The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-22
DIR. GAspARD,s HARD RUN.
Similarly Followed Up, Almost Any
Fellow Would Have Hurried Along.

Similarly Followed Up Almost Any
Fellow Would Have Hurried Along
This story can only tell as it was told
to me by the son of man who took an
active part in the French revolution.
Increditable as the narrative may seem
to the average reader, the old gentleman
who related the incident to me firmly be-
lieved it, and n few experts in electricity
have admitted that such things are posi-
BILE When the revolution was at it's
height in Paris during 1902 young doctor
named Gaspard, met horrible fate un-
der very singular circumstances. The
doctor was devoted to science. He had
mastered many of the secrets of electric
ity, and there is good reason to believe
that if he had lived in our generation he
would have been far in advance of our
leading electricians.
DR. Gaspard loved science and hated
Dumont, dreadful rival inshs own par
ticular field. One night Dumont was ar
rested and carried before the revolution
airy tribunal. He was tried and convict
ed of treason before midnight, and was
sentenced to die at an early hour the
next morning. In this case, so hurriedly
disposed of, the prosecutor was Gaspard.
He made the affidavit which caused the
arrest, and he was the only witness
against Une prisoner
The square where the execution took
place was crowded at sunrise, for there
were thirty persons to suffer the death
penalty. Dumont was a young man of
gigantic size. He was very tall, with
massive frame, and his head doomed far
above his fellow prisoners. He had moth
ing to say, but his rowing eyes searched
the ranks of the spectators until they
finally rested upon one face-the face of
his false friend, Gaspard With mighty
effort the prisoner bursted his bonds
'Villian!n he shouted in a ringing
voice, as he pointed to the man who had
betrayed him. ''My death will be
avenged. Your hour of doom is near at
hand
He was roughly seized his wrists were
bound again, and the beating of the
drums drowned his voice.
Gaspard hid himself in the crowd and
waited. He did not have to wait long.
His enemy was the first victim, and the
guillotine had hardly severed the head
before the remains were placed on II
stretcher and carried to the doctors lab
oratory, close at hand.
Gaspard locked his doors at once. He
had everything ready for his experiment.
y few stitches reunited the head to the
body, and the doctor went to work with
his electrical appliances. Just what oc-
Cured in the laboratory will never be
known. There was still ten persons to
be executed when the people around the
guillotine were struck dumb with horror
by spectacle, more shocking than the
scenes they had just witnessed on the
scaffold.
DR.. Gaspard was seen rushing from his
laboratory in a frenzy of frantic terror.
Close at his heels followed Dumont. The
pursuer's dress was disordered and cover
ed with crimson streaks from his neck
downward to his feet. His face, CON
vulsed with pain and rage, was horri-
BILE sight to behold.
When they had recovered from their
fright sufficiently to move. the spectators
scattered in every direction, leaving only
the executioners, guards and the prison
ers who were waiting Their turn to mount
the scaffold Straight through the square
the two doctors darted, Gaspard uttering
the most terrifying cries, while the other
sped along in silence. The two reached a
narrow street leading to the river, and
then came tie most exciting part of the
race.
They had traversed dbout two hundred
yards when the stitches became loosened
in Dumont's neck. Quick as lightning
the victim of the guillotine snatched off
his bleeding head and continued to run,
holding the gory CHASTITY thing in one
hand with its staring eyes fixed on Gas.
pard The wretched fugitive, looking
backward, saw this new horror, and with
blood-curdling yell he almost doubled
his speed.
Onward and still onward they flew, the
pursuer slowly gaining in the race.
Scared shopkeepers closed their doors;
women shrieked from their windows and
tainted; brave soldiers turned white with
fear, and many old people fell upon their
knees and crossed themselves. Looking
neither TO the right nor to the left, Gas
pard rushed onward, continuing his
cries
Attracted by the uproar, the Judge
who had sentenced Dumont stopped his
carriage and waited with his daughter to
ascertain the meaning of it all. The
young lady was Gaspard's sweetheart, and
when she saw her lover flying before the
red and headless avenger behind him she
gave desperate scream The fugitive
saw her but dared not stop.
Without pauSing, Dumont, when he
passed the carriage, suddenly gave his
head a swing and hurled il through the
air. 1t landed in the lap of the judges
daughter, and seeing its staring eyes
looking into her own, the poor girl gave
another scream and then tainted. The
judges horse dashed away at the top of
their speed, and the few people who saw
the affair barred their doors and fell to
praying in good earnest.
Gaspard was about fifty yards from the
quay when Dumont caught him. The
headless man wound one crimson arm