The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1870-12-14
ricd into The room, bearing body. with
q sheet thrown loosely over it.

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ricd into The room, bearing body. with
sheet thrown loosely over it.
I A loud murmur was heard throughout
the hall, and each one spraug to his feet
to try and get look at the body, which
was placed on the table With its face down.
wards.
The sheet was at once removed, and I
shuddered as I saw before me all that was
mortal Of the highwaymap, Scanned. Hof-
man cluschcd my arm as the preparations
were being made, Every fiber in his body
seemed to be in a state of rigid tension,
which displayed the strength and elegance
of his muscular frame to great adyan-
tage. ia aal. .7.:e
DR.. Bremner, the anatomical lecturer,
stepped forward Immediately, and COM
menced to address the gentlemen present.
He informed them that, very fortunately
for the experiment to be made now, the
neck of the criminal did not seem to have
suffered my very perceptible injury. He
then explained what he was going to do.
With bis scalpel he made incisions upon
important nerves in various parts of the
body. and applied the wires; and under
the influence the limbs were contracted,
the muscles seemed clubbed up in knots,
and the legs were drawn up and thrown
out with great force. This elected Fe-
peated applause.
The excitement now was intense. The
wires were applied to different portions of
the body with the same effect, and the re-
suit was SO fearfully strange that many
tainted in their seats.
The wires were now applied to the
phrenic nerve, and almost Immediately
respiration began i low at first, then moro
natural, and in proportion as the current
was kept up, it became more hurried, and
at last gasping.
The wires were now affixed to the nerves
behind the thigh, and powerful current
from the huge voltaic pile carried to them.
The result was fearful.
The body turned suddenly around and
sat up perfactly straight, every muscle
fixed with that terrible appearance of
rigid spasm. Its neck was thrust forward;
the hair seemed to stand out, each indi-
vidual one hair seemed to stand out in
regular order. Its eyelids were drawn
back, while the eyeballs, with their dead. z
glazed pupils, protruded in hideous glas-
sy stare. The uostrils were dilated, as if
breathing heavily, aud horrible greenish
foam oozed out Of the corners of rapidly
working lips.
could not remove my eyes from i! for
moment. Never was 1 so spell-bound.
and never did behold such terriically
hideous object. My whole soul was bound
with feeling Of uuutterable horror. It
turned suddenly toward where Hoffman
and myself were sitting, and convulsively
pointed its finger in that direction, while
every fiber in its face seemed distorted by
ghastly, diabolic, gibbering grin. 1
swooned. The hall seemed to swim around
me; but still my ears seemed pierced by
the mos, asouizing cry I ever heard, and
distinctly caught, "My father"
| l could DO. think at once whence it pro-
ccedcd; but before l had any time for re-
acction, aheavy body fell against me. It
was poor Hoffman; he had sprung pinto
the. air, like stag when the hunters bull
lot entered its heart, when he met that
grze. 1t was his father ''.a'
The gentlemen went on with their ex-
periments, bnt with no success.
Hoffman never recovered from the shock
he received that day, but for severalmonths
he was raving maniac. About three
days before he died he asked for his father
and mother and sister; the mother and sis
ter came, but they told him his father was
i'll. He fortunately had no recollection of
! it until few days before he died when all
: seemed to come back like the recolle ction
Of some horrid dream. His last words to
me were, "My dear friend, there is an
avenging God, instead Of a system of ma
ture."
1 made inquiries. and discovered that
his father was notorious bigbwayman,
and, moreover, the robbery and murder
for which he was sentenced were the crimes
which enabled him to furnish his son the
necessary means to complete his electric
apparatus.