The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-10-16
A STRANGE "REMINISCENCES.

was 8 strange, cratic genius, named
Hoffman, a philosophical enthusiast,
His room was filed with electrical
apparatus, and all its adjuncts. / was
often at q loss to know how he could
afford so much extravagant research, as
knew that his father was a broken
down merchant, who lived very plainly
in a small cottage some fifteen miles
from the city, originally a porter's
lodge to gentleman's seat in the neigh
hood.
I accepted Hoffman's invitation the
first vacation we were together, and
spent part of my holiday at the cot
tage, where 1 became acquainted with
his family, consisting of his father,
mother and only sister
The father was a large athletic man
OF apparently forty-fve years Of age,
with q bold but scornful look and q
treacherous eye. The mother and Sis
ter were more like Hoffman. Still I
noticed that his mother had a constant
habit of clasping her hands as if In
prayer, and turning her eyes heaven
ward. This surprised me very much,
as Hoffman had never protested any
religion whatever but, on the contrary,
he would sometimes almost scof at me
for being q believer. He wanted me to
lend him a certain sum to pay for the
making of an electric apparatus of great
size, with which he intended to restore
life. I could not assist him but two
days after our return to Leipsic he
called on me to say that his father
would furnish him with the requisite
amount in few days.
This was the acme of bliss for him
and Just three weeks after he received
the money from his father, he called on
me to say that the machine was finished
and he would have an opportunity Of
using it on the following day, as a no
torious murderer was to be hung, and
he had made arrangements for his
body. Strange, is it not, said he,
"that this scoundrel will furnish the
means whereby the scientific world viii
learn to honor me ?" The hall at the
cottage was a fine large square room
which you entered from side stair OF
the outside, near the ceiling and OF
looking down you would perceive {
semi circular area.
Two stairs led down among the seats
on either side to this area, in which
stood the electric apparatus, and long
mahogany table, bound with brass
with q number of hinges and foldings
which was capable of swinging around
in all directions by means OF ball anC
socket joint in its pedestal.
On this table was small box mounted
in silver, which contained dissectins
| instruments there were also severa
| basins of water, and q number o.
towels.
! Soon after we had taken our seats
| several elderly gentlemen entered the
arena also, one of them completely GOV
cred with his black gown this was the
! demoustrator of anatomy, and he it wa:
| who would to-day operate upon the
dead body Of Scanned, the notorious
highwayman.
The old church bell had pealed out
it's twelve strokes some time before any
news reached us but at fifteen minutes
to one young man entered hastily,
whispered something in the ear of the
doctor who was enveIoped In the black
gown, and everything was excitement
The machine was put in action and the
table prepared, and in another minute
several men hurried into the room
bearing a body, with a sheet thrown
loosely over it.
A loud murmur was heard through.
out the hall, and each one sprang to his
AoS1 W Try anu SOb u lOOA d1 VIC DOuyi
which was placed on the table with It's
face downward.
The sheet was at once removed, and
shuddered as saw before me all that
was mortal of the highwayman Scam.
mel. Hoffman clutched my arm as the
preparations were being made. Every
fiber in the body seemed to be in 6
state of rigid tension, which dis
played the strength and elegance o.
his muscular frame to q great advan
tage.
DIR. Bremner, the anatomical lee
turer, stepped forward Immediately, and
| commenced to address the gentlemen
| present He informed them that, yer,
! fortunately for the experiment about t.
| be made now, the neck of the crimina
! did not seem to have suffered any yer,
! great perceptible injury. He then ex
! planned what he was going to do.
With his scalpel he made incision
| upon important nerves in various part
of the body, and applied the wires
| and under their influence the limb
were contracted, the muscles scenes
dubbed up in knots, and the leg
were drawn up and thrown out wit
great force. This elected repeated ap
plause.
4A4O CACkbOAAAOAb AOn WAo 4AtCAoS
The wires were applied to different POI
tions of the body with the same effect
and the result was so fearfully strang
that many tainted in their seats.
The wires were now applied to tn
phrenic nerve, and almost immediatel
respiration began: low at first, the
more natural, and In proportion. as tn
current was kept up it became very hun
| ried, and at last gasping.
The wires were now affixed to tn
nerves behind the thigh, and powerful
current from the huge voltaic pile car
ried to them. The result was fearful.
The body turned suddenly around
and sat mp perfectly straight ever
muscle fixed with that terrible appear
ance of a rigid spasm. It's neck wa
thrust forward the hair seemed +
stand out, each individual one in regu
lar order. It's eyelids were drawn back
while the eyeballs, with their dead
glazed pupils, Gprotruded in a hideou
CLASSY stare. The nOstrils were dilated
as if breathing heavily, and a horribI
! greenish foam oozed out of the corne
of the pidly-working lips.
I could not remove my eyes for
moment. Never was I so spell bound
/ and never did I behold such a terrif
cally hideous object. My whole sou
was bound with feeling Of unutterabl
horror. It turned suddenly towar,
where Hoffman and myself were sitting
and corvulsively pointed its finger i
thst direction, while every fibre in it
face seemed distorted by q CHASTITY, dia
bolic, giimmering grin. I swoOned
The hall seemed to swim around me
but still my ears seemed pierced by tn
most agonizing cry ever heard, and
distinctly caught 60 My father I"
conld not think at once whence