Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-02-10
Selest 2saaina.
Resuscitati0n of KrieV, the wife MUIR
derer.

1t is well known that the unfortunate
Kriel, who suffered death or was sup
posed to have dCne so-last Friday, in
Louisville, KY, went to his doom, grim,
implacable, and unnaturally firm. The
papers of that city say:
When the rope that held the trap was
severed and the body fell, it was the sub
ject of remark that the closed hands aud
position Of the legs and feet remained en-
tirely unchanged, showing tremendous
exercise of will and control of nerve
The neck was not broken neither was the
rope drawn so closely about the mans
neck that its mark could be distinguished,
nor was the skin chafed particle.
Gen. Whitaker, who was present. at
the execution by request of the prisoner,
and who examined the body as it hung,
declared in the hearing of those in the
vicinity of the scaffold that pulsation in
the carotid arteries of the neck was dis
cernable after the Jail surgeon and his
assistants declared life extinct. No one
can question the Generals judgement aad
discretion, and when he placed bis fingers
on the arteries and declared there was
circulation still discsrnible in opposition
to the opinion of medical practitioners be-
side him, many felt that there might be
grounds for the apprehension that the
criminal would evade death.
The circumstances fayoring this remark
able story are strong and closely connect
ed. After hanging some minutes, Kriels
body was placed in the coffin The limbs
remained flexible; the hands opened with
the least persuasion, and were crossed on
his bosom. The eyes, that Stared half
open when the black cap was Withdrawn,
remained closed after the slight touch up
on them, and the face assumed the appear
ance of mobility and rest.
The red flushing in the cheeks came
back to e certain extent, and the dark col
oring on the neck under the knotted rope
partially disappeared. The short time that
elapsed between his being placed in the
coffin and being driven away was also a
cuhioot of ro,,,,rJ,
No one seemed to have any charge Of
the body, and it twas driven away in
lonely hearse to the vault at the cemetery.
At night the body was carried off by a
reckless class of students and an eager ex-
perimentalist.
The galvanic battery was applied, and
in less than fifteen minutes the warm bio ID
commenced to course through the chilled
body, and at last the eyes were opened
The students stood appalled,. and could
hardly realize the extent of the demon
stration before them One OF them spoke
to Kriel, asking him, ARE you sensible p
The eyes answered expressively, and the
lips opened Intellectually, for no speech
came forth. Stimulants were poured down
the throat Of the revived criminal, and in
less than one hour after he had been pla-
ced in the surgery, Kriel sal up and ask
ed them, what have you doneY Am /
alive 2
The CONSERVATION and yet the profess.
sional delight of the spectators was loud
ly expressed.
The experiment of a reckless class of
students and an able experimentalist had
resulted in the resuscitation of man who
had been hung short time previous -
Steps were Immediately taken to save the
life Of the wretched man. Justice had
been satisfied by the. public execution,
though life returned. Why should they