Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-07-13
A TEST.

Although had known George Martin
a long time, he had only lately initiated
me into the mysteries of his life.
knew well that he had been guilty OF
many kinds of excesses and indiscretions
in his youth. nevertheless was not a
little astonished to. hear that he had
once sank so low as burglary. Without
further remark / here relate the chief
episode out Of the remarkable career OF
this strange man:
"Yes," said he, 81 had 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-l
thoughtlessly agreed. Both doctors were
well known on account of their scientific
researches, and one of them especially
for his eccentric manner.
well, the night fixed for the carry
ing out of our design arrived and we
went to work with the greatest con.
fidence, for all the circumstances were
favorable for burglary. 1t was pitch
dark, neither moon nor stars visible,
and in addition strong west wind was
blowing, which was very welcome to
us, as it promised to drown every sound,
however slight.
at was toward 2 in the morning as
we, assuming all was safe, began by
filing through chain which fastened a
ladder to the wall. The ladder we
placed under 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, Schmied-
lem climbed through it and followed
him. After carefully reclosing the
venetians we ventured to light lantern
and then discovered that we were in a
kind of a lumber room, the door of
which was locked.
''After picking the lock we determined
first to explore the rooms on the ground
floor. thinking we should thus run less
risk of waking the inhabitants of the
house.
"To our no little astonishment we per-
seived, as we crept down stairs, light
shining under the door of one of the
rooms at the back of the building.
cat first we were both for beating a
hasty retreat. Schmeidlein soon recov-
cred himself and proposed that we
should force our way into the room.
bind and gag every occupant, and then
obtain by threats all desirable infor1na-
tion.
Il agreeing, we approached the door.
While carefully throwing the light
around, noticed, about seven feet from
the floor, a wire which appeared to pass
through the door we were approaching,
and on pointing it out to my companion
he thought it would be connected with
some bell
II replied in a whisper that we should
try and avoid an alarm by cutting the
wire, and as l could just reach it with
my hands l 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 it I felt fright
ful shock, which quivered through and
through me, so that fell all Of q heap,
tearing the wire down with me. re-
member hearing the loud ringing of a
bell, while chmiedlein-whom, more
over, ! have never seen since-disap-
peared like lightning into the darkness
and escaped, very likely by the way we
had come.
"On falling down struck my head
violently against the opposite wall and
became unconscious, while the electric
bell-at that time novelty-rang un-
ceasingly.
"Regaining my senses found myself
bound and helpless, which after all did
mot surprise me, as I concluded l had
been caught where 1 had fell. 1t soon
struck me, however, that there We're
some peculiar circumstances connected
with my captivity.
81 was nearly undressed, and lay on a
cold slab of slate which was about the
height of table from the ground, and
pnly piece of linen protected my body
from immediate contact with the stone
Straight above me hung large lamp,
whose polished reflector spread light
far around, and when l. as far as posi-
bile, looked around, perceived several
Shelves with bottles, TASKS and chemical
apparatus of all kinds upon them. In
pne corner Of the room stood complete
human skeleton and various odds and
ends Of human bodies hung here and
there upon the walls. then knew l
was lying on the operating-or dissect-
dng-table of a doctor, discovery which
naturally troubled me greatly; at the
same time ! perceived that my mouth
also was firmly gagged.
"What did it all mean? Had some
accident befallen me SO that surgical
operation was necessary for my recoy-
cry? But I remembered nothing Of the
kind, and also felt no lain; nevertheless
here ! lay. stripped and helpless, on this
terrible table, gagged and bound, which
Indicated something extraordinary.
SIT astonished me not O little that
there should be such an operating room
in such house, until remembered that
Dr.. Langner, as the district physician,
had to carry out the postmortem exam
nations for the circuit, and that in the
small provincial town no other room
was available for such purpose, Ifelt
too miserable, however, to think any
thing more about it. But I soon no.
ticed, after another vain effort to free
myself, that was not alone in the room,
for ! heard the rustling of paper, and
then some one said in quiet, measured
tones:
"tYes, Langner, am quite convinced
that this man is particularly suited fol
the carrying out of my highly impor-
tant experiment. How long have I been