The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1877-12-06
DOCTOR DEANE.

The December night was bitter cold,
with a clear sky above, the moon and
stars shining brightly.
Doctor Deane sat before the fire.
He was a young man Of about eight
and twenty years of age, with pleasant
and good looking face of hOrid complex
! ion, and as yet unmarried.
He sat, this freezing winters night,
with his feet resting upon the brace fen
der, a medical book in his hands, and a
pipe dangling from his mouth.
The contents of the book did not seem
to entirely enchain his attention, for
every few moments he would raise his
eyes and glance up at the clock on the
mantel.
The clock struck twelve.
"Midnight," muttered the doctor
aloud. "The men are fully an hour be-
hind their appointed time. What can
delay them?"
The words had scarcely left his lips
when the bell pealed loudly.
Doctor Deane laid down his book upon
the table.
He unlocked and opened the front
door, and beheld two men standing be-
fore him in the clear moonlight, carry
ing between them something long and
heavy, which was concealed in a canvas
bag.
The two men Immediately entered
with their strange burden, and Doctor
Deane followed them into his private
room.
They laid the heavy canvas bag upon
the long table, which stood behind a
green baize curtain, that was hung by
rings on a brass bar running from one
end of the room to another.
Without uttering a word, the men
slowly drew off the great bag covering
and human form half nude was dis
closed to view upon the table.
"The fellow said to the last that
he was the wrong man, sir" exclaimed
one, winking his eye, said and swOre
that he was innocent, He died Ike
man, sir"
A moment later the two body bearers
babe good night to the physician,
and were out in the cold street.
Deane, having bOlted and locked the
door after them, returned to the room,
and having pushed the green baize cur
tain aside to the wall, stood looking at
the form upon the table with his hands
clasped behind him.
The body before him was that Of a
man of perhaps thirty years of ago, well
formed and fine featured face which
even death could not rob of its manly
beauty; but a dull blue circle stained
the skin of the neck, where the moose Of
the hangman had pressed, and tight
ened, and yet the eyes closed and un-
swollen, gave to that dead face the ap-
pearanCe of calm repOse.
A dark murder had been done eight
months before.
For the crime a man had met muir
derer's fate upon the scafOld that same
morning, and there he lay this night in
the room of Doctor Oeane-fOr the Un-
fortunate man had been poor and utterly
friendless in life, and so in death the
body had found its way to where it now
lay.
For a few minutes Deane stood 81
lently looking at the corpse, and then
he turned upon his heel, walked over to
an open chest of drawers, and drew out
his box of instruments.
He took up the candle, set it beside
the box on the dissecting table, and,
rolling up his sleeves, opened the box
and drew forth long, slim and sharp
bladed knife.
With the first gentle touch of the
knife upon the cold body, the young
physician started suddenly back a step
or two, and, dropping the knife upon
the floor, stared at the body before him.
A slight shiver had passed through
the form upon the table, and the eyelids
were trembling even now.
Deane COmprehended the truth.
The man was not dead.
The doctor Immediately set to work
to revive the man whom the world be-
lieved had died upon the scaftOld that
same morning.
His efforts were soon rewarded; for
within twenty minutes a living, breath
ing being sat upright on the long table,
and swallowed the brandy that Deane
held to his lips.
A live mani" said he, in a husky |
voice, as he gazed about him, and then
fixed his eyes upon the doctor. "Ihank |
God, l was not buried alivep
Deane shuddered.
You will not give me up to the cruel
law again? You will not have me taken
back to prison? My God! will you not .
be mercifuI?'
You were found guilty of murder,
George Leighton. You were brought to |
the scattold to-day, and, by a most /.
clumsy mistake, were cut down before
life had entirely left your body. By /
giving you up to the Justice from which ]