Birmingham age-herald., 1895-01-15
POST MORTEM ACTS.
REMARKABLE INCIDENTS IN THIS LINE
 RELATED BY HISTORY.


 and Other Marvels Which Have Been Preserved to Us by the old Chronicles. The Case of Frederick of Baden.
 The remarkable experiment made upon the head of tho decapitated Abbe Bruneau in France is by no means without prece- dent 1t is impossible to read much in history without coming across curious stories of apparent sensation and thought after execution. Some of them go back to such remote periods that they are in gen eral regarded as deserving to be placed in category with the wondrous discoveries of Marco Polo and Ferdinand Mcndez Pinto, but subsequent explorers have veri- fled many things in tho narratives of those two which, at one time, were considered impossibilities, and science may yet dem Onstrate beyond contradiction tho possi- bility of many startling events narrated as having occurred at executions. The fact remains that for centuries the impression has prevailed among certain scientists that the brain still retains its capacity for thought, and even action, for some mo- ments after it's separation from the body, md some of them have made experiments upon the heads of dccapitated criminals even moro than an hour after execution,
 
 success which partially corroborated their theories.
 The curious in such matters will find that historians relate q remarkable in- stance of speech after execution which re- calls the story of tho head of the poet mu- sican, Orpheus, which was said to have still murmured tho name of his beloved Eurydice after it was thrown into the waters of Hebrus. This instance occurred in the thirteenth century, when Conradin of Swabia and Frederick of Baden were executed on the market place in Naples. These two young princes had invaded the kingdom with an army in defense of Con radin's rights as hoir to IS father. Hay ing been defeated and captured by the forces of Charles of Anjou, they were held by him prisoners for year and then con demned to execution.
 Barntoned has given glowing descrip- tion of the death scene, drawn from con- temporary accounts, the center of tho mar ket place covered with crimson velvet, the king in distant tower to see the.execu- tion of his will, and the crowd of curious and plying lockers on. Prince Frederick s head was the first to fall, and the nearer spectators were electrified to hear tho -- quivcring lips call twice upon the Virgin, Maria Maria!'' Conradin was moved by it to forget momentarily his own com ing doath. Lifting the head he kissed 1t tondcrly and pressed it to his breast, while he deplored aloud that tho youthful prince Frederick had not yet reached his eight eenth ycar-should have been brought to his death through devotion to himself.
 One of tho most remarkable records in all history of action after execution is con- tained in the police archives of tho Aus frinn nnnifn1 Id bn nf hn hnn dit Schaumburg, who, with four compan- ions, was condemned to death in 1880 for sundry adventures rivaling those of Fra Diavolo. According to this seemingly inn possible chronicle, the chief, finding he was to be the first to suffer, demanded ono last favor of tho presiding judge. This was that his companions should be placed in front of him in a straight line, several feet apart. This having been granted, he then begged that he might attempt their reprieve in the following manner: If, aft CT his head had fallen his body should walk past each comrade in turn, he prayed that the judge should grant an amnesty. That officer, who no doubt thought this quite an impossible feat, agreed to the proposition, and the execution proceeded. Tho robbers body bent before the heads man, strengthened up after the head had
 
 bandits consecutively before it finally fell The judge made haste to notify the kaiser and his imperial majesty was pleased to confirm the promise of clemency and to have the story placed on record in the po- lco archives
 In the present century tho interesting case of apparent sensation and intelli- genco after execution has been recorded by NJ. Pettigaud as having occurred at Sai- gon in Anam, where he witnessed the ex- ecution of several pirates His interest and sympathy were excited by the fine physique and manly bearing of tho leader of tho condemned men, who manifested no fear and met his death with the great est courage and coolncss. The culprits were made to knecl on the sand before the executioner, who, with one expert blow, separated the heads from the bodies. The head of tho chief fell almost at tho feet of M Pettigaud, tho severed neck resting squarely upon the sand, thus arresting the flow of blood from the arteries. He was horrificd to find that the eyes looked up nt him with an air of perfect consciousness and intelligence. In order to test the reality of this appearance M. Pettigaud moved to one side and found that the eyes followed his movements. As further test ho then resumed his first position, and tho eyes turned slightly, but before re- gaining their first direction an expression of agony passed over the face such as might have been produced by suffocntion, :. and tho head rolled over on the sand with every appearance of death. From 15 to 20 seconds had elapsed during these observa- tions.
 It was possibly this story which induced Dc Laborde of Paris to make certain ex- poriments upon the severed head of mur- derer more than an hour after execution. In this case blood was injected into the arteries, and by means of an opening in the skull it could be seen to circulate. mhe eyelids opened, and upon the placing of a light before them the pupils of the eyes grew smaller. Possibly had t).c expert ments been made immediately after exe- cution the results might have been much moro curious. s.-Virginio Dare in Philadel phia Times.
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