Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-05-17
"FoR GODS SAKE, MARIE, GO AwAYw

A few days after there was a murder
story in the daily papers, describing a
crime similar to the one which Lefebry
had committed. l was not surprised to
find him deeply interested In reading
it the first chance he had to do 80 when
he did not think l was observing him.
He read all the papers carefully every
day, another fact which had carefully
marked. One day I held the photo
graph of the palm of mans hand up,
when he was serving my dinner, re-
marking casually that it was the COM
posite photograph taken from the
palms OF hundred murderers which
the newspaper man had left behind
him. l asked him to pack 1t up and
mail it to the gentleman. as 1 did not
care to have it around the house. The
photograph had been made from roll
Of wax upon which Lefebry had pressed
his own hand unconsciously In handing
it to me at my request. had lattened
it out and had photo-micrograph
taken Of it.
Before forwarding it Lefebry took
care, after I had, as he thought, gone
out, to compare the photograph with
the lines in his own hand. When l
came into the room half an hour later
he was pre-occupied and silent.
One day he asked me whether l
thought it possible that spirits could be
photographed. l replied carelessly
that | had never thought much about
the subject, but it seemed possible that
If stars which were not visible to the
naked eye could be photographed, as
they had been, that spirits might also
be caught by the camera. l also re.
marked that didn't care a rap wheth-
or they could or not, and l heard Lefe-
bry utter distinct sigh; then l laughed
the matter of as if aimlessly.
Lefebry was now in fitting condi-
tion for my crowning experiment. He
was getting into II state Of complete
nervous collapse, owing to the effects
of my system, and yet he had not, !
know, any cause to suspect that I was
working for any pu pose.
| There Is an entertainment called
''Pepper's Ghost" in London. 1t is an
illusion caused by refraotion, q number
of mirrors being so arranged that the
figure of person is thrown on the
stage and the audience is delighted by
seeing the operator walk through the
figure, which is really only reflection
of the person between the mirrors, but
which looks like the reality. 1t was
"Pepper's Ghost" which gave me the
idea for the experiment was about to
make with Lefebry. had made up an
exact duplicate of the murdered wom-
an, and had arranged sliding pannel
into Lefebrys room through which to
throw the reflection of the figure,
trusting to the terrorized condition oi
Lefebry to replace the panel without
his observing it.
In chest which was securely locked,
and from the interior of which had In
several places cut the wood away, leav-
ing only thin coating OF linen, which
had been we'll perforated. 1 had
placed photograph, to which I had
fixed wire, carried through into the
other room, by means of which could
set it going at the necessary moment.
After Lefebry had retired to bed one
night l brought out my apparatus,
which had been constructed on the
style of that used by Pepper, and by
appointment a young woman, whom
had selected out of about ten thousand
photographers negatives that bad ex'
amined and had previously fixed SO as
to exactly resemble the girl whom
Lefebry had killed, was no!selessly ad
mitted to the room. At given mo-
ment the figure was focused over the
trunk containing the phonpgraph, and
a curtain which hung In front of the
panel was moved back. A hideous
noise was then emitted from the phono
graph, sufficient to awaken Lsfebry,
which ceased as soon as he rubbed his
eyes and gave faint scream.
"For Gods sake, Marie, go awayl"
suddenly heard Lefebry beseeching,
and then l released the phonograpt
again, SO that the instrument replied:
II shall haunt you until you have con
fessed that you murdered me-"
go away! Go away! l will tell th'
police everything tomorrow. You
know / did not mean to kill you
Marie" cried Lefebry, in the wildes
kind OF terror.
II leave Won the krifa with whinl
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