The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-15

| cinnati, and some learned man announced
that, for and in consideration of twenty
I'VE cents. admission, to be collectsd at
| the door, sor the benefit of q hospital, ex
periments with the palvanic battery
would be made upon the body of the
miserable man. circus tent had been
porcured tor the purpose and the medi-
cal Swans counted largely on the profits
| to accrue.
Inc fatal day came and with i. thou
sands OF people, men, women and chill
| oren, to witness the perpetuation of this
| remnant OF stupid barbarism called hang
| Ing. From midnight until morn, from
ell the hills and vail US Of Kentucky,
| Ohio and Indiana came pouring in the
motley crowd of ignorant, curious human
| lty. The taverns, stores. streets a I'd al
! leys were crowded with people; and
when the sentence hour approached, the
! procession that accompanied the cart
made sensitive mind sick of the human
race.
The better cultivated and more refined
| gathered in the huge tent to witness the
| scientific experiments, that promised TO
restore the wretcred convict to life. or,
| failing in that, to MAKE the dead body
struggle and kick in the most exciting
manner. The preparations were signi
ficant and startling. Near the center of
| the sawdust ring was a table. and by it
| the wonderful instrument that was be-
lieved to hold the mysterious essence of
| life. About them were gathered in groups
the indicated philosophers oonversing in
low measured tones, or walking to and
fro, calmly Indifferent to the gathered
crowd, as great mon are wont to do on
such occasions.
| Hours wore away. The noon came and
| passed. Tho excitement grew intense.
At last rumor spread and reached the
tent that the sentenced man had been re-
proved upon the scaffold. This was con-
| tirmed by the returning crowd. that
| pushed in without paying and packed
every available space. Kisses ana cries of
! discomfort broke out, and were taken up
by the molly crew OF the non paying audi
ence, in high state of wrath at being
disappointed in the hanging. In the
midst of the tumult Professor D.
mounted the table, and, command ding
sileioe, said: Ladies ana gentlemen,
we regret deeply that a mistaken Gle
mency, on the part of the governor
has robbed the gallows of Its own and
science of a subject. 1t is I'M possible to
| return your money. for so many have
rushed in without paying, and they
would be precisely the sort to demand
the admission fee. We have determin ed,
| however, SO that you may not be disap-
| pointed IN your lauda BILE curiosity to wit
ness an execution and those wonderful
exhibitions Of modern sciences, to pur-
chase of Mr.. Brown bear that he has
fattened to kill, hang the animal here
and then proceed with on, experiments.
| Will that satisfy your"
| An uproarious and unanimous shout in
the affirmative was the response. The
bear was sent for. But bruin had not
| been consulted, and declined the engage
msnt. The audience waited impatiently
for hours. At last a great noise of m en-,
boys and dogs on the outside gave well
como note of the coming event. The fat
janit0r Of the medical college, bald
headed enthusiast in the cause of physic,
| appeared inside the entrance. Juggling
at rope that seemed to be held by
| some reluctant party outside. So re-
luctant was this party that twice the
superior force. The ianitor, cheered by
the crowd, and at length assisted by
stout men, pullad the snimal into the
| arena.
To hang a bear without the ami NAL s
consent (and l never heard of one COM
uniting suicide) is at any time difficult
but to hang a fat bear is almost impos-
sible. The muscular neck is quite as
large as the head, and on this occasion
bruin was pulled up twice, and twice, as
sisted by his paws, he twisted his neck
out of the moose and came down with a
sickening thud amid loud cheers from
the crowd that was rapidly passing into
sympathy with the four-footed animal.
| Tho third attempt proved the charm.
Bruin kicked and struggled at the end
of line as naturally as man would
have done. and at the close of twenty
minutes he was pronounced a dead bear
by the learned faculty in attendance
The body was lowered with some haste
| and place upon the tabs.
Professor D., getting OH a chair, said {:
Ladies and gentlemen, We have at last
hanged the bear. To satisfy you, how
ever, that he is dead we will now proceed
to amputate his tall
| Loud applause followed this announce
ment. 1t prolonged the show. Brown,
| the butcher, performed the surgical oper-
| alton by one blow of his cleaver. The
bear never moved, but the flow OF blood
! that followed demonstrated that hang
| ing bsar causes congestion in the
| tail. The battery was applied and at the
first shock the struggles were renewed.
| AT the second discharge the efforts were
| more decided and growis were added.
At the third shock bruin sat on his
naunches and gazed stupidity at the au-
| dience. The audience reciprocated the
attention by still louder cheers. While
this was going on, the subject of these
| wonderful experiments happened to get
sight of thu fat janitor, and, while the
| fourth shock was being administered he
suddenly. with terrific growl, jumped
from the table and ran after his corpul-
emit foe. The ring that up to this NOM
ent mad been somewhat crowded. was
| abruptly cleared. A fair field was given
the sffrighted official who fairly aston
ished himself at the rate with which he
carried his al pose over the ground. The
| entertainment was impromptu, but we'll
| regulated, and, to everybody but the
janitcr, extremely diverting. The two
we're near enough matched to allow even
bets, that were freely offered and as free
| ly taken. The janitor was impelled by
fear; the bear by electricity. The janitor
| was short of wind; the bear short of
| blood, and it was difficult to say which
| would prove tn victor.
| In all such eXhi bi ions, however, certain
women are sure to be present who mar
| the enjoyment by screaming at the wrong
moment, and then. fainting, forcv people
| to carry them into the open air. This is
to be reprehended, and the women should
| be rebuked. On this occasion, when the
| popular enjoyment was at the highest
| and the hated janitor-by the way, o
| body snatcher-was making his third
round, with the bear gaining on him.
| three or four inconsiderate wu men began
screaming. The people of that day were
| familiar with bears and had no fear of
| the animal. But there was someth ing
mysteriously alarming about bear that
! had been dead and was alive again. And
| so when the screams were heard great
panic fell upon the crowd, The effort
ina to escape was fearful. Over the
| seats, under the seats, out through the
! thin canvas IN every direction, the null
| titude fled like rats FIR m falling house,
| ana in the midst of the tumult the can
| vas came down. Out from under it the
audience hurried, climbing on fences
| and roofs. or disappeariny down streets