The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-02-01
FROM DEATH ToIiFE.
REoUoClTATION OF KRlEI,, THE
WIFE.M URDERER.
The Story 81 His WonaeFiul Escape frosu
the Death Penalty, BY Partial atsanaa.
b0etoD-eWo 10 Galvani1ed Back 20
Life, and IL Sent Away into Oh
"a Cas- ecurtty.
f,oa NE Louisville Commercia.

midst. It ID 90 we'll authenticated, and
yet 90 incredible, 90 terrible, and with
such N air Of truth surrounding Il, that
we caunot refrain from giving to the
public what has been rumored vaguely
for some days in portions Of our city.
It u we'll known that the unfortunate
Kriel, Who suffered dea.h-or was sup
posed 10 have done so-last Friday,
vent to bis doom grim, implacable, and
unnaturally drm: It was well known
that his desire TO live was paramount to
every other earthly desire. His bear
ing on the scadold was 80 unuaturally
calm, that those who stood near him
thouxht the man did not realize that
death was % near, but still chung to life
with . terrible tenacity.
When the rope that held the trap was
severed, and the body fell, it Was . sub
ject Of remark that the closed hands and
position of the legs and feet remained
entirely unchanged, showing tremen-
dous exercise Of will and control of
nerve. The neck s0as not broken! neither
was the rOpc drawn 50 closely about the
mans neck that its mark could be dis
tinguished, nor ,oas tie skin chafed a par.
ficle
General Whitaker, who Was present
at the execution by. the request Of tho
prisoner, and who examined the body rs
it hung, declared in the hearing Of those
in the vicinity of the scaffold that pulsa
IRON IN he carotid avteries Of the neck wds
discs,xn6ls after the jail surgeoa and his
as.isfames declared life ezt:ncN No one can
question the Generals Judgment and
discretion, and when he placed his fin
gers on the arteries and declared there
was circulation still discernible, In OPP
position to the opinion Of the medical
practitioners beside him, many felt that
there might be grounds for the appre-
hension that the criminal would seyade
death.
The circumstances favoring this re-
markable story are strong and closely
connected. After hanging some min
utes, KriePs 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black cap was withdrawn, remoined
closed after the slight touch upon them,
and the face assumed an appearances of
mtbility and rest.
The red flushing in the cheeks came
back, to . certain extent, and the dark
coloring 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 . subject Of remark.
No one seemed to have any charge Of
the body, and it was driven away in q
lonely hearse to the vault at the Gene
terry. e,f sr~-a
Now comes the closing scenes in this
strange story.
Near midnight light wagon was
driven rapidly out of Walnut street, in
which were seated three mufi1ed, silent
figures, one of them q surgeon of great
experimental knowledge, Arm believer
in the theory Of reconciliation Of animal
life through the galvaDic process.
In the wagon was mattress and sew.
eral dark blankets. The wagon halted
near the cemetery fence; and the horse
WAS held by the driver, and two men
went TO the vault, carrying between
them large sack well filled. In . short
time they returned, bearing with them q
motiorless figure shroude6 in . blanket.
The figure was placed on the mattrass,
and in silence the wagon IVES driven
hack to the city. The body wss con-
veyed to the surgery of most skillful
and learned surgeon, where some ten or
swelve excited and expectant students
stood snxiously awaiting the arrival Of
the strange part. The body WAS place d
in q recumbent position on the table, the
clothing loosened, the chest extended,
and an incision made in one Of the veins
Of the arm. At first but small drop
of da-k. colored blood came forth, but
repeated incisions and manlpulations OF
the body caused 1t at last to trickle
forth more freely.
The galvanic battery was applied, and
horrible and wonderful to relate, in less
than fifteen minutes the warm blood be-
gan to course through the chilled body,
and ct last the eyes were opened. The
students stood appalled, and could hard
" realize the extent of the demonstra-
ton before them. One of them spoke
to Kriel, asking him, Are you sensible?'
The eyes answered expressively, and
his lips opened Intellectually, for nc
speech came forth. Stimulants were
poured down the throat of the revived
criminal, and in less than one hour afte,
he had been placed in the surgery, Krie
sat up and asked them: what have yot
doneS Am aliye?'
The Consideration and yet the pro-
fessional delight of the spectators wal
loudly expressed. ses
The experiment of o reckless class o
students and an able experiment.lis
had resulted In the resuscitation of ,
man who had been hung a short tim
previous. 7
Steps were Immediately taken to saw
the life Of the wretched man. Jnstic
had been satisfied by the public execu
ton, though life returned. Why shout,
they deliver up what had SO providen
TALLY and wonderfully been restored:
None Of Kriers personal friends wer
notified. Strangers disguised him, fur
nished him with means, and by day
light man. weak and tortering, bu
6rm and immovablc in his demeanol
crossed the river and Was last seen by
xatchfnl. silent friend, who kept nea