The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-29
CALLING TO THE DEAD.
GTeWSOme Experiment With the Dis
severed Head Of a Murderer.
Is There Feeling After Death Pine
Executed Man Promised to Answer
This Question Immediately After
the Stroke of the Guillotine.

] the oLIOke OF the Gul4lOLln6s
From the New York World.
! Sensational and grewsome is the story
/ which comes from Laval, the little town
in France where the guillotine the other
day gave It's latest stroke of justice in de-
captivating Able Breauneau, the muir
derer. The experiment was then made
publicly Of testing whether a discovered
head retains consciousness for even a
single instant after it has left the body.
1t will be remembered that in the case
of Pranzini the physician made an effort
at resuscitation of both head and body by
hurrying the corpse into the operating
room and applying powerful electric bat
teries to its nerve centers. Instances
have been known where the head has
been quickly lifted from the basket and
the features closely scrutinized to note
any change of appearance or any move
ment of the muscles.
The we'll known story told concerning
the execution of Marie Antoinette will
also be recalled. where it was said the
eXecutiOner lifted the head from the
basket and slapped the cheeks violently
whereupOn they blushed. These and
many other instances have been given
without any better authority than tradi-
ton.
BREAUNEAU's CRIMES.
The Able Breauneau was a remarkable
criminal He was born IN Brittany some
forty years ago Although the bent of
his mind was toward adventure and
deeds of daring, young Breauneau was
put In training for the priesthood. His
first active church life was at Dunkeroue.
where he entered the church of the Sa-
cred Heart and devoted his time strictly
TO the interests of his calling. During the
time he published two books on scientific
subjects, and they attained marked popu-
larity.
Also during this time a most mysterious
and horrible murder occurred in the city
An old woman, regular attendant at his
church, was found one morning with her
throat cut from ear to ear, her head bat
tered in withaa club, and her money and
jewels were missing. She was last seen
alive in the company of Breauneau, about
to enter her cottage.
The Able admitted having been in the
cottage, but urged that it was merely a
pastoral call Several petty thefts and
case or two of assault were announced,
but Breauneau was not suspected of them
His removal to another field of work was
followed there by a succession of similar
crimes, until the whole number of MUIR
ders was four. There were also several
forgeries and many robberies. Finally
the Able settled down at Laval. He be-
came popular and leader among his
monastic brethren.
One morning the superior was missing
Breauneau the evening before had gone
for a walk with him. Soon after Breau-
neau moved to Switzerland, and SUISSE
quently the body of the superior was
found dead in a well. detective
CHI DON h.A 10 TX
his acquaintance, found in his possession
pair of the late superiors slippers and
some of his jewels Breauneau's arrest
followed and then his conviction for muir
der
Immediately after the execution of
Caserio Santo, M. Deibler, the national
headsman, went to Laval with his gull
lotine prepared to attend the Able the
following morning. And then happened
an incident that is almost unparalleled in
France. NJ. Deibler was compelled
to wait for three days before the Able
was turned over to him The delay was
an object OF much speculation throughout
France, but has since then been explained
by NJ. Dominique, the advocate of the
murderer, who has given an interesting
and startling story of the ten seconds i'm
mediately following the dropping of the
head of his client beneath the knife of
the instrument Of death.
CAN A DEATH s-9EAD SPEAK?
M. Dominique, having called at the
prison at Laval, presented an order to the
governor from President Casimir-Perier
permitting the lawyer to see his client in
his cell. His conversation with the con-
demned man is given in Dominique's own
words:
My errand to you is not to acquaint
you with the unhappy termination of my
labors in your interest, but to ask you to
agree to an experiment which, if success
sui, will be one of the most startling Incl
dents of the times. You are scientific
man by education. So am l. and we know
that the problem of whether or not a
CLEAN of feeling or sensation remains in
the human brain one second after the
head leaves the body is one of the most
interesting that has ever puzzled the
minds of scientific men.
This problem has never been solved
for the reason, l believe, that those who
have heretofore been guillotined and who
were sufficiently intelligent to make such
compact as | am about suggesting to YOU
had no one to make the compact with
and those from whom several physicians
attempted TO learn were frightened to
death before the knife fell. In you intel
hgence and courage are combined
What do you want me to do?"
81 want you to communicate with me
after your execution | want YOU by
means of pre-arranged signal to convey
to me the information that your brain is
capable of understanding what | saw TO
it; that there is a continuity of thought in
your mind that the blow of the knife has
not instantaneously paralyzed your will
power, has not ended your capacity TO re-
spond to question If put to YOU a second
after the blow. IL is terrible ordeal. an
awful experience, am forcing upon you,
but consider the Incompatible service it
will be TO science; the great satisfaction
1t will be to the scientific world"
Breaunau paced his cell eXciuedlv.
Even his iron nerve was severely tried by
tho terrors Of his position and the horri-
Bile proposition his advocate made him.
His face was ashen, but his voice was
firm as he replied:
Then you wish my-my head to
speaker
mot speak, but to give some sign ofun-
Outstanding. The rapid hemorrhaCe
probably weakens the physical condition
Of the head so quickly as TO make speak
ing quite impossible, but it may not be
sufficiently rapid to prevent some muscu-
lar movement In the face"
What is your planl"
ut is this: At the instant of YOUR de-
capitation l shall stand beside NJ. Deibler.
and before the knife falls snail mutter.
so you may hear me, an admonltiou TO re-
member our agreement, and at once, upon
the knife having done 1ts vvorly sLan