The Yazoo Democrat., 1858-10-23
DIABoLICAL EXHIBITION.

In the year 1884, said to us yesterday a
distinguished legal gentleman of New Or
leans, | visited Paris in the course of an
European tour, that my Americanism might
be polished down by little attrition among
the genteel particles of Partisan society. |
found the world Of Paris in very consider
able state Of excitement, in consequence of
an extraordinary performance which was
nightly exhibited by an Eastern juggler, and
and which was nothing more nor less than
the apparent decapitation of a man in the
presence of an audience, and under the very
noses of a committee of medical gentlemen
who stood only so far distant as to escape
the long two-edged sword with which the
juggler smote off the head l went to see
this exhibition, which took place in a theatre,
in company with several American gentle.
men. The theatre was crowded with be,
tween two and three thousand spectators,
and the curtain was up, displaying com
mon table, six feet long, upon the stage, at
the very edge Of which l obtained a seat,
having gone very early.
At the given time, the juggler, singu-
Iar-looking man, came upon the stage with
his shirt>sleeves rolled up to his shoulders
and bearing long, heavy, two edged sword
He upset the table on the boards, and show
ed that there was no concealed drawer or
other recess, and placed it in the blaze of
the footlights near the edge of the stage
In 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 was no deception.
A number of the medical gentlemem who
had been chosen to investigate the matter,
if possible, took their position upon the
stage, and soon after the victim, who had
been sitting in the parquette, mounted the
stage, removed his coat and cravat, turned
back his shirt collar, and lying down on his
back on the table, elevated his chin to more
expose his neck to the hcadsman,s weapon.
The juggler then raised his keen and fearful
looking sword, and giving it "A wide sweep,
brought it down. say brought it down
upon the neck, for no one could see that he
did not, even those within three feet of him
upon the neck of the subject with great
force!
Blood spurted high into the air, some of
it falling on our party, aud deluged the
stage, while the most fearful sound-a
something between groan and shriel, Of
horror-from the whole assemblage shook
The building, and numerous women and some
males fell fainting in their seats, aud were
borne out by the ushers of the house. The
Iiuggler raised his sword again, repeated the
blow and the discovered head fell upon the
floor Taking it by the hair he held it up
to the audience for full FIVE minutes, until
the blood ceased to flow from the severed
arteries, the lower jaw had fallen, and the
face had assumed the appearance of a corpse
then throwing it heavily upon the stage he
requested the committee to 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 had not yet ceased to drop upon
the floor Of the stage; they lifted the limbs
and let them fall with the dumb inertia of
lifeess matter, and, of course, pronounced
the man dead to all intents and purposes.
After they had concluded their investiga,
ton, the juggler informed the audience that
he was going to put the mans head on
again, aud restore him to life Taking up
the head he laid it on the table, fitted the
two parts of the neck to each other, and
began to mutter and make signs over the
corpse. In about five minutes the decapita-
ted man slowly turned his ghastly and alto
gether horrible face-white as snow-toward
the audience, and an excitement followed
exceeding, if anything, that which occurred
when the first blow of the sword fell In a
few moments the eyelids gradually opened
and displayed the eyes wearing a CLASSY,
corpse>like stare; by degrees, life,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, and walked down from the
stage and mingled with the crowd.
The exhibition was over. The neck of
the apparently dccapitated man bore red
mark and scar around it, like the cicatriee
Of newlyrhealed wound. All this | saw
with my own eyes, which we're as effectually
deceived as those of tens of thousands of
other persons. l could, in no way consists
emily with reason, account for any feature of
this horribly thrilling feat of trickery. |
have never heard of the trick being per-
formed by any other man, and very possibly
it originated and died with him. However,
it is scarcely more unaccountablo than many
feats performed by the adroit Eastern Jug
glers.
A YOUNG PRINTER ELoPEs WITH A
| WASHINGTON BELLE.-A Washington Cd.
10Y porrasnandent writes