Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-04-20
THE DECAPITATI0NAA DECIDEDLY
aa TALL STORY. "t'

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A correspondent Of The Philadelphia Bulletin
relates the following exciting occurrence
/ noticed several days ago. 10 the Bulletin, q
clipped article relating the wonderful powers Of
the East India MagicianS, If you will grant me a
short space In your columns | will tell you Of
what | consider a much stranger feOt--a feat so
strange and so completely counterfe;ting reality
that it was a difficult matter to believe it to be de-
~ception. The trick Of legordemnin was performed
ten years before l cav il By the same man. l was
a student Of medicine in Paris in 1859 and in
company with other Americans, tired Of the hum
drum monotonous life Of the QUARTER Latin, I fire.
quently roamed through tbs new city, on the west
bank of the Seine. Concerts and operas, gardens
and singing cafes, bazaars and botiques were all
visited by US. One evening, OF early dusk a party
Of ne were strolling through the Rue Richelieu,
and when near the Boulevards, our attention was
drawn to a flaming poster Of an Eastern juggler,
who was performing at some hall on tho Boule-
yard du Temple. Among the things, very wonder
fully, this man would cut off the head of q living
man, aud defy any one to surprise him in the
trick. Boing considerable accustomed to manipu-
lating with the knife in the dead, and being thor
lOuSuiy ntTu0DCu W All biHubo VI hOIiOis We wv
mined to 20 and see this wonderful necromancer
AT the time appointed, we repaired to the ball.
and obtained q seat near the stage. After per-
forming wonderful tricks, the magician came for
ward and announced bis last feat for the evening,
the actual decapitation Of a living man, apparent.
ly. To prevent feelings of horror among the Ia
dies, he assured the audience, it was a trick Of leg
erdemain, mere slight Of hand-that he did not in
reality cut the mans head of. With this explain
alton he invited any enc in the audience, DESTROYS
of capital punishment, to step forward, promising
speedy satisfaction. For some moments no one
appeared anxious for the honor. At length, o sol
dier, a private in the infantry stepped forward ant
signifed his readiness to be decapitsted. There
could have been, it was plain, no connivance be
tween the men. No man dare assume the MARTA
bearing of France, without authority, Directing
the man to Giyest himself of his coat and neck
tie, or stock, the magician brought out the instru
ment Of death. II was on enormous knife, resem
bling a ponderous cleaver. He cast it down {;
show it's weight, and left a large impress in th,
boards. There was no deception in the weight 0
the knife.
He then made the man lie down, placing tn
soldiers neck fair in a block, the magician fixed
long handle to his enormous knife, and proceeds
very loisurely, and with heavy well directe
strokes to chop the mans head off. Daring this
be merely lowered the foo,liGhts, without obscui
ing the view at all. Cries of horror and emazt
ment burst from the terror-Utricken audience, a
with every descending blow of she huge cleavel
the blood spur.ed away. The man who was III
{ ~dergoing the operation simply ~quiVered throug
} bis lower limbs.
Soon she dismembered head rolled on the Zoo
, tho blood issued by jots from out she arteries, an
the jaws dropped. while the eyes turned up
death. Il was a horrible sight. Tho magicia
: then took tho bleeding head by the hair, and pas
; ed it not more than three feet before our party
' 1t seemed to me a dreadful reality. ! almost Q,
3 pected to see a fierce gen d. arme seize and arre
the murderer. Suddenly, and only for an instan
the room was darkened. In a second all wa
light again. And we saw the m~agicisn busy
a work, coaptating the head to the bleeding trunl
Diligently he worked, and for some moments, a.
~parenily TO no purpose. All at once, however, |
slapped the dead soldier smartly on the back in
mediately tho man arose; felt anxiously arour
his neck looked foolishlY around. and descend'
a amidst the audience. This is o veritable afai
,f and there are now living within three hundr
miles of Philadelphia. those who can vouch for
truth.