St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-15

he had just scuff1ed into the grave, "He
wasn't bad sort, SIR"
(. 1t was the poor clowns epitaDh.
SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT.
New York Mercury.
| If the prisoner felt any qualms of fear
he failed to show it.
| There was that same look OF stole
like doggedness he had worn during all
these years of Imprisonment. Pale he
certainly was, not with the palIOr of
fear, but rather that grayness which is
| brought by the intense strain of body
and muscle upon the inventors face
when he is about to take some stu
pendous leap forward upon the path
way of mighty progression.
The mans arms were pinioned over
his broad breast; his feet, attached
ankle to ankle but few inches apart,
| shuffied awkwardly across the stone
floor as one of the keepers of the prison
| hurried him toward the chair raised
upon slight platform in the center of
the room.
Through the window. through whose
narrow confines struggled faint flicker
| of morning light, came the low, sweet
| thrill of the bObolink. Then, and for
! the first time, came a deep sigh from
the mans breast. The breeze stirred
the leaves and he opened his
mouth in one long gasp to drink in the
sweetness waited through the little
window.
II am readyw
| He was led to the chair. He seated
! himself upon it. was tilted back and a
metal cap was placed upon his head,
while both feet were put upon foot
rest and strange shoes put upon his feet.
There was the stiffness of death after
| that only broken by the footstep s of a
| slightly built man who entered the
| room.
A silken bandage was placed over the
eyes of the man in the chair. One quick
, glance he gave up into the eye of the
! man standing over him. Then he
| sighed. relaxed his muscles, and drew a
long breath.
The slightly-built man hurriedly, but
carefully, fastened copper wire to the
crown of the cap, another one to the
plate which held both shoes together.
The medical men drew near. The sun
WtuG q CIOuu, OOOOlihh
| upon his swinging perch in the meadow
| ceased his lay. The slightly-built man
tou ched the copper wire, at the same
| time wiped his forehead with his hand
kerchief as he glanced toward glazed
door with small transparent patch of
| clear glass.
"He is dead!' said he, as he quickly
moved away and left the room.
The bandage was removed, the meta
cap lifted, the strange shoes taken off
and the man carried from the chair.
The matter had been settled. science
had been proven and the new method
of execution was a success, or so at
least was the verdict of the medical
gentlemen who had the case in charge.
There was one less life prisoner to
lie down upon his cot that night.
Strange!
No Judge had ever sentenced him to
death. His had been the sentence of
Imprisonment for life at hard labor.
True. he killed a fellow man long ago;
however, there were some facts brought
| forward at the trial which saved his
neck from the rope.
Ten years of his life he had passed
behind prison bars, and now-now he
died for the sake of science.
He offered himself as subject for
experiment. If electricity must be used
what power was necessary to kill?
Animals had been killed, but a man!
Well "a scientific man offered to operate
upon human subject IL one could De
found.
One was found!
Science was satisfied and the new
method of sending human being be-
fore his Maker was successful.
The gentlemen rubbed their hands
and congratulated one another, while
the inanimate subject was conveyed
away from the prison.
In small hut-llke structure situated
in dense forest some few miles from
the prison, stood man.
1t was the sligh-tbuiIt man of the
death-room scene. His eyes were bright
and he gnawed his long red must ache
| as he nervously clencht d his hadds,
"Why do they delay? Delay is dam
gerous now," came from his lips. "Ah!
| Thank God! They are coming" he
| added, as the SOUND Of rapidly ap-
preaching wheels fell upon his ears.
The vehicle stopped and the coffin was
taken down and carried into the hut.
Quick. out with him! Here, place
| him in the trenchG" cried the little
man. new almost frenzied with excite
| ment.
The body was placed in the shallow
trench dug in the earthen floor. While
the others stood around spellbound, the
| little man packed the damp dirt about
| the neck and the naked feet of his SUBJ
| ject.
"My God if it should fail. No! MOI!
he comes! he comes!! The lips culver.
Quick! the brandy!'' Snatching the
| bottle he pressed it to the lips crush
| ing them against the white teeth. and
shouting aloud: 'sHe's savedw as a
drop of blood rolled down the chin.
A shiver passed over the form lying
| in the trench. and then groan of pain
| followed as the broad breast heayed con-
| vulSively.
| After that the subject was carefully
| lifted from trench and laid upon metal
cot whose copper legs stood upon the
earthern floor. He must have suffered
the pangs of the damned, for he bit his
| lips through and through while the
| powerful current was gradually drawn
from his body. Deep wrinkles formed.
about his mouth, and cheeks and tenn
| piles grew scanned there before the eyes
of his watchers as he slowly came back
from the brink of the land of death.
His muscles grew hard as steel, then
weak and soft as child's as he came
through the valley of poignant pain.
Like a victim placed upon the wheel
and spikes of the inqulsition, he
writned and tossed and-then he slept.
"Brotherp'
Here, Harry, ever here! l saved
you"