The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-08-23


Sd hSt not 10 DO overheard by Others.
STi wSs nonsense, but very rational,
, prudent wiHh. | wish so myself anu
what Is more he said, u have the means
10 carry out both our wishes"
I laughed upeasllE "fou are Joking"
~ never Joke. Until now" he went on
"lbe great lettering influence which has
restrsincd those wise men, who sec the
emptiness OF lile-Who, measuring their
feeble capacities for enjoyment with their
unlimited capabilities for suffering, would
gladly resign Q possession which has no
advantage for them-the great delerTing
influence has been, the doubt whether
death be really q complete aevertng o. the
body and Tie soul; whether, indeed, there
Is not lingering capsbiliiy OF feeling still
hanging To- the relaxed nerves, lingering
CONSEQUENCES In the decaying brain; that,
in addition 10 the bitterneSs'0f death, one
may taste, also, the gloom Of the grave,
the horrors Of the charnel .houSe."
GOOD heavens II l cried. "What o
horrible idea i" BE fascinated me, this
man. would glAdly have risen and gone
away; but he stopped me with bis eyes.
Listen" he said. . -haNe overcome
this impairment; l have opened the gates
Of Death to all mankind. To you, my
young schooLfelloW, l will reveal the
secret; lest, tempted some day 70 Cross
the boundary, I should die, and leave
mankind as Wretched as ever. You see
this powdered herb; 1t Is like mint, Is It
not! The smell, the taste, everything ID
like mint-yOu would not know them
apart; and yet In small quantity Of this
powder lies release from all the mtseries
Of lie. Don't shrink back; 1t 10 innocu-
Gus in small doses, produces merely q
pleasing lAnguor but In suoh A quantity.
as a teaspoOnful 1t produces lethSrgy;
twice tho quantity brings on syneope;
thrice, inevitable DEATH. ! have often
Ventured as far as the second stage, but
have always stopped short Of the third
But have brought back thus much as
surance from the world OF shadows; con.
sCiousnesS ceases altogether atthe second
stage. There are no dreams in the sleep
Of death.
1.-THE preliminary stage Of lethsrgy Is
delightful often indulge in It; but !
have had doubt sometimes whether !
might not possess an exceptional physi-
cal organization; whether the herb would
produce exactly the same effect on Others.
l determined TO try the, experiment on g
large scale. came here tonight to do
1t. l have noticed that each frequenter
Of these rooms, on pea.soup nights, which
are frequent, takes one plate Of soup, 10
which no adds one spoonful Of mint
We'll I ruaiohnd Ynv OnnOrfunitu rama
here as soon as the room was opened;
and, while the walters back was turned,
l empied the contents OF the plate Of
mint into my pocket, and filled the plate
with my own powder. The experiment
was bold one. l Knight have caused the
death oil innocent persons; the interest Of
science overpower considerations Of hu-
manity. The experiment has complete.
ly succeeded. Each habltue Of these
rooms has swallowed his plate Of soup,
his spoonful Of preciouGhefb; each has
gone. through the stage Of lethargy.
There are some now, you observe, pass
ing through thatstage. i
l threw an agonized glance around
Yes, sure enough, there WeretW0 or three
men lying back in state OF complete
lethargY.
"And," he went on, II can see the
symptoms Of the approaching lethaEgy
upon you-the dIlated pupil Of the eye,
tho expression Of anxiety In the lace.
Yes, all Is perfect; the symptoms are"
But" gasped, n HAVE TAKEN THREE
sPOoNsFUL"
martyr Of science /" be cried, springing
up and clasping me by the hand, chow
carefully, how painfully l will watch
every symptom Of your declining vitality
Dear friend, your case will be an era In
the history of humanity. Like Curtiusr
you have leaped into tho chasm for the
public wealT' Il
"But isn't there an antidOte" gssped
IA remedyP"
"There Is none; and were there, you
would not 90 back from the noble path !
NY dear friend, initiate the example oil
the ancient Roman; quietude and seren'
ily In your last hours Is indispensable for
the proper noting Of your phenomena"
"But I won't der l shouted, getting
up. My limbs trembled beneath me;
felt tue very chills Of death upon me. ~
won't, won't p Here | screamed, "Send
for doCtOr-iOr policemen. Quick
quick! I'm poisoned !"
All the leihsrgic men jumped to their
feet, the walters came running in, the pro- |
prietor appeared pale and wondering.
"rm poisoned |" l shouted; poisoned in
the mint Send for doctor, you fools
do you hear !"
Mad n said quiet voice; mad as
halter. Poor fellow he's subject to those |
fits. He'll fall down directly look out
Tor him - .tr'.
"But am not going to have the char
acter Of my house taken away by omad
freak. What do you mean sir, by attack
ing the quality OF my vlctusls, slrH"
at was he" / shouted, pointing TO my |
friend, "whO now seeks TO screen himself
by calling me mad. But, good heavens
will you sec fellow creature perish, per.
ISL, PERISH 7"
"Therc, don't aggravate him" said my
friend. Put him into cab and send
him to police station; he's sure 10 have
been advertised for"
was dragged and hustled from the
room, and hurled into cab. Two or
three policemen had como up, and one
took charge Of me inside, whilst another
mounted the box. Twas quiet now, over
come by my struggles, and lay exhausted
in the corner oil the cab, waiting the In
sidious advances Of the deadly narcotic,
Presently tho cab stopped. We've
got that chap they advertised for" cried
the man outside, to q policeman who was
lounglng at the door Of the police station.
1.-THE duc0 you hsver said the in
spector, coming up. "Then you've done
a good Job tonight. There's fifty pounds
offered now. Take him right of to the
asylum OF once. Let's have alook at him,
though. Why this amt the man at ali;
this amt Mcdhurst Low, you ought to