The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-20
TALK OF A SEVERED HEAD.
CASTOR Gavarni Relates q Strange
Story Of Hypnotism and
the Guillotine
Tho Agony in the Last Thoughts
of an Executed Grim
inal.
How the Belgian Painter. wisrt1 Read
the sensations OF the Brain Al
ter Decapltation.

An experiment is still lacking for the
olory of hypnotism; no one has taken a no
ton up to this time to suggest to a man
that he is enillotined and to %scrupulously
note his Impressions during the execution.
F., People are asking themselves why the
school of Nancy has not yet conceived the
idea of trying this experiment; it would find
q f~orerunner in this field in the person of
the celebrated Belgian painter, Wiertz, the
memory of whom Brussels has piously pre-
served in its Musee Wiertz. Thus writes
CASTOR Gavarni in the San Francisco Call.
Tho sinister experiment of the Belgian
painter has been related with several varla-
lions. NJ. Larelez gives a version OF it in
the biography of Wisrtz, and Il collabora-
teur of the Russian journal, the Novosti,
has Just published another, the essential
part of which is as follows:
Wiertz was not an adept in the occult
sciences. He was moved by a generous
feeling, not by a vague curiosity. The
question of the legitimacy of the penalty of
death preo cupied him and he was painfully
haunted by the desire to penetrate the mys-
teries OF the punishment of the euillotine.
Was it true that the execution lasted but
du ll6t6AGS IA AN sAo ~
son think, what did he feel, at the moment
when the fatal knife fell upon his neck?
These questions beset the painters mind.
Wiertz was intimately associated with the
physician Of the prison of Brussels, Mon
sieur M and DIR. D., who occupied
himself with h~ypnotism thirty years ago.
The latter had often put the painter to
sleep and found in him a marvellous SUBJ
jeot.
With the consent of the prison physician,
NJ. Wiertz obtained the favor OF beng per-
mitted to conceal himself, with his friend,
DR.. D., under the guillotine at the place
where the head os the executed man would
roll into the basket. Wiertz trained HIM
self in the following fashion that he might
letter fill his role: Some days before the
execution he caused himself to be repeat,
eddy put to sleep by Dr.. -, who suggested
persons, to read their thoughts. to pene-
trate into their souls and conscience in or
der to experience the feelings which agl-
tated them. Wiertz acquitted himself very
we'll of this delicate mission.
The day of the execution, ten minutes
prior to the arrival of the condemned man,
Wiertz, DIR. D. and two witnesses be-
sides placed themselves beneath the gulllo-
tine beside the basket, but in suoh a way
chat the public could not suspect their pres
lace. DR.. D put the painter to sleep.
snen suggested to him to identify himself
with the criminal, to follow all his sensa-
tions and express aloud the reflections OF
the condemned man at the moment when
the knife should touch the neck; finally.
- ordered him when the head should fall
INTO the basket to apply his mind to pene-
rating into the brain 10 analvze its last
thoughts. Wiertz fell asleep Immediately.
The four friends comprehended from the
sound of footsteps over their heads that the
executioner had brought the condemned
man. The criminal assembled the scaffold;
another instant and the guillotine would
nave accomplished its work. Wiertz mani
tested an extreme trouble and begged to be
awakened-the anguish which oppressed
him WAS intolerable. But it was too late
the knife had fallen.
''What do you feel? What do you see?"
demanded the doctor.
Wiertz twisted in commissions and
"A fash! The thunderbolt has fallen.
Oh, horror! 1t thinks! 1t sees"
"What thinks? What eees."
1.-The head! 1t Suffers horribly. 1t feels,
1t thinks. it cannot understand what has
happened. 1t is seeking for it's body. 1t
seems to it that its body is about to rejoin
it. 1t still awaits the supreme blow. It
awaits ~death-death which does not GOMEZ
While Wiertz was ~uttering these horrible
words, the witnesses perceived the head,
which had fallen into the sack, roll into
the bottom of the basket. The head of The
condemned man, the lair down, the bloody
neck up, the mouth open, theteeth clinched
was looking at them. The arteries yet pal
plated at tho place where the knife had
passed and 4 flood of blood had spurteC
forth, inundating the face, the eyes and the
hair.
Wiertz continued to complain: '.Ah
what land is choking meY-an enormous
pitiless hand. Oh. tho weight which ii
crushing me! Before my eyes l see onl,
a big red cloud. But l will deliver myself
from the accursed hand! All! let go of me
monster! But it is in vain that / hang upol
it with both my hands. But what is ubi
feel? A gaping ~wound-my blood which
10 flowing. / am a severed hoad!'
1t was only after these long ~sufferin gs
which must have appeared to it to have en-
dured for an eternity, that the head of tn,
guillotined man had realized that it wa
separated from the body.
Wiertz had sunk to sleep again. The doc
tor recommended his questions.
"What do you eos? Where are you."
II am whirlinR in space" responded til
painter, like a top cast into the ire. 81
am / dead? is everything over? Suppos
they should fasten me anew to my body
Oh! men, have pity uuon me--give me bac
my body. / will still live. 1 yet think
yet feel, l yet remember everything. Ihel
are my judges in their long red robes.
hear my sentence. MY unfortunate wife
my poor little baby! No. you don 10,
me any more-youh have abandoned ne.
you would only fasten me to my body,
would be with you again. No, you refus
All the same ! love you very much, my pot
dears! Let me kiss you once more. VIVA
little one, you utter frightened cries. o.
wretch that am, l nave covered your nan,
with my blood. Oh! when will this be owe!
Over! Is not the criminal condemned to q
eternal punishmenti'
AS Wiertz pronounced those words IL
spectators thought that they noticed Il
eyes of the guil!otined man opened to the
fullest extent, with a look imprinted at on,
with an u~nspeaknble suffering and an ardel
prayer. the painter continued his lame1
tations:
"No! no! suffering cannot last foreve
God is merciful! All that belongs to IL
earth is fading away before my eyes. ] g
in the distance II little star az brilliant
a diamond. Oh! how delightful it is for o
on high! How | feel calmness penetrate,
my entire being. What a sweet sleep l a
going to have. All. what joy"
These we're the last words of the paint,
He was still asleep, but no longer answer
the doctors questions.
DR.. D. went to the head of the gull
tined man and touched the forehead, I
temples, the teeth; all was cold. Tho he
was dead.
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