Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-08-08

er? It is vain to call these cases mere
cases of nerve memory, reflex move
ments, SIC. Do you remember the head
of that sailor which, during q clinical
lecture, one hour and q quarter after
decollation, actually bit in two q pencil
placed between its jaws, by a 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 reveal it
Before eight days more have passed I
shall have learned it and forgotten
it. u. .E.. II q
ut depends, perhaps, upon syou,"
said Velpeau, fixing his eyes upon those
Of his intellocutor, ""whether humanity
will be positively enlightened upon
this subject. And now, to be frank, it
is upon this very matter that I 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. It 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
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 negative result; but
nevertheless, your case affords us one
chance in ten thousand of enightening
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 etface the remembrance of your
failings toward society,""
"Ah !" murmured La Pommerals, sud
denly becoming wan, but with q reso.
Int smile--"ah begin to understand.
It is true that executions have already
revealed the phenomena or digestion,
as Nichelot says. And what sort of ex-
pertinent do you propose to make? Gal
vanic shocks Fluctuations 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-
bic your head will pass from the hands
of the executioner into mime. And then
(for the experience can only be serious
ly conclusive by every reason OF its SIM
plicity then l will call very distinctly
in your ears: "Monsieur County de la
Pommerais. in remembrance of our
compact during life, can you close the
lid of your right eye three
times in succession, keeping
the other openr Ii at that moment,
whatever be the other contraction Of the
fancies, 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 paapebral muscles, zygomatic
nerve, and conjunctive--thus denomi-
mating all the horror, all the surg1ng
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 b7lt that shall be able to record
the fact in such manner that you will
leave behind you the memory of a hero,
rather than that offs criminal.
NJ. de la Pommerais rose up without
a word, paced to and fro for q moment
with very thoughtful air, and finally,
with sad shake of the head, replied:
"The horrible violence of the blow
will destroy my possession. 10 re-
alize such a project seems to me some
thing above all human powers of will to
accomplish. Besides, it is saidthat the
chances of viabiEity are not the same for
all victims 'of the grillotine. Neverthe.
less, sir, come on the morning Of the
execution. Ishall then tell youwhether
l will lend nlyself:as project so fright
full, revolving and Elusive as this is. If
I say no-then I may rely upon you,
doubtless, to let my head bleed all it's
life away in the tin bucket which will
receive it2"
4 X
-Four days later, at half past s o'clock
in the morning, NJ de la Pommerals was
awakened for execution. DR.. Velpau
had come, the company with M. Potter,
the imperial sheriff, NJ. Claude, and NJ.
Bea1qnesne. On seeing the surgeon,
the prisoner EXCHANGED
II have been practiclng, Sect"
And while the writ was being read,
he kept his right eye closed and the left
wide OPEN. - H..
Velpeau howell gratefully, then turn
ing to Hcndreich, who had entered with
his assistants, he exchanged quick
sign with the ,executioner.
The t,ilet was soon over. It was
noticed that the phenomenon of the hair
visibly whitening under tfie scissors did
not take place. La Pommerais refused |
the customary glass of brandy, and the
escort took the way through the corri-
dor. On reaching the gate the prisoner.
meeting his medical colleague upon the
threshold, whispered: "In 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 Of extended !
the great square, surrounded BY double |
line of cavalry: in front only ten PAGES
off, toward the scaffold, surrounded by
a semlcircle of gendarnes whose sabers
We're drawn with d simultaneous clash
as the prisoner appeared. Further be-
hind the trees could be heard the stormy I
murmuring Of the crowd. Swallows;
were flying in tks early morning over
the square The guillotine
seemed to fling to the very horizon the /
shadow ofits two uplifted armas, between
which, very far away, high mp in the
bineness Of dawn. were visible the last |
scintillations OF the last star
The five persons present appeared in