Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1880-01-29
DIssseCted Alive,

1
= occasions to complain against eXtraOr,
dinary noises which disturbed them al
night Outcries of agony, so weird and
= penetrating that it was impossible tc
definitely assert whether they were hui
man or animal, filled the air night aftel
night. They commenced regularly al
midnight and lasted till dawn. They
} appeared to proceed from one of two
ancient houses which stood emboWered
in elm trees sacred with age, in an ex-
tensfVe garden surrounded on all sides
with high wall.
These two mansions belonged to two
brothers, bachelors, the last of once
powerful and Opulent race of Nurem-
berg merchants named Linheim.
Paul Linheim, the eldest, was de-
voted Psychologist, an authority on
anatomy, whose printed lectures are
familiar to all who make his science a
study. He was employed as professor
at the surgical school, and as chief sur
geon in the accident ward of the hos
pital. His brother Ernest occupied a
similarly eminent position as a geolo-
gist and naturalist. The Linheims had
sacrificed all temporal prosperity to the
sciences to which they had consecrated
themselves. Out of the colossal fortune
begueathed them by their father, the
old houses and few hundred forms q
year in rents from q couple of tene-
ments alone remained. They inhabited
one of the houses, using the other as n
museum and library. Their habits
were frugal. Their only attendants
were an old man publicly known as
black Jacob, from his having
been permanently discolored by an ex-
plosiOn of chemicals in his masters
laboratory, and a deaf and dumb
crone, his wife.
The authorities, after some hesita-
ton, applied to the Linheims for an
explanation of the mysterious noises
which annoyed their neighbors The
brothers prOfessed entire ignorance of
them. They had never noted and could
not explain their origin. Voluntarily
suggesting search of their houses,
the police instituted what was believed
to be a thorough one. 1t revealed
nothing but the economical household
ways of two poor men careless of their
own comfort, and the lumber collected
by them in their museum. 1t was no.
ticed at the time that Black Jacob made
no effort to conceal his disappToval of
this visitation; but this was ascribed to
his naturally grabbed and perverse ma
ture, and was passed by without sus-
piciOn.
A couple Of days after the police in
VestigatiOn the strange noises were re-
commenced. Then two young students
who inhabited a house in the rear of
the Linheims, determined to probe the
mystery themselves. On the third
night, at little after ten o'clock, they
scaled the high wall and descended in
to the Linheim Garden. The place was
densely overgrown with brush, and it
was only with difficulty that they could
approach the rear of the house. But |
one window was lighted. 1t was that |
of the kitchen, over the ashes of whose
expiring fire the deaf and dumb old |
woman crouched, rocking to and fro,
silent as piece of machinery.
The spies were watching her when
her husband entered the room. He
had case of surgical instruments
which he began to sharpen on whet-
stone. The old woman, by signs,
seemed to expostulate with him. Black
Jacob paid no attention to her for
some time. Then, as if urged to i'm
patience, he stamped his foot angrily.
and said:
Curse you! 1t is we'll you have no
tongue, orI believe you would betray
u.s." The woman, evidently alarmed
by his manner, became silent. He
shortly completed his task and went
out. The spies were celebrating what
to do next, when a noise above them
attracted their attention. A moment
later piercing cry rang out upon the
darkness.
1t proceeded from window directly
overhead, which had been suddenly
lighted up. In line with it, and some
twenty feet away, was towering elm
tree. With the aid of a ramshackle {
ladder the two eavesdrOppers managed
10 reach its lower branches. From !
hem they had an unobstructed view of {
5he window. F' .'.'E,f..f .a" '
1t was double window, and was s
curtained. But time and !
lecay had rendered the muslin almost I
rs diaphanous as gauze. Through it {
he movements of every one in the Y
'oOm could be seen with tolerable dis $
inctness. 9
At first the only figure in the apart /
nent seemed to be that of Black Jacob. '
1e passed and repassed the window, Q
the surgical instruments on I
little table. Finally another wall be- \
anne audible. Then the man appeared D
earring a childish shape in his arms. D
he shape struggled, and emitted cries b
+ mingled fright and pain. Black p
acob held it firmly, extending it on a
9cond table close to the one which n
ore the instruments, where he fast -
ned it with cords, which ran through
oles in the table and were knotted on
le under side. While he was doing T
lis the shadow of a second figure was ~ II.
lrown upon the curtain. e., - u.
An instant later Paul Linheim, with O.
le blouse the students were accus- in
'med to see him wear during his dis A
,ctions in the lecture-rOom, appeared /
9side the table, h;
rfT = F. Al