Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1863-11-12


like those of wild beast aud his whole frame lremb
ling with excitement.
Now" he said, with wild laugh now shall h.
able to try my grand experiment. Now shall be able
to find whether the heart can be extracted while man
is alive without killing him Twice 1 have failed nm,
the stars have told that third time shall not fail
o, fame, glory, immortality, have you in my grasp
What, ptifal fool do you turn pale and tremble II
you die, you will die glorious martyr to science ami
if you live, you and will share the glory CT this grand
discovery J!
From this ridiculous rhodenontade, perceived tina,
nv pleasant eccentric travelling companion q avy
maniac What was to do? / could not move hant
or foot, speak, and the mailman was arranging
the seat In front OF me collection OF bright see
instruments, which be took from the mahogany boz
which | have mentioned befo 3 Was there shy heIp
for me tried to remember how long it was after We
left NJ bcloIe went asleep thought it we got
to F. the maniac would be discovered and should
be relieved from the horrible death which now seemtd
imminent but rs | had been doing time bsfore
went regularly eff to s!eeb. found that could not
in the least remember what time had passed
After some time spent IN preparing bis Instruments
my prosecutor began to prepare me by unbutonng NY
waiscoa and bearing my breast. At length everything
seemed to be to his satisfaction and he took sharp
keen-bladed knife. shall forget my sensations
when saw that little gtterng instrument so soon to
be dyed with my blood. l felt q cold shudder ruu
through my body, and longed to close my eyes but
they seemed to keep open by sort of horrible ascDa
ton After trying the edge of the knife and preparing
CLOTH and giving final look TO his instruments
my eccentric friend pressed his finger close above mp
ht at and said
This lie cow l am going to manage i, ny friend
am going TO cut circle in the fesh above the heart,
with this knife it will not hurt much, as shall olv
iust cut through the skin, and the knife is exceedingly
sharp shall then proceed to dig deeper with thia in
strument and faaly extract the heart with this"
The reader may imagine MY sensation during this
cold bloody recital, for am utterly unable to descrb.
them but when the sharp steel fist pierced my h
and felt the warm blood flowing out and my past
life seemed to pass before my mind in moment OF tue
only to make my desire Of still living and the horror
! of an ignominious death, tenfod greater.
| Slowly the sharp knife plowed in my flesh, making
coy blood free e in my VEINS and my eyebaE burn ard
seem ready to burst from tneir sockets, and now e
my reason gradually leaving me the strain upon my
nerves was too much-I felt they mast give wOy bal
considered that if they did my only hope woad be
gone; for if moved should be choked with the rop.
around my neck
Slowly the sharp steel, iupeed by steady h,rj
continued its deadly course; and no@ the circle
nearly accomplished when l felt that the speed OF To-
train was being gradually diminished. ray Ct hope
illuminated my breast, looked iuto my comraniLs
eyes to if he too, noticed that we were neatirg
T. but be was too intent upon his horrible wcr
| At length he leaned back and said
90 There, now, only about inch more and ! shall
commence the deep cutting"
Only about an inch And the station was yet SOM
way of. Ony about an inch F.! My life hung upon
the merest thread.
1t was not long that the experimental admir- ti'
dabocal wolk-he soon fell to it asain but saw Ge
lights of F. station fash past the windows OF the
| carriage | saw strange arm seize my tormeptor
heard loud and appalling cry like that Of bGnid
wild beast, and l became nsensible.
Fer weeks after this | lay between life and death in
brain fever, brought by the intense excitement aui
fear of these twenty minutes.
afterwards learned that my pleasant compaDi)o Lad
been doctor and surgeon, but that when be was d
young ard just married, having performed aa
operation extract cancer from his wife, of which
she afterwards died, be went out of his mind and hd
since been attempting to escape, in order thai Il
might perform the dreadful experiment which nearly
resulted in my death.