Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1892-07-21
THE DOCTORS TEST.
An Experiment Showing the Power
Of Imagination.

An Experiment Showing the Power
Of Imagination.
Although | had known George Mar.
tin a long time, he had only lately init,
ated me into the mysteries of his life
knew well that he had been guilty OF
many kinds of excuses and indiscre-
tions in his youth, nevertheless 1 was
not little astonished to hear that he
had once sunk solow as burglary. With,
ont further remark l here relate the
chief episode out of the remarkable
career of this strange man:
Yes" said he, Il had a hard time OF
it in those days, and finally became a
burglar. When Robert Schmiedlein
proposed to me that we should break
into the somewhat retired house of two
doctors. DR.. Engler and DR.. Langner,
thoughtlessly agreed. Both doctors
were we'll known on account of their
scientific researches, and one of them
especially for his eccentric manner.
We'll, the night fixed for the carry
ing out of our design arrived, and we
went to work with the greatest conf
deuce, for all the circumstances were
favorable for a burglary. 1t was pitch
dark. neither moon nor stars visible,
and in addition strong west wind was
blowing, which was very welcome to MS,
as it promised to drown every sound,
however slight.
1T was toward two in the morning
as we, assuming all was safe, began by
:, L. e.,
ladder to the wall. The ladder we
placed under Il window in the first
story on the left side of the house.
In less than five minutes we had opened
the window, and, hearing nothing,
Schmicdlein climbed through it and l
followed him. After carefully reclos-
ing the venetians we ventured to light
a lantern, and then discovered that we
were in kind of lumber room, the
door of which was locked.
After picking the lock, we deter
mined first to explore the rooms on the
ground floor, thinking we should thus
run less risk of waking the inhabitants
Of the house.
ITO our no little establishment we
perceived, as we crept downstairs, a
light shining under the door of one of
the rooms at the back of the building
AT first we were both for beating q
hasty retreat. Schmicdlein soon re-
covered himself, aud proposed that we
should force our way into the room,
bind and gag every occupant, and then
obtain by threats all desirable infOr-
nation.
Il agreeing. we approached the door
While carefully throwing the light
round, noticed. about seven feet from
the floor, a wire which appeared to
pass through the door we were ap-
proaching, and, on pointing it out to my
companion, he thought it would be con.
nected with some bell.
Il replied in whisper that we
should try and avoid an alarm by cut
ting the wire, and as | could just reach
it with my hands would hold it firm
while Schmiedlein cut it between my
hands and thus prevent it jerking back
and ringing the bell.
Setting the lantern on the floor /
seized the wire, while Schmiedlein
drew a pair of pincers out of his
pocket But the moment touched il
felt frightful shock, which quivered
through and through me, SO that fell
all of a heap, tearing the wire down
with me. | remember hearing the
loud ringing of a bell, while Schmied
lein-whom, moreover, l have never
seen since-tlisappeared like lightning
into the darkness and escaped, very
likely by the way we had come.
son falling down l struck my heac
violently against the opposite wall anc
became unconscious, while the electric
bell-at that time a noveIty-rang I'm.
ceasingly.
'.Regaining my senses I found myself
bound and helpless, which, after all,
did not surprise me, as had concluded
l had been caught where ] had fell.
1t soon struck me, however, that there
was some peculiar circumstance con-
nected with my captivity.
II was nearly undressed and lay on
cold slab of slate which was about
the height of a table from the ground
: and only piece of linen protected my
body from immediate contact with the
stone. Straight over me hung a large
lamp, whose polished reflector spread a
light far around, and when I, as far as
possible, looked round I perceived
several shelves with bottles, TASKS anc
chemical preparations of all kinds upor
them. In one corner of the room stooc
complete human skeleton, and variou.
odds and ends of human bodies hung
here and there upon thu walls. l then
knew was lying on tie operation-o1
dissecting-t of a doctor, dis
covery which naturally troubled me
greatly; at the same time l perceived
that my mouth also was firmly gagged
What did it all mean? Had som,
accident befallen me, so that surgica
operation was necessary for my recov
cry? But remembered nothing of the
kind, and also felt no pain; neverthe
less here lay stripped and helpless, OF
this terrible table, gagged and bound
which indicated something extraordi
nary.
cit astonish ed me not a little thai
there should be such an operation room
in such house, until l remembered
that DR.. Langner, as the district ply
stefan, had to carry out the post-mor
TEN examinations for the circuit. anl
that in the small provincial town ne
other room was available for such {
purpose. ! felt too miserable, how
ever, to think anything more about at
But soon noticed, after another vair
effort to free myself, that | was mo-
alone in the room, for heard the rust
ling of paper, and then some one said
III quiet measured tones:
Yes, Langner, I am quite convinced
that this man is particularly suited fol
the carrying out of my highly impor