet
ceased to drop upon the floor of the stage;
they lifted the limbs and let them fall with
the limp inertia of lifeless matter and OF
course, pronounced the man dead to all
lntentS and purposes.
A a.,
ton, the juggler informed the audience that
he was going to put the mans head on again,
and restored him to life. Taking mp the
head he laid it on the table fitted the two
parts of the neck TO each other, and begun to
mutter and make signs over the corps. In
about five minutes the latly decapitated
man slowly turned his CHASTITY and altogether
horrible face. white as snow, toward the
audience, and an excitement followed exceed
ing, if any thing that which occurred whenthe
first blow of the sword fell. In a few moments
the eyelids gradually opened and displayed the
eyes wearing CLASSY, cOrpselike stare; by
degrees, Hfe-like speculation came into
them, some color returned to the face. and.
after stretching his limbs, the man arose from
the table, resumed his coat, walked down
from the stage, and mingled with the crowd.
The exhibition was over. The neck of
the apparently decapitated man bore a red
hi"' n e'iu SCai I'll ouiu IL, mt VIC ClCatliSc VI
a newly healed wound All this | saw with
my own eyes, which were as effectually
deceived as those of tens of thousands of
other persons. | could in no way, consistent
ly with reason, account for any feature of
this horribly thrilling feat of triekery. l
have never heard of the trick being performed
by any other man, and very possibly it
originated and died with him. However it is
scarcely more unaccountable than many
often displayed feats of the adroit fraternity
of Eastern jugglers.-N. o. True Delta.