The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-08

that the victim snaIl take bis place upon
q reclining chair and that band OF
copper shall be placed around his temples
and another around his throat, and these
bands shall be attached to sponges sat-
urated with solution of zinc, and that
each band shall be connected with the
different wires that communicate with
the dynamo. Now, ! maintain that it
will take an appalling time to have it
adjusted as it will be necessary to adjust
it. Although have very little SYM
pathy with the criminal, yet you must
admit that the amount of agony which
he will spend in that reclining chair,
with two or three doctors around him
adjusting this cumbersome apparatus,
will equal life time of ordinary torture.
What propose is this: there can be ar
ranged in a room certain metallic orna-
ments or other fixtures that can be
charged with electricity; and the victim
on touching one of these will be killed
instantly and without the torturing OF
long wait during cumbersome adjust
ment. What do you think Of that?''
Every we'll, then" l said. Brown,
you make all the arrangements for the
execution; manage it your own way.
Smith and l will see the young man to-
morrow with the professor, and if there
is absolutely no hope for him, and if he
continues in the state of mind he is to-
day, why, then we will be ready for
him."
At IL o'clock the next morning the
professor was in my room waiting for
his patient. A few minutes after the
hour the young man entered. The mo-
ment he did so the professor recognized
him.
"Ah," he said, "you have returned
from Germany"
eyes," answered the young man, II
have returned. have also been in Eng.
land. ALI the physicians I have seen
agree with you in the diagnosis of the
case"
The professor shook his head and
spoke alphabetically to the young man.
"You seem to know each other" said
I to the professor.
ooh, yes" answered that gentleman.
"Mr. Stevens did me the honor of call
ing on me as soon as he arrived in Paris.
Unfortunately could give him no hope,
but advised him to consult other special
lists, both in Germany and in England"
With this the professor left us.
"Your name is Stevens, then?" said
to the young man.
eyes, and my home is New York.
Have you gone any further with the
matter which proposed yesterday"
"Well, my friend, Mr.. Brown, has that
in charge, and presume he will wish to
see If you still persist in your intention"
"My dear sir, of course / persist; in
fact I look upon myself as dead man.
I expected to have committed suicide be-
fore this time; perhaps last night, prob
ably this morning. All ask isthat there
shall be as little delay as possible, and
that l shall know nothing whatever of
the arrangements"
every good Thea Supposing we say
tomorrow at II at this placer
''Thank you. Now as a token of my
earnestness wish to leave you this check.
Ask Mr.. Brown to see that everything is
done properly, so that there will be no
mistake. Don't spare money. l, in par
ticular, am anxious for complete success
Next morning by II we had all ar
engagements completed. Brown had taken
a room next his own, which was unfur
| nished as far as carpet was concerned
the floor being the usual polished foot
of the Partisan lodging room in the Latin
quarter. Brown had attached the cleo.
trio wires to the gas fixtures which de-
pended from the ceiling in the center of
the room, SO arranged that if man
touched the fixture at any point, or at
tempted to light the gas, he would re-
ceive the strongest shock of electricity
that it was possible for the dynamo
company of Paris to supply.
Mr.. Stevens came up at II o'clock.
We asked him if he would have any OBJ
jections to occupying this room, which
was next to that of Mr.. Browns?
He replied that he was perfectly at
our disposal, and said that he would be
ready to occupy the room by o'clock
that afternoon.
At o'clock Brown turned on the
electricity so that we could watch the
lone tenant of the room as we sat next
to the wall in Browns room through
holes made for that purpose. Brown
kept his hands upon the switch, so that
if any one else entered the room he
would be ready at a moment to turn off
the current. We watched with palpitat-
ing hearts for an hour. Stevens was
reading by the window. AS the evening
grew darker he put down his book and
sat looking out the window for a few
minutes; then he arose, whistling an air.
went to the match safe and struck a
match, which he held in his fingers un-
til it f1ared up, and lighted the room,
then he reached up to turn on the gas.
The next moment he was heap upon
the floor. We rushed in and found him
quite dead. The electrical appliances
were removed and coroner called in.
The verdict was that the young man had
died from stroke of apoplexy.-Luke
Sharp in Detroit Free Press.
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