The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-05-12
AN EMPERoR's LOST HEART.
A Gha.,Iy story About Napele.. the Great.

At Piogastel in Britanny, there is living an
English physician named Thomas Cartwell, aged
eighty-twO years, who tells travellers q strange
story, in which he says he figured principal
actor.
On the 9Th of May, ISL, Napoleon the Great
died at Longwood, st. Helena, after causing Sir
Hudson Lowe 50 much unhappiness that he went
crazy, and returning to England lost all his for
tune in cxtravagant speculatiOns in stocks. The
Emperors last companions, Bertrand, Montho-
Ion, Gonrgaud; and Les Cases, Immediately made
a demand for physician, expert in the science
of embalining. Sir Hudson Lowe, who slirnnk
from no expense, sent n physician, All Italian
named AntOmarchi, who had attended the En-
peror when he was troubled with stye on the
eye. The Doctor hastened to his work, but
tain instruments were needed. He required at
least two assistants, etc Sir Hudson Lowe made
haste to supply all his demands. He sent boat
To an English frigate at anchor in the ofiing,
with request for two naval surgeons, supplied
with everything required for the embalming
process.
One of the two persons sent was q youth of
twenty years, well educated and full of ambition,
and he was received the island rs Assistant
Surgeon Thomas Cartwell. He and his eOmrade
hastened to assist DIR. Antomarchi. About 4
o'clock in the afternoon of May the work was
begun. The corpse of Napoleon /. lifted
from the little he'd where he had died and placed
on a long marble topped table, which was still
intact when, in lsIs, Napoleon ILL., bought with
government funds the small house in which had
public believe 10 have been his uncle. The pro-
cess of embalming was not finished when night
came and interrupted il. Antomarchi and his
assistants agreed that the completion of it must
he postponed until the next morning. They de-
termined 10 20 TO bed, and resume work at day
break. First they covered the Emperor's body
with white cloth, which they sprinkled and
saturated with certain liquids to prevent putre-
faction. The various internal organs that had
been removed were placed in metal cups on the
n rat rnla han
their rooms and slept profoundly.
They had hardly been asleep an hour when
Marchand, the valet Of the dead Emperor, knock
ed at Cartwelrs door, calling ont: "COme down,
sir, qnicki great misfortune has Just hap
pened." ''What is it ~ said the young surgeon,
appearing in his uniform. ''Oh, sir, the En-
perors heart has been eaten up with rats" 1t
was true. The island infested with rats.
They were as thick as the English. While Mar
chand was ont of the room some rats had rushed
in, and, finding the heart of the conqueror of
Austerlitz in a basn had made but mouthful
of it. The valet, on returning to the room, saw
them scamper away, and all he could do was to
announce the irreparable loss.
What was now to he nones The physicians
met and consulted. II was impossible to con-
ceal the absence of the organ that had been
eaten up, the operation of embalming having
been begun before witnesses who had seen il.
To confess the accident was to expose Marchand
to severe rebuke, and the poor fellow was al
ready wretched enough A happy thought
occurred to Cartwell. 'If we could only get
Sleeps heart, I" he suggested to Antomarchi, with
excessive caution. All the four persons looked
at one another nervously, hesitated, and then
began to laugh together like four Roman augurs.
They understood one another. Marchand ran to
a neighborinG farm, killed sheep, and brought
back its heart still warm and palpitating.
On the next day, the 18th of May, Antomarchi
and his assistants, in the presence of General
Bertrand and VI. de Montholon, finished the en-
balming of the Emperor, without any person
among his snit in the least suspecting the extra
ordinary performance the night before. IL
the story is true, and if the old retired English
ex-surgeOn Of Piogastel is not joker, the heart
Of the sheep of st. Helena has been resting for
thirty three years under the dome Of the Inva-
lides.-Philadclphd Bulletin.