Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-11-06
! We gathered around him full of anxious ex-

pectation. -.
"You will pay particular attention to me -
be continued, barring tho scalpel, and half turn
Ing towards the table" the first incisions are
very important.
We concentrated our vision upon the corpse
he looked steadily at us
II will now, he resumed, seeing our atten-
ton directed upon his words and movements
LAY open the body directly beneath tho re-
gion of the diaphragm"
He now faced about full at the table, and
lifted the scalpel. He paused an instant. We
gaIed, all earnestness, upon the body. The
seaipcl descended Scarcely had ii touched
the lean, lank, scraggy, and miserable relic Of
mortality, ere there was a fearful change Tho
most perfect silence reigned in the room The
scalPel asecond time touched the body and
then, as II the instrument had been a galvanic
battery, the supposed corpse, with a counte-
nance most horribly cOntorted, sprang up and
seized the Professor by the gown, and then fell
back qulescent. A glance Of horror and recog-
milton seemed to pass between the "subiects,
aud the Professor. He, as if struck BY light
ming, staggered back, with loud cry, or rather
Shrek, and stood, in an attitude of despair and
wild terror, gazing vacantly into the air.
Before we could recover from our terror, he
had tainted.
We looked at the body the muscles of the
lace were working-those of the limbs were
vestigation proved, 1t was dead. Why it should
have made this strange manifestation is not to
De resolved into matter of certainty One of
tue Physicians connected with the institution
says that he has witnessed the same phenomena
among the bodies of those who died suddenly
IN fits, as well as of those who were slain by
cholera. Heaven only knows the reason of the
terrlnc and curious demonstration But the
Strangest part of my story remains to be told.
We naturally supposed that the Professor
swooned from fright. We applied restoratiyes.
and finally he exhibited indications of con
seiousness. We explained to him that the
show of life given by the poor, faded form
upon the table was purely spa.nodic and fall
lacious; but he incredH lously shook his head
muttered 1T was the hand of God" and re-
lapsed into insensibility. second time we
restored him to bis senses, and his first words
were
Remove the subject, Hide it from nv
sight and then, as if again horror stricken,
he fell into violent convulsions
We remained near him until he seemed to
have recovered from the effects of the scene
enough to be left in charge of one watcher.
Before We retired, however toe explanation of
the Professor S extreme alright at the scene of
horror was made. The revelation (for such it
was was given under apledge of secresy-a
pledge extorted from me by the surrounding
circumstances. The corpse into which the Pro-
iSssoi wa uoOut 10 piunge the scalpel was that
Of his brother,
How or when he had reached this country is
not known. But it is known, that, after earn
ing an unenviable notoriety among gamblers,
horse-jockeys, and the victims Of profiigacy
generally, he gradually sank into the mire of
degradation until he became dweller in den
OF thieves well-known TO the police Here be
was seized with disease, and deprived of his
accustomed strong potations, delfrium tremens
was the consequence. He was kicked into the
street-attempted to commit a highway rob-
bery-was arrested, tried, and condemned to
the States prison. Before reaching there,
however, he was to all appearance dead, and
was in that condition conveyed to-the purveyor
Of subjects" and so brought to our dissecting-
room.
The college lin which we do not reside) is for
the present closed. The remains which greeted
the Mortified vision of the Professor-which
sprang from the Same loins as his own body
which be had often enfolded in his arms-and
In the integrity of the heart that animated
which he had once placed the frmest reliance
were silently placed in a neat coffin, and de-
posted not to be disturbed again, 1 hope, un.
I'll the day Of resurrection, in a secluded spot
In - cemetery.