Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-11-24
In the Interests Of Science.
THE STORY OF A BURGLARY.

AhG oAOhh VT n DOhOlAHls
Though had known George Martin q
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 excuses and indiscretions in his
youth; nevertheless, was not little
astonished to hear that he had once sunk
so low as burglary. Without further re-
mark here l relate the chief episode out
of the remarkable career of this strange
! man:
eyes" said he, ~ had hard time of
II in those days, and finally became
burglar. When Robert Schmiedlein
proposed to me that we should break in
to the somewhat retired house of two
doctors, DR.. Engler and DIR. Langner,
thoughtlessly agreed. Both doctors were
we'll known on account of their scienti-
fic 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 conf
dence, for all the circumstances were
favorable for burglary. 1t was pitch
dark, neither moon nor stars visible, and
in addition a strong west wind was blow
ing, which was very welcome to us, as it
promised to drown every sound, however
slight.
at was toward 2 o'clock in the morn
ing as we, assuming all was safe, began.
by filing through chain which fastened
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-
lein climbed through it and followed
him. After carefully reclosing the vene-
tians we ventured to- light lantern and
then discovered that we were in a kind
of 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 run less risk of
waking the inhabitants of the house.
ITO our no little establishment we per-
ceived, as we crept down stairs, light
shining under the door of one of the
rooms at the back of the building.
SAT first we were both for beating
hasty retreat. Schmiedlein 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 information.
Il agreeing, we approached the door.
While carefully throwing the light
around l noticed, seven feet from the
floor, 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 whisper that we should
try and avoid any alarm by cutting the
wire, and as | 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.
9 Setting the lantern on the floor /
seized the wire. while Schmiedlein drew
pair of pinccrs out of his pocket. But
the moment touched it felt frightful
shock, which quivered through and
through me, so that fell of heap, tear
jrg the wire down with me. remember
hearing the loud ringing of bell, while
Schmiedlein-whom, moreover, / have
never seen since-disappeared like light
ming into the darkness and escaped, very
likely by the way we had come.
ION falling down / struck my head
violently against the opposite wall land
became unconscious, whilst the electric
bell-at that time n novelty-rang I'M
ceasingly.
" Regaining my senses / found myself
bound and helpless, which, after all, did
not surprise me- as concluded had been
caught where l fell. 1t soon struck me,
however, that there were some peculiar
circumstances connected with my cap
tivity.
{" was nearly undressed and lay on a
cold slab of slate, which was about the
height of table from the ground, and
only piece of linen protected my body
from immediate contact with the stone.
Straight above me hung large lamp,
whose polished reflector spread a bright
light far around, and when as far as
possible looked round I perceived several
shelves with bottles, TASKS and chemical
apparatus of all kinds upon them. In
one corner of the room stood complete
human skeleton, and various odds and
ends of human bodies hung here and
there upon the walls. l then knew was
lying on the operating-or dissecting-
table of a doctor, discovery which natu-
rally troubled me greatly; at the same
time | perceived that my mouth also was
firmly gagged.
'What did il all mean Had some
accident befallen me so that a surgical
operation was necessary for my recovery
But l remembered nothing OF the kind,
and also felt no pain nevertheless here |
lay, stripped and helpless, on this terrible
table gagged and bound, which indicated
something extraordinary.
''It astonished me not a little that
there should be such an operation-r room
in such house until / remembered that
Dr.. Langner, as the district physician
had to carry out the post norton exam
nations for the circuit, and that in tn,
small provincial town no other room wa,
available for such purpose. felt too
miserable, however, to think more abcu
It. But i soon noticed, after anothe
vain effort to free myself, that I was no
alone in the room, for heard the rust
ling OF paper, and then some one said il
quiet, measured tones:
Yes, Langner, am quite convinced
that this man is particularly suited 70
the carrying out of my highly importan
experiment. How long have been wish
ing to make the attempt-at last, TO
night, 1 shall be able to produce tn
proof of my theory
"'That would, indeed, be a higl
triumph of human skill, Iheard secon'
voice reply; but consider, dear doctor