Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-12-29
A TABLE MADE OF HUMAN FLESH.
A Ghastly Piece of Furniture That Drove
One Owner to Suicide.


PHILADELPHIA, December 2S.-A table
the most horrible and ghastly piece OF fur
nNure ever conceived in the mind Of man
will be shown in next years exhibition o
Franklin Institution, if DR.. NJ. 5. Nsrdyz
of this city, is successful in obtaining tn
loan of it from Palazzo Pitt, OF Florence
for that purpose. The table is the work o
Ginseppi Ssgatti, who was several years IL
making it. The material was drawn from
perhaps a hundred human corpses. u
consists Of circular top resting on q ped
estal with four supports representing claws
The face Of the table is about three feet il
diameter. To the animated spectator !
would appear fantastic, but artistic worl
in marble, for it ia. highly polished sne
looks like stone, but when he is tCld it II
hearts, livers, muscles and intestires o.
the human body form the entire compost
ton OF the gruesome object the visitor
shudders, but there is sttraciveness in iti
very ghastliness, which leads him to exam
inc it more closely. The Pitt palace con
taips, without exception, the finest collec'
tions OF painting in Italy, including some
of the best paintings Of Raphael, Michael
Angelo, Corregio. Murrillo and others,
Its art treasures comprise only small pof'
ton OF its riches, but it must be confessed
that nc chamber Of horrors contains any,
thing approaching the Ssgstti table in its
cspscity to make flesh creep. The weird
craftsman is dead these many years. The
table by which he will always be remem
bered was completed half century ago
and after passing through the hands Of
three individual owners, the last of whom
committed suicide over il, it was
secured for the pslszzo. Ssgatti spen,
several years in pertecting q system
of petrifaction, and succeeded in discover,
ing q process whereby the natural animal
reaction in corpse after death could be
changed to mineral action, by first secur;,
log immunity from a decay BY we'll known
enbslmirg process, and afterwards i'm.
mersiBy the body in bath, where ii ab'
sorbed silici psrticles. For the purpose a
O practical illustration Of the methods and
it's results, be set about making the table.
The corpses necessary for the purposes
we're Obtained from one oil tie hospitals.
The intestines we're used in the construc.
ton Of the ornamental pedestal, and hav.
ing been pressed into shape we're petrifed.
The c;aws o; The table were formed from
the hearts, livers, and lungs, which still re-
tain The appearance Of live hesh The
Leaf Of the table was composed
Of the larger muscles OF the
body, arlistically arranged together 10
form the desired effect. The table Was in-
tended to be highly ornamental, and
though nothing was TO be used in It's con,
sruction but parts Of the body the mind
that fret conceived it was not al loss to
find means of ornamentation. A hundred
pair OF eyes or more, and as many pairs OF
ears were petriiied and srtistically arranged
around the edges. The effect was the most
blood curdlipg that could be Imagined.
The process succeeded in preserving the
eye balls in their natural state, go that
after polishing they retain their color, q
general ante-mortem appearance with an
brilliance. This completed the
task of the ssvant. he was proud Of the
result OF his labors. The test Of his pro-
cess Of petrifcation was eminently sue.
eessful. He communicated his method
to the medical world, but natural
ly it never became generally adopt
ed though it was generally under.
stood by surgeons and physicians. There
is q curious story TO this remarkable piece
of furniture Before it was deposited in
the Piazzi Pitt it was in the possession of
o Florentine gentleman named Grascomo
Riccabocca. II was the Central piece Of
furniture in his drawing.room and he de-
lighted TO exhibit it to his friends, at first,
speaking of it only as g grotesque piece OF
handicraft, the work Of mad sculptor,
and subsequently at the hour when grave
Yards yawn," tnrning down the lights TO
add effect TO the recital OF its real history.
One Christmas he had several guests from
a distance Early in the evening they sat
down around the ghsstly table and began
q game of ecsrte. The play was heavy
and it had continued for several hours.
The wax tspers cast q dim light over
the scene and covered the eyes oi
stone, which caught its rays to assume n
phastly glitter. Riccaboccs wss heavy
loses. He waS noticed to be very pale,
often shudderipg and repeatedly wiped his
brow, on which the cold sweat was plainly
visible. He gave less attention to the
cards than any of the others and frequent
" turned his gaze upon two Of the eyes at
the edge Of the table opposite him. At
last he arose and paced the room excited
". But the ornsmentation Of the table
seemed to facinste him and he kept his
looks fixed on it. At last he sat dcsa
and, despite the advice Of bis friends who
could not understand what was the matter
insisted on reaumipg play. Still his eyei
we're fixed on the ghostly rim Of the table
He bet his money recklessly, and
played his cards as carelessly
Change your seat, that one 10 un
lucky" said one Of ihe guests
mo, cannot" wac the reply 10 = plain
tive tone, indicative Of much suffering
Tie guest covered the horrible eyes on the
table with his arms, but Riccsboccs plead
ed for him to uncover them, aud ssgat
taking exclteoIy' IIis iest tehbg Vi 'ue
story, haEo not yet told you. The truth
about this table" he enid, perhaps you
will not believe me. Those parts of tbt
human body which you see and fancy tc
be the fantastic work Of a sculptor are no
natural stoIo. This claw is not Of marble
Il is heart Of woman turned TO stone
Those eyes are not Of glsss, they are yitri
fed eyes of men. Tonight, sitting ssse
those eyes became brilliant with ,h'
light Of .iss sod hxed their gaze OF
me. They burned into my inmost be
ing, but | was so fascinated that J soI't
Dot look swsy. Thei. snssppy ghttl
seems TO rsc- nJ very soul. They vii
Ascot me through eternity. ] cannot stsb:
it. They will drive me mad" he seiZs'
an old dagger from wsere It 6uns on tn
wall. Before any Of his guests could in
terfere to prevent his design he plunged !
in his breast ard fell dying In the arms o
bis friepds. Il escape them at las" YER
his last words. The blood filing up in hi
throat choked further uttefspce. and b.