New Orleans Republican., 1875-10-03
Death and sleep.

A prominent official, or rather man who
| had once been prominent, passed out OF
| this life the other day. The physician who
attended him, in describing to me the pain.
| tul scenes attendant upon his death-bed,
| said: Il have witnessed in the long ex-
| periences OF my life many deaths, but the
| great mystery Of death only grows upon
| me as the years advance" He then went
on to talk of how the average man meets
death. He said that IN the majority of
cases, where men in dying have physicians
| in attendance, they pass out of life without
| being con scious of the great change. They
| are stuptied by marco tics given them 10
| dull pain and die the death of brutes, as
| this physician says, Instead of like men.
| This medical authority has an idea that the
| first moment of death comes like the period
| of dropping off to sleep, the sleeper not
| knowing when it comes. He has often ex-
| perimented with handkerchief t. see If he
| he could ascertain the exact period when he
| would fall asleep. This he would attempt
| to do by lying down with handkerchief in
| his hand, trusting that when the moment
came. the relaxation of his hand in dropping
the handkerchief would tell him the exact
moment when he lost consciousness. But
he always failed in the experiment
In speaking upon this subject of death he
| described most remarkable death-bed
scene which he witnessed upon the out
| skirts of Washington.
The hero of this occasion was poor
| Frenchman who worked as an ostler for II
small innkeeper, who kept house where
| hucksters and countrymen found simple
fare, and low prices to suit them. This
Frenchman lived in very small house near
the inn. He was married, and with the in
come of fifteen dollars a month, he and his
| wife managed to live in what they con-
sidered comfort He had, however, the use
| of small patch of land, the products of
l L. III L L.
| moderate income The time came, after
several years of his humble life. that tho
husband could no more 90 to his work. A
| disease of the kidneys, long neglected.
seized upon him with a savage hold, so that
in few short days death came very near.
The physician that was called was sur
prised to find this poor man possessing a
| culture far above the ordinary. The French
ostler working, for the humble pittance of
| fifteen dollars a month, had in his library
| well-thumbed works of the best French
| writer's. Racine, COrneille, Moliere, Balzac
and Voltaire were the daily companions of
| this humble foreigner.
The physician soon saw that there was no
room tor his art here, that death could not
the sick man. He gave him a potion to
make him sleep, and for the time being left
| him in the care of his young wife, who
nursed her husband as tendelly as if he
were young child and not a full grown
| man.
week or 80 after the first call, the ply
| sician visited the Frenchman's little house
in the evening. 1t was late in the fall, and
the cool nights had caused the wife 60 build
| a cheerful wood fire in the open fireplace of
the main room of the house. The French
mau was found sitting in large easy chair
| in front of the fire. His countenance had
upon it an unusually lively expression. He
l Il ,y,,ll, 1aI tn al,
he chatted with the physician, and even
made her sit upon his lap, although such
an exertion made him tremble life leaf
| After an hours chat upon many matters,
| during which the Frenchman never ap
peared mentally clearer, or more to an ad-
vantage, he suddenly checked the talh by
please help me to the bed"
The ply scan hastened to his aid, and
| gently led the man to the bed. The dying
man placed himself squarely upon it, Look
ing straight before him as he called his wife
| to him.
"Good bye. doctor; shall be off in mo
ment," said he, in strong clear voice, as
| he took his little wife in his arms. poor
little Marie" added he in a cheerful voice.
~ do believe you are crying. You are
young and pretty. You will find some one
| to care for you when your old man is gone"
Here he took his wife's face between his
two trembling hands and kissed her re-
/ peatediy.
Then he murmured "adieu," and quickly
"au recoir," as he gave her final kiss
At once he became rigid, and exclaimed
in loud voice, "Stand back, all! My
father before me at Waterloo died with his
face to the enemy. too will face the great
enemy, DEATH"
! He raised his head boldly and looked
straight ahead, with the buoyant look of a
man who knows not fear, and with this
noble look of courage upon his face he
| passed away.
As o class, the physician thinks that the
people of culture meet death more firmly
than the illiterate ones. Those of higher
minds have invariably canvassed the sub
ject of death, and it never comes to them
with all the terrors that it does to the
people of lower grade of intellect. The
exceptions to this are the cases of brutes
executed for the commission of some crime.
The majority of these die calmly, but it is
tho excitement of the situation and the
presence OF many spectators that keeps
| them Up. 1t Is also Q secret practice in most
penitentfaries to furnish prisoners who are
| to be hung with an inordinate quantity of
stimulants, SO that they are rarely if ever
| in q normal condition when they stand face
to face with death on the scaffoid. Execute
men in secret, without any spectators be-
| yOnd the necessary officials or any sickle
ing details published in the newspapers, and
| executions would have terror for criminals
that would more than double what they
| have now.
Charge battery in daylight and not
man falters. Charge in the blaekness of
night and fully 0ne-half skulk at the first
opportunity. 1t is in this sense of glory in
maintaining semblance of bravery that
keeps up the criminal when he has a crowd
at his feet, and q person at each elbow to
boost him at once into heavenly paradise.
Twas present some years ago at the exc
cution Of Barney Williams, in the District.
He was an illiterate lrishman, who had
committed one of the most atrocious of
possible murders. In his cell, preceding
the moment that he was led out to exeou-
| ton, there was one of the most distressing
Of imaginable scenes His wife was ad-
mitted to say farewell to him. She
was q very strong woman, o regu-
lar amazon. In the transports OF her
grief she seized upon her husband, heavy
man weighing upward of 175 pounds, and
ran all around the cell, crying out in wild,
wailing voice that made ones blood curdle
with sheer dread. II there ever was Q
scene that could have completely unman-
Led 9 man this was the one Of all others.
Yet Barney Williams walked out of this
cell ~ calm and collected as If he were
going 70 . dinner instead of his grave.
never understood this mans nonchalance
until efterwsfd learned that he was filed
up o. the brln With whisky and camph0r,
unel ~ had Lost the realizing sense OF the
eienAtton entirely. He wss too drunk 10
seAk evon, and 90 passed over the border.
ie Would eoo eoo1 question for psyChol0-
gis6n ho9 lea9 u woald take the spirit %
?oeer up whea once 1t was fairly launched