The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-10-22
A STRANGE REMINIsCENCE.

His room was filed with electrical
apparatus, and ali its adiuncts. I was
often at loss to know how he could
afford so much extIavagant research, as
l knew that his father was 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.
accepted Hoffman's invitation the
first vacation we were together, and
spent a 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-1ive years of age,
with a bold but scornful look and a
treacherous eye. The mother end sis
ter we're more like Hoffman. Still I
noticed that his mother had 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 professed any
religion whatever f.; but, on the contrary,
he would sometimes almost scOff at me
for being a believer. He wanted me to
lend him certain sum to pay for the
making of an electric apparatus of great
size, with which he intended to restore
life. / could not assist him but two
days after our return to Leipsie he
called on me to say that his father
would furnish him with the requisite
amount in a few days.
This was the acme of bliss for him
and Just three weeks after he received
the money from Il father, he called on
me to say that the machine was finished,
aud he would have an opportunity of
using 1t on the following day, as a no.
torlous 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 will
learn to honor me?" The hall at the
| cottage was a fine large square room,
which you entered from a side stair on
| the outside, near the ceiling and on
looking down you would perceive a
| semi,circular area.
Two stairs led down among the seats
| on either side to this area, in which
| stood the electric apparatus, and long
mahSgony table, bound with brass,
! with number of hinges and foldings,
which was capable of swinging around
IN all directions by means OF a ball and
socket joint in its pedestal.
/ On this table was a small box mounted
! in silver, which contained dissectin0
| instruments ; there were also several
basins of water, and a number of
! towels.
Soon after we had taken our seats,
! several elderly gentlemen entered the
arena also, one of them completely COW
cred with his black gown this was the
| demonstration of anatomy, and he it was
! who would today operate upon the
dead body of Scanned, the notorious
! highwayman.
The old church bell had pealed out
! its twelve strokes some time before any
| news reached Us but at fifteen minutes
| to one young man entered hastily,
! whispered something ia the ear of the
doctor who was enveloped 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 sprapg to his
feet to try and get look at the body,
which was placed on the table with its
face downward.
The sheet was at once removed, and l
shuddered as J saw before me all that
was mortal of the highwayman Scam
mel. Hoffman clutched my arm as the
preparations we're being made. Every
fiber in the body seemed to be in q
state of rigid tension, which dis
played the strength and elegance of
his muscular frame TO a great atvan-
tage.
DR.. Bremner, the anatomical lee
/ turer, stepped forward immediately. and
commenced to address the gentlemen
| present He informed them that, very
! fortunately for the experiment about to
/ be made now, the neck of the criminal
! did not seem to have suffered any very
! great perceptible injury. He then ex-
/ planned what he was going to do.
With his scalpel he made missions
upon important nerves in various perts
of the body, and applied the wires ::
and under their influence the limbs
were contracted, the muscles seemed
dubbed up in knots, and the legs
were drawn mp and thrown out with
great force. This elected repeated ep-
plause.
The excitement now was intense.
The wires were applied to different por-
tlons OF the body with the same effect,
and the result was so fearfulIy strange
that many tainted in their seats.
The wires were now applied to the
]
respiration began low at first. then
more natural, and in proportion as the
current was kept Up it became very hur-
ried, and at last gosping.
The wires were now affixed to the
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 up perfectly straight; every
muscle fixed with that terrible appear
ance of a rigid sp7sm. It's neck was
thrust forward the hair seemed to
stand out, each individual one in repu-
lar order. It's eyelids were drawn back,
while the eyeballs, with their dead
glazed pupils, protruded in a hideous
CLASSY stare. The nOstrils were dilated.
as If breathing heavily, and a horrible
greenish foam oozed out of the corner
of the rapidly-working lips.
l could not remove my ewes for a
! moment. Never was l so spell-bound ::
and never did behold such a terrifi.
cally hideous object. NV whole soul
was bound with feeling of unutterable
! horror. It turned suddenly toward
I where Hoffman and myself were sitting.
and cOrvulsively pointed its finger in
thst direction, while every fibre in its
face seemed distorted by a CHASTITY. dia-
bo!lc, ghmmering grin. [ swOoEed.
/ The hail seemed to swim around me
but still my ears seemed pierced by the
most aRoniziug cry I ever heard, and I
I distinctly caught My father ="
could not think at once whence it
! proceeded, but before had time fer
reflection a heavy body fell against me.
| It was poor Hoffman he had sprung
/ up into che air, like a stag when the
/ hunters bullet enters is heart, when
he met that gaze. 1t was his father p
The gentlemen went on with their ex-
/ periments, but with no success.
Hoffman never recovered from the
shock that he received that day, but for
several months he was a raving maniac
( About three days before he died, he
asked for his father, and mother, and
/ sister the mother and sister came, but
they told him his father was i'll. He
fortunately had no recollection of II
until few days before he died, when
all seemed TO come back like the recol-
lection of some horrid dream. His last