The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-10-15
A STRANGE REMINlSCENCE.

SlKANuE hCMANhocHNDH'
NV greatest friend among TIE stu
dents at the Leipsic Medical College
was a strange, erratic genius, named
Hoffman, IL philosophical enthusiast
science mad. -,
His room was filed with electrical
apparatus, and all its adinncts,, L w@s
often at o loss to know how he coulu
afford so much extravagant research, as
knew that his father was broken
down merchant, who lived very plainly
in a small cottage some fifteen miles
from the city, originally porters
lodge to agentleman's seat III the ne'gn-
hood. .,,. no
I accepted Hoffman's invitation the
frat vacation we were together, and
spent part of my holiday at the COZ
tare, where I became acquainted with
his family, consisting OF his la'nef'
mother and only sister. ,,,
The father was a large athletic man
of apparently forty-hve years OF age,
with a bold but scornful look and o
treocherous eve. The mother and SIS.
ter were more like Hoffman. Still l
noticed that his mother had constant
habit of c!asping ber hands as IL IN
prayer, and turning her eyes heaven
ward, This surprised me very much,
90 Hoffman had never protested any
religion whatever but, on the contrary,
be Wonld sometimes almost scoit at me
for being believer. He wanted me to
lend him q certain sum to pay Tor the
making of an electric apparatus OF gteat
size, with which he intended TO restore
life. could not assist hlm; ouC e%o
doys after our return to Lelpsic lie
called on me to say that his father
would furnish him with the requisite
amount in few days.
This was the acme OF bliss Ior hlm
and inst three weeks after he received
the money from h father, he called OF
me to say that the machine was tnlshea
and he would have an opportunity 0
nsino il on the following day, as no
J torions murderer was to be hung, ant
he had made arrangements Tor III
/ body, "Strange, is it not" SAID ne
"that this scoundvel will furnish TN
| means whereby the scientific world WI
. leorn to honor me?" The hall at I'll
| cottage was a fine large square room
which you entered from SIDE s'alf o
the outside, near the ceiling; ana o
looking down you would perceive
semi circular area: 49, oo,,
D Two stairs led down among the seat
I on either side to this area, III whlc
1 stood the electric apparatus, ana ION
n mshOpopy table, bound with DtaS
4 With n n,imber of hinges and foldlng
r which was capable of swinging, aroun III
t in all directions by means OF Dai' I'LL
o socket Joint in its pedestal.
n On this table was q small box monnte
!, in silver, which contained dlssec'ln
q instruments; there were also sever
o basins of water, and number
Il towels. o.
9 Soon after we had taken our seat
it several elderly gentlemen entered u
!, arena also, one of them completely co
II cred with his black gown; this was IL
e demoustrator of anatomy, and he 1t WI
h who would to day operate upon u
/. dead body of Scanned, the notorio'
10 highwayman. u,o,o5 -
to tia twelve strokes some time before al
80 news reached us; but at fifteen minut
1t to one a young man entered has'il
whispered something in the car OF I
doctor who was enveloped in the bla
gown. and everything was excltemel
~ The machine was put in action and
yl ,t talle prepared, and in another MINI
n' several men hurried into the ro
va va hearing body, with sheet thro
I'd loosely over it.
ha a loud murmur was heard throuI
~ ~ ont the hall, and each one sprang TO
or or feet to try and get look at tho DO
~ which was placed N the table Win
ilo face downward.
li99 The sheet was ut once removed, an
.u shnddered as I saw before me all Z
;n' was mortal of tho highwayman Sc'
10 mel. Hoffman clutched my arm as
40 40 nreparations were being made. EV
=, fiber in the body seemed to be L
,oo 90 state of rigid tension, which
w. ,o' played the strength and elegance
..t' his muscular frame to great h''
inn tage. .:,,
DIR. Bremner, the anatomlcat
turer, stepped forward Immediately,
commenced to address the gentler
ureaent He informed them that, '
co fortunately for the experiment abou'
one ,1 he made now, the neck OF the GRIM
nr |re. did not seem to have suffered any
vsr m Great perceptible injury. He then
oel; plained what he was going to 90.
ali. a with his scalpel he made incisl
,lse upon important nerves in various ?
i,no ;m Of Of the body, and applied the VII VII
ih IN and under their influence the III
.nS .n were contracted, the cscles see
the dubbed up in knots, and me
.ha were drawn up and thrown ont
~ ~ oreat force. This elected repeated
be. planse. - nos ;nte
iii N The wires were applied to different
@ia t;ons Of the body with the same Ell
: S,o " and the result was SO fearfuily str
D be that mony iain. now annIied to
an' nhrenic nerve, and almost immeai'
respiration began; low at first,
, at r,ore natural, and in proportion OF
o;ne nnrrsnt or was kept up il became very
-hich ried, and at last sesp.ns. oGvod I,
81 : ore 70 ooryos behind the thigh, and apow
cries current from the huge yoi.alc sia pt.SS rS
nndc. ricd to them. The Iesnl1 WIZ mai .'a, arl
,wars u Tho body turned suddenly ar
,"p,o ,,'iaS All sat up perfectly ssraieht;
Ds,is ,a 81" n,ola Ia fysd With that terrible aP