River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-01-31


stairs.
! A door opened; it was the chamber
,alled The Pistol Shot. Like all the
other rooms in the house. this was
light and elegantly furnished in mod
egn style. As in all the others, too. its
principal ornament was a handsome
coffin in carved ebony; the cover was
placed crosswise on the box, as though
awaiting its occupant. There were
severa. divans and rcclining-chairs
about the room; the bed was in rose
wood
Every thing is conducted here with
the most perfect discretion. said the
guide: "a system of electrical currents.
moved by the report. divides in two.
leugthwise, whatever piece OF furni-
ture the guest has chosen to commit
suicide on; long basket receives the
body before it has had time to stain
l the furniture or the floor with a single
spot. Kindly observe that the walls
are upholstered with a thickness of
four mattresses, 50 that it is impOssi-
Die for any one on the other side Of the
partition 20 hear the faintest sound,
| however powerful the firearm used.
even though it were a small Krupp
cannon, such as you see there in the
corner Guests have all the time they
/ wish; we never hurry them. Each
room l. provided with library album
/ dainty furnished with the most melan-
/ choly works. Schopenhauer has been
/ translated for US into all the languages
OF the old and new worlds. Those ten
shelves are full of novels that end bad
ly. Upon the eleventh. preachers of
various religions sound the praises of
death. Some serious philosophers and
fe,, poets. Lucretius and Leopard,
occupy the twelfth shelf. As for the
cOnveniences of life (before departing),
they leave nothing to be desired. A
telephone in each chamber cOmm uni
Gates with the Office. Orders for meals
or whatever else is wanted are execut-
ed with the utmost promptness by
faceless autOmatons; we keep whole
company of them here. This delicate
attention on Mr.. Utterex's part is gen
orally very highly appreciated. for
people who are 80 Disguised with life
that they are ready to commit suicide
wish to see the human face no more.
Finally, will you kindly examine the
racks2 there you will find either ter
rible. elegant. or brutal instruments OF
sudden death.
The visitor took down a pistol nd
examined it.
One by one the stranger saw all the
phjlanthropic ideas imagined by Mr.
Richard Utterex. In the Asphyxia
Chamber, after having explained the
perfect distractions that prevent air
from entering when once the door is
closed, the clerk proposed to the Wis
itOr a brief experience, so that he
might Judge for himself Of its efficiency.
This offer. which is rarely accepted.
was declined, as charcoal and laugh
ing-gas have but little attraction as a
last resort. Tuberoses tempt more,
most of the suicide neOphytes being
afflicted with sentimentalism. Large
masses of fresh flowers were every
where about the chamber, harmOnizing
with the designs of the carpet and the
hangings.
IF you would like a special essence
you can have it, for we cultivate all
kinds of plants in the large cOnserva-
tory adjoining the hotel"
mo; it is very complete as it IS"
And the inspection was resumed.
The stranger stopped with some Gu
riosity on the third floor. at "A landing
where there We're three doors. each one
bearing sign: For Science"
The guide pretended TO pass by. al
the same time watching the astonished
young man out of the corner of his eye.
''Well2' queried the stranger
Those rooms are occupied. and they
are often taken. / must say, to the
credit Of humanity"
How SOP What takes place within?"
MIR Utternx here offers an OppOr-
tunity Of rendering by ones death a
great service 10 human kind. Here in
the Experimental Chamber magnani-
nous individuals, who care nothing
about their lives. experiment on sub
stances. to prove to science whether
they are harmless or tOxical; others sub
nit themselves to surgical operations
and successive mutilatiOns that give
the exact measurement of human SEN
sibility. Some days ago young Rus
sian had a quarter of his eraniu m
sawed of; he survived exactly tire e
hours and fifty minutes. The house
doctor. Mr.. ONeil, was wild with JOY.
What a splendid experiment he
cried.
The stranger tried to share Mr..
O'NeiI's enthusiasm, but his teeth chat
tered.
The Chamber of Lost Diseases is
also very popular continued the
clerk, pointing to the door; IF you
apply your nOstrils to the wall you will
notice that it IS isolated by perpetual
interior Ith of phenol. We have the
finest collection OF virus that there is
in the world. At the present moment
a leprosy patient Is IN ertremjs behind
this wall.
The young man started back in hOr-
ror, but he quickly recovered himself
and followed his guide up few steps.
The Stake Chamber-the death of
Hercules, The walls and the ceiling
are in precious paste and are tire-proOf.
The quartering ALI you have to do is
TO place your ankles and wrists in
these collars. held to the walls by cleo
trio bands; this stool. upon which the
person sits. rests upon a button. the
pressure on which starts four equal
and contrary currents. Submitted to
the action OF forces rigOrCI=ly sym
metrical. the limbs are at once torn
apart. The Decapitation Cham
her,
The visitor remained stupefied at the
sight Of a marvellous guillOtine in cedar
wood. with a keen and cleaning knife.
The guide. with the half-smiling man
ner that he would use To beg you to
excuse the trick OF child, opened a
wardrobe.
I'VE reserve here, for the use of
imaginative persons. the costume OF
o,sfS XVI Resides fb, blade