Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-04-16
SHOES on HUMAN SKIN,
THE AWFUL REVENGE on A BETRAYED
HUSBAND.
Deserted by His Wifi he Exults in Her Down
ward Career Until Death 0vsrtakas
Hsr-His Ghastly Relic from
the DiSSscting Table.
CHICAGO Herald.


of human being, the material to be
furnished by the customer in its Grade
state.
81 refused point blank % have any
thing to do with such job when the
matter was first broached," said William
Gee, whose shoe store is at the north
approach to the Clark street vladuct,
shut the gentleman was insist
emit and backed up his order by
the production of letter from
prominent physician, which stated
that the bearer had received
the human skin from the dlssecting Ia
BILE and had a perfect right to its pos
session. Even then was dubious about
the work, explaining that it was ex-
tremely doubtful IL could get the skin
tanned and assuring the gentleman that
1t would in any event be pretty costly
Job compared with the ordinary price
of pair of shoes.
81 remarked the curious, cynical sort
of smile that stole across his face when
l spoke of the cost and he fastened to
assure me that money cut no figure in
the transaction; that ii / declined to
take the order there were plenty of
other shoemakers In towa who were
likely to be less sQueamish than aud
with that he picked up his Gladstone
bag and started toward the door.
"Well, hated to have him think II
was because 1 held conscientious scru-
Piles that i refused, for / rather pride
myself on my liberal views, so l blurted
out All right, I'll do it, sir: sit down
there and let me take your measure
THE STRANGE SCAR ON THE KNEE.
1.-The gentleman turned back, briefly
indicated the style Of shoe he desired,
and in few minutes ! had the impress
sion of his foot. together with the nec
esssry measurements. He then unfas.
tened his satchel and produced a small
parcel wrapped in light MANILA paper.
This he unfolded very deliber-
ately and exposed large fabby
piece OF skin which from its
shape reminded me somewhat of
blacksmith's apron. It was, so he in
formed me, strip Of skin taken from
the right limb OF young woman who
had died in the county hospital and
whose body had afterward gone to the
dissecting table. 1t was stripped from
the front part of the limb and appeared
to have extended from the thigh to the
kneepan, the skin being much thinner
at the latter end. l noticed queer
shaped scar at the kneecap and me-
chanically drew my finger across it, at
the same time wondering whether it
would wear of in the tanning process.
"'Looks like the letter M re-
marked, and as II it had been burnt in
eyes was the laconie response.
"Well, sir, had a dickens of time
in getting that skin tanned. My regu-
lar house utterly refused to touch 1t
and several other tanners whom l APP
preached peremptorily declined. f.
nally found a man, who lives away out
on Clybourne avenue, and for healthy
consideration he agreed to turn the
CHASTITY relic into leather. When he
brought the stuff back he said it was
the last job Of that kind he ever want
ed, no matter what he was paid, as he
felt like a criminal all the time IL was In
his shop.
THE CUSTOMER CALLS FoD HIS SHOES.
at was innocent looking enough
when 1t came into my hands again and,
except for its extreme porous appear
ance, might have been a piece OF pig
skin. A leather expert would have de-
tected difference, perhaps, but my
workmen passed it without comment
and the shoes were made up and duly
delivered to the customer when finish
ed. In spite of the process to which
the skin had been subjected In tanning
the strange scar on the kneecap had
not been effaced, and when the shoes
were completed l observed, on the up
pers of the right shoe, that the mark
was still distinguishable, although, Of
course, the letter M could no longer be
traced"
This was the substance of Mr.. Gees
story, which he told In q modest, apollo
getic manner, as IL his conscience still
gave him a twinge occasionally for hav-
ing undertaken the uncanny commits
sion. His strange customer had not
been in the store since the shoes were
delivered nor had Mr.. Gee been able to
discover the motive that prompted him
to spend so much money in carrying out
what appeared to be the morbid within
of an otherwise rational human being.
He admitted that for some days after
the shoes left his hands his curiosity
was greatly aroused In the matter, but
as tine passed and other cares inter-
yened he had given the subject no
further thought.
That there was story concealed in
this queer recital was pretty evident TO
the mind OF the young man from the
Herald who heard Of the foregoing fact,
and he lost no time In seeking the
prominent physician who had written
the letter vouching for the erratic
stranger and whose name Mr.. Gee luck
ilY remembered. At first the doctor
emphatically denied the authorship Of
the letter In question and tried to bluff
his visitor by affecting complete ignor-
auce of the entire matter. But his WIS.,
itor refused to be satisfied with this
evasion and so pressed the physician
that he weakened aud confessed there
was q story which he would tell II his
own name and those of the two princi-
pal characters~ in the drama were not
made public. A ready aeQuiescence
was given TO this request, upon which
tie doctor unfolded queer tale OF love
and revenge that in its startling situa-
lions and sensational denouement is
strongly suggestive of one Of Maupas-
SAINTS vivid romances.
STORY TOLD BY THE DOCTOR.
"Ten years ago." began the surgeon,
IS young law student, who came TO
Chicago from Virginia, fell desperately
in love with the only daughter of a
wealthy contractor living on the North
Side. his affection was reciprocated
and the young people secretly plighted