The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-12-01
Seleft gtorp..
AN UNEXPECTED CHANGE OF
.-i .,s.. "SUBJECTS."
BY JUDGE CLARK.

We were all three medical s.udent
Ned Williams, Charley Barker. an.
myself. t .-. .... .,..,...... ,...,
We had reached point in our stud
les at which the possession OF an ana
tomicai ''subject" became an impo
tant desideratum. But how. to ge
one. there was the rub. Very few
people died in Ploddersdale, and a.
those VINO did were mostly patients
of our worthy preceptor, "the Doctor,
upon whom We depended to act a.
Demonstration, and who we .wer,
sure, would never consent to 20. back
in death, on those who had trusted
him in life the difficulties in the way
OF attaining our object seemed well
nigh inshperable. go IN -. -, d.
Butat last an opportunity offered
A man without friends or known rli
atives was to be hanged for murder
BY means of well bestowed fattery,
and the promise of our votes for t.
second term, we succeeded in ingra-
tiating ourselves with the Sheriff; am
finally, after a good deal of pursua
son, induced that official TO promis,
Us the. convict's body at the EARL
est practical moment, after the breati'
should out of. IT; not but we coulG
have secured our prize unyhow--foi
there was Tim. Brady, the Doctors
man, who, for what he would hay.
called u reasonable picdyit,sery con
sidIIeration, stood ready to place hi
national proficiency In the nse of tn.
spade at our disposal any hour of til.
day or night. But with a. view. to
certain contemplated galvanic expert
ments, it was desirable to obtain pos
session oi the subject before rigidity
set in; and that could only BE- don,
through the cooperation OF the sher
if. - r.. E.r
The arrangement made, and oul
honor pledged to keep it secret, we
were, from time to tine, singly ana
together, admitted to visit the prison
er, in whom we soon began to feel Il
sort of proprietary interest. s..... &
The more we saw of him the better
we liked him. A we'll developed.
trim built fellow. in the prime of life
for our purpose, and from our
standpoint. he was perfect. To have
heard us, after each visit ofinspection
reckoning up his points and explain
lug to what advantages he would cM'
up, would have made your unprofess
ional flesh creep. ~
There was nothing indicative of
malignity or viciousness in the con-
demned mans appearance, and yet
the deed whereof lie stood convicted
was one Of the most cold blooded
atrocity. An old man of eccentric
habits and great wealth. by whom he
was employed as a domestic-the two
living alone together was found one
murdered in his bed.
The prisoner was missing, but was
subsequently apprehended with con
sum in his possession, and
visible traceso blood on his garments.
He strenuously denied the iLur'ler but
having stolen the money, his
story being somewhat like this: -
He had been aroused from his
sleep by loud groans, apparently pro-.
from his masters chamber; on
reaching which, after hurrylng on his
he found the latter lying on
the floor welteriDg in his blood. -
He raised the wounded man in his
arms and laid him on the bed, but in
4 few moments life was extinct. AT
most Immediately the thought flashed
npon him that the murder would be-
aid to him, The blood which had
t,,,,,,, kia 0aru1ents and the