The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1890-05-21

own residence, Rue do Venus 90, Batig-
nolles, Monday. Feb. Is, at 40 p. M, pre-
cisely.n
The resurrection Of Chapuzotl
How is this?
Chapuzot was then deadi thought
he had simply gone to Americal
What strange adventure is this?
s'Parbleu, said Imusingly, after o Few
moments reflection. why puzzle my
brain over it, when a few hours patience
will explain the whole NATTER Yes, to-
day is Monday, Feb. 10, 10 o'clock in the
| morning.
sLet us waltz
/ did wait, but very impatiently, and
at $50 in the evening was at 90 Venus
street, Batignolles, in the little court al
the end of which stood the well known
pavilion inhabited by Athanase Chapuzot
for the past ten years.
The door was ajar. l assembled the
winding and creaking stairway which
led to his studio with a rapid stop and
found myself in the presence of five per
sons, One of these approached me and
extended his hand. This was Durocher,
of the studio l recognized DIR. Pnurpar-
dot and the sculptor, Roger Lacost, seat-
cd close together conversing in a sub
dued tone. All three, like myself, were
intimate friends of the artist Chapuzot.
Near the window. stood two persons
erect, motionless, observant. As i
strained my eyes to distinguish their
features Durocher, with a slight cere-
monial gesture, presented us, saying as
he did SO:
'Messrs Stoclsfish--
''Stockfish & Co., Boston, Mass, u.
| s. A."
The Messrs Stockflsh both bowed po-
litely.
did the same.
Gentlemen said DIR. Pourpardot, on
rising from the sofa, 'our number Is
now complete; we will proceed to re-
move the seals"
s'What sealsg' demanded, with the
air of one considerably mystifed.
"a very proper question, said Roger
Lacost, coming forward !. we must not
forget that our friend here knows moth
ing about the matter. 1t belongs to you,
Durocher, in your legal capacity, to ex-
/ plain to him what has thus far trans-
PRED
(which is as follows, replied the no
tary. -Four months ago we wore here,
Pourpardot, .Lacost and myself, guests of
Chapuzot to d social tea. ysaI were IN.
sent from Paris, and consequently could
not be included among the guests. These
two gentlemen, tho Messrs. Stockfsh,
picture dealers of Boston, presented them
selves, ON q matter Of business, as they
were to leave the next morning for
America, and bad nearly concluded q
large transaction with our friend. A
few minutes before their arrival Cha
puzot, who had been present tho evening
before at one of Pourpadot's clinic lsct-
ures, spoke with a lively appreciation Of
the singular cases Of catalepsy he had
seen there The conversation was con-
tinued after the arrival of the two
merchants, and Pourpardot, in proof of
his theory and assertion, referred to the
practice of the fakirs Of India, who per-
united themselves to be inferred while
living and were resuscitated ten or twelve
weeks after.
ssThis statement was received with
general expressions of incredulity. The
Messrs. Stockfish especially refused per-
sistently to put any faith in it, and pro-
inounced the whole thing mere feat Of
sskillful jugg1ery and collision. Where
upon Chapuzot, with whose impetuohs
Temperament you are all familiar, cried
out:
".Do you doubt it, gentlemen9 Well
II will lay wager that can furnish the
proof
"'Howg was the anxious inquiry.
BY repeating here in this wide awake
Paris the wonderful feat of the "Indian
lfahirs.v'
".For what wager
Fifty thousand francs against the
picture which you see herep responded
the artist.
"Ten thousand dollarsi Acceptedr
"sAnd when will tho proof be fur
lnishedY
i" In three months, at your next visit
to Parish
"Now, Pourpardot, Lacost and myself
thought at the time that the whole
thing was sort Of grim joke, mixed up
with some of Chapuzot's bravado.
Gin this we were deceived
"Chapuzot had spoken in all serious
ness. Nothing could move him or in
any way make him recede.from his crazy
purpose.
'sAt the beginning of December, when
the Messrs. Stockfsh had returned to
Paris, our friend Chapuzot was fully
prepared to enter upon thetrying ordeal,
having utilized the preceding three
months in making the necessary prep
arations.
with an unconquerable energy and
admirable patience he had pursued, point
after point, the method adopted by the
fal1irs Of India. In the first place he had
constructed firm alright box or trunk.
This was carefully lined throughout with
carded cotton on which rested finely pre-
pared lamb skins with their wool.
I'm this box he prscticed remaining
shut up, at first for few minutes, then
some hours, then some-days The time
passed in this way, and he employed
himself in meditating on divinity ac-
cording to the inspiration directed In the
sacred books Of the .Hindoo religion.
"Isyery dayfhe also accustomed him
self to remain suspended with his feet in
the air and his head toward the floor,
and curved the point Of his tongue back
ward 80 as to cover the entrance of the
1arynx and interrupt his respiration. As
to nourishme9t, he restricted himself to
the smallest amount Of vegetable diet,
the quantity OF which he reduced from
day to day.
"The 14th Of December last, at 8
o'clock in the evening, we were present
here all five Of us. The last conditions
Of the wager were made known by me
In plain terms and the stipulated en-
gagements of the agreement signed by
both parties. Chapuzot was to remain
two months irclosed in the box, com
pletely deprived Of air, light and nour
fshment.