The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-09-16
A DIabOIIcaI Exhibition.

yesterday, al visited Paris in the course Of an
European tour, that my Americanism might
be polished down by little attrtion among
the genteel PARTICLES of Parisian society -
| found the world of Paris in a very consid-
erabIe state of excitement in consequence
OF ian extraordinary performance which was
nightly exhibited by an eastern juggler, and
which was nothing more nor less than the
apparent decapitation of a man in the pres.
ence of an audience, and under the very
noses of committee of medical gentlemen
Who stood only so far distant while the op.
Grafton was being performed as to escape
the swing of the long two edged sword with
which the juggler smote off the head. I
went to see this exhibition, which took place
in theatre, in company with several
American gentlemen. The theatre was
crowded with between two and three thous-
and spectators, and the curtain was up, dis
playing common table, six feet long, up.
on the stage, at the very edge of which l
obtained 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 10 the shoulders, and
bearing long, heavy two edged sword
He upset the table upon 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 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 medical gentlemen who had
been chosen as a committee to investigate
the matter, if possible, took their position
upon the stage, and soon afte the victim,
who had been sitting in the parquette,
mounted the stage, removed his coat and
cravat, turned back his shirt collar, and ly-
ing down upon his back on the table, elevat-
ed his chin to more fairly expose his neck
to the headsman's weapon. The juggler
then raised his keen and fearful looking
sword, and giving it 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 o.
it falling on our party, and deluged the
stage, while the most fearful sound Of ONE.
thing between groan and shrek Of hor-
ror from the whole assemblage, shook the
building, and numerous women and some
males fell fainting in their seats, and were
borne out by the ushers of the house. The
juggler 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 had ceased to flow from the sever
ed 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 exam.
inc it, which they did, passing it from hand
to hand. They then examined the body up
on the table, from the heudless 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 limb iner.
tia of lifeless matter, and, Of course, pro-
nounced the man dead to all intents and
purposes. a r
After they had concluded their investiga.
tion, the juggler informed the audience that
he was going to put the mans head on
again, and 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 be.
gun to ,mutter and make signs over the
corpse. In about five minutes the lately
dispatched man slowly turned his ghastly,
and altogether horrible face--white as snow
towards 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 gradu.
ally opened and displayed the eyes wearing
CLASSY, corpse like stare by degrees, a
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, walked down from
the stage and mingled with the crowd.
The exhibition was over. The neck OF
the apparently decapitated man bore red
mark and scar around it, like the cicatrice
of newly healed wound, All this l saw
with my own eyes, which were as effectual.
ly deceived as those of tens of thousands ol
other persons. / could in no way, consis-
tently with reason, account for any feature
Of this horribly thrilling feat of trickery.
have never heard Of the trick being perform
ed by any other man, and very possibly il
originated and died with him. However, i
is scarcely more unaccountable than many
often displayed feats Of the adroit fraternity
of Eastern jugglers. IN o. True Del.
.t~ 81 ----------------1.sss,. ----- - 4Rg
Ot7-A lady riding in the cars, found her
self seated by the side of matron who wal
| exceeduoly deaf