The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-10-26

said to US yesterday q distinguished legal gen
tleman Of New Orleans, visited Paris in the
course Of a professional tour, that my Ameri-
cans,n might be polished down By little attr-
ton among the gentle particles OF Partisan So
ciety. found the world of Paris in very con-
siderable state OF excitement in consequence Of
an extraordinary performance which was nightly
exhibited by an eastern jugg'er, ard which was
nothing more or less than the apparent decapi-
ta,ion of IA man in the presence of an audience,
under the very noses of committee o. medical
gentleman who stood only so far distant while
the operation was being performed AS to escape
the swing of the long two-edged sword with
which the jUggler smote of the head. | went
to see the exhibition, which took place IN a
| theatre, in company with several American gen
tlemen. The theatre was crowded with between
two and three thousand Spectators. aud the
curtain was up, displaying common tah'e, six
feet long, upon the stage, az TIE very edge of
which obtained seat, having gone yery early.
And at the given time, the juggler, singular
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 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 stige. Iii a few
words he stated what he was going TO do, aud
requested some of the audience to come forward
npoa the stage that they might see there was
deception. A number Of medical gentlemen
who hal been chosen as committee to inves-
tigate tie matter, if possible, look their position
| upon the stage, aud soon after the victim, who
had been sitting in the parquette, mounted the
stage, removed his coat and eravat, turned back
his shirt collar, and laying down upon his back
on the table, elevated his chin to more fairly
| expose his neck to the headsman's weunon.-
The juggler then raised his keen and fearful
| looking sword, and giving it wide sweep,
braughs it down. say, brought it down upon
the meek, for no one could see that he did net,
even those within three feet of hiin-upon the
neck of the subject with great force.
Blood spurted high into the air, some Of it
falling or our party, and deluged the stage,
while the most fearful sound, somethin, be
| tween groan and shrek of horror from the
whole assemb'age, shock the building, ard nu-
merous women and some males tainted in their
seats and were borne out by the ushers Of the
house. The juggier raised his sword again,
repeated the blow, and the discovered head fell
upon the floor, Taking it by the hair be held it
up to the audience for full five minutes, until
the blood had ceased 10 flow from the severed
! arteries, the lover jaw had fallen, and the face
had assumed the appearance Of n corpse's; then
|. Throwing II heavily uron the stage he request.
Cd the committee 20 examine il, which thew
did, passing it from hand 70 hand They then
examined the body upon the table from the
hcadless neck of which the blood had rot vet
ceased TO drop upon tine floor of this stag; they
| lifted the limbs and let them fall with the limp
inertia of liieless matter, and, of course, pro-
nouHced tire man dead to all intents and pnr-
poses.
After they had concluded their Investigation.
the jugger informed th- audience that ne was
gong TO put the mans head on again, eHi re-
store him to HE. Taking up the head h.. laid
1t on the ;abie, lifted tue two parts on the neck
to each other, aud began to mutter and make
signs over the corpse. In about five minutes
the lately decaptated man slowly turned his
CHASTITY and altogether horrible face-whte as
Snow-;owards the audience, and excitement
followed exceeding, if anything, that which 90
Cured when the first blow of the sword fell
In a few moments the eyelids gradually opened
and displayed the eyes wearing CLASSY, corpse
like stare; By degrees a lille like speculation
came into them, some color returned to the face,
and after stretching his limbs, the man rose
from the table, resumed his coat, aud mingled
with the crowd
The exhibition was over. The neck Of the
apparently decapitated man bore a red mark
and scar around 1t, like the ccatrice of d newly
healed wound. All this | saw with nv own eyes
which wers as eftectualiy deceived as those of
tens OF thousands of other persons could in
no way consistently with reason, account for
any feature Of this horribly thrilling feat Of
trlckery. never heard OF the trick being DER
termed by any other man, and possibly il orig.
mated and died with him. However, il is
scarcely more unaccountable than many often
uispiayed fea;s OF the adroit fraternity OF East
ern jusglers.-N. o. True Delta.