The Dickinson press., 1884-08-09
erq It is vain to call these cases mere

cases OF nerve memory, reflex move
ments, &c. Doyou remember the head
of that sailor which, during q clinical
lecture, n hour and a quarter after
decollation, actually bit in two q pencil
placed between its jaws, by movement
which may have been in voluntary? To
select only this one case out of a thous-
and. what remains to be known is wheth.
er it was or was not the Ego of that man
which gave impulse to the muscles OF
the bloodless head. Who can revealit?
Before eight days more have passed 1
shall have learned it and-forgotten
it,"
1T depends, perhaps, upon you,"
said Velpeau, fixing his eyes upon those
of his ~inte1locutor, "whether humanity
will be positively enlightened upon
this subject. And now, to be frank, it
is upon this very matter that | have
come to converse with you. I have
been commissioned to visit you by our
most eminent colleagues of the Faculty
of Paris; here is my passport signed by
the emperor. 1t empowers me even,
in case of necessity, to postpone the
time of your execution. In the name
of that science which is dear to both of
us, and the number of whose magnani-
nous martyrs is now beyond reckoning
1 come to demand of you the greatest
sum Of energy and intrepidity Of which
your being is capable. I am aware that
whatever might be your good will in
the man, everything so far known teach
es us to expect a negative result; but
nevertheless, your case affords us one
chance i'll ten thousand of enlightening
modern physiology. The occasion
ought, therefore, be made the most of.
In the event that you are able after the
execution to exchange with me one tri-
umphant sign of intelligence you will
leave name whose scientific glory will
forever efface the remembrance of your
failings toward society,""
"Ah!" murmured La Pommerals, sud-
denly. becoming wan, but with a reso-
Lutte smile-"ah! I begin to understand.
1t is true that executions have already
revealed the phenomena or digestion,
as Miclelot says. And what sort of ex-
pertinent do you propose to make? Gal
vanic shocks ?-incitations of the cillary?
injections of arterial blood? None of
these will be very conclusive"
mo! but at the moment the knife
falls I shall be there, before you, stand
ing by the machine. AS soon as posi-
BILE your head will pass from the hands
of the executioner into mine. Andthen
(for the experience can only be serious
ly conclusive by every reason of its sim
plicity)-then 1 will call very distinctly
in your ears: Monsieur County de la
Pommerais. in remembrance of our
compacN during life, can you close the
lid of your right eye three
times in succession, keeping
the other open! If at. that moment,
whatever be the other contraction of the
f%ancies, you can give me to understand
by that triple wink that you have heard
and understood me-prov1ng the fact
by the act of perfect memory and the
control you will have to exercise over
your palpebral muscles, zygomatic
nerve, and conjunctive-thus denomi-
mating all the horror, all the surging
of all other new and strange impress
sions Of your being-that fact will suf-
flee to illuminate science and to revo-
lutionize our beliefs. And do not
doubt but that 1 shall be able torecord
the fact in such q manner that you will
leave behind you the memory of a hero,
rather than that of a criminal.
NJ. de la Pommerais rose up without
q word, paced to and fro for q moment
with a very thoughtful air, and finally,
with q sad shake of the head, replied:
"The horrible violence OF the blow
will destroy my self-possession. To re-
alize such q project seem to me some
thing above all human powers of will to
accomplish. Besides, it is said that the
chances of viability are not the same for
all victims of the %guillotine. Ncverthe.
less, sir, come on the morning OF the
execution. Ishall then tell you whether
l will lend myself as a project so fright
full, revolving and Elusive as this is. If
I say no-then 1 may rely upon you,
doubtless, to let my head bleed all its
life away in the tin bucket which will
receive it?"
Four days later, at half past 5 o'clock
in the morning, M. della Pommerals was
awakened for execution. DR.. Velpau
had come, tile company with NJ Potter,
the imperial sheriff, NJ. Claude, and nj.
Beauquesne. On seeing the surgeon,
the prisoner exclaimed
81 have been practiclng, See!"
And while the writ was being read,
he kept his right eye closed and the left
wide open.
Nelpeau bowed gratefully, then turn
ing to Hendreich, who had entered with
his assistants, he exchanged q quick
sign with the eXecutioner.
The toilet was SOOn over IT. WAC
noticed that the phenomenon of the hair
visibly whitening under the scissors did
not take place. La Pommerais refused
the customary glass of brandy, and the
escort took the way through the CORR
dor. On reaching the gate the prisoner,
meeting his medical colleague upon the
threshold, whispered: "In Il little while
we shall see. Good-bye!"
Suddenly the vast iron folding-doors
opened and rolled back before him.
The morning wind entered the prison;
it was already dawn; far off extended
the great square, surrounded by adouble
line of cavalry; in front only ten PAGES
off, toward the scaffold, surrounded by
q semicircle of gendarmes whose sabers
were drawn with a simultaneous clash
as the prisoner appeared. Further be-
hind the trees could be heard the stormy
murmuring of the crowd. Swallows
We're flying in the early morning over
the square . . The guillotine
seemed to fling to the very horizon the
shadow Gifts two uplifted arms, between
which, very far away, high up in the
blueness of dawn. we're visible the last
rehabilitation, &c &l,o Loot ,4,,