The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-01-03
| |(UtiCura
Skin
| Remedies
| Are Pure
Sweet Gentle
| And Most
Economical

The outside of this extraordinary
cafe is curious in itself. 1t is small
two-story brick structure, the front of
which, in imitation of the decorations
c15e1marily used On a French church
during funeral, is draped with black
portieres with white trimmings. En-
trance is obtained through a slit in the
curtains.
Upon entering the unsuspectlng
stranger receives a shock not soon to
be forgotten. A room about 30 feet
square lies in front of him. The walls
are painted black, with white lines, in
imitation of the walls of dungeon. At
intervals along the walls are painted
red devils with forked tails and pitch
forks enveloped in fame. From the
ceiling hang chandeliers composed Of
human bones. holding small oil lamps,
which diffuse dim and ghastly light
upon human skeletons whose hollow,
,sightless skulls grin at one from every
side. There are six or eight of these
skeletons, arranged in fantastic atti-
ttudes around the walls, some erect,
Others seated. Placed about the room
are tables made of polished pine coffins,
about which hustle the walters, who
are dressed as undertakers in long.
somber gray clothes. "Garcon" gives
place to ''fossoyeur."
Around the tables are seated men Of
all classes men and mer-
chants, the wealthy and the poor, the
gentleman and the loafer, sit side by
side, for "De la Mort" tolera tes no class
distinctions. A curious picture they
present as each lifts "un we're du
poison" as they call glass of wine, to
their lips, in toast or as a sign of
welcome.
The stereotyped expression of the
'fossoyeur" as he welcomes you is GER
Itainly In keeping with the surround
ings. The strangers reception is moth
ing if not cordial: "Hola, macca bee!
All, sacre gailard. Quest ce que tu
veux?" Hello, dead body! You dirty
fellow! What do you wish?"
| To the rear of the room and little to
the right is a dimly lighted passage
with vauited ceiling extending back
some ten feet. at the further end of
which is a massive wooden door, with
q huge iron knocker resembling a skull.
| 4 few vigorous raps and false panel
is swung wide. A face appears at a
little grated window.
A man dressed in hood and gown, like
the Capuchin monks, demands in gut
teral tones the reason for intrusion:
"Ah! One wishes 10 die? One wishes
to enter the chamber of death?"
There is a grewsome rattling of
chains. The heavy doors swing slowly
back. "Entrez. mes freres. Vous en-.
trez le domain de Ia mort. Vous venir
lei a morir."
The room is somewhat smaller than
,the first. To the right are few rows
of benches for the spectators, to the left
an old organ, while directly opposite
the entrance is a platform draped in
black, upon which, set up perpendicu'
,larly, stands an ebony coffin. Here
also the walls are painted in imitation
Mephisto's angels painted on back
ground OF flame
AS the visitors take their seats one
Iof the two monks who conduct the cere-
mony asks who it is that is ready and
prepared to die. Upon the expression
of such a desire one is led TO the coffin,
placed therein and covered, all except
his face, with white sheet. The lights
are turned low, almost extinguished,
and the wheezy old organ begins to
pour forth a most melancholy dirge.
A phosphorescent effect appears about
tho coffin, while faint streaks of light
are visible on the figure inside. The
monks are chanting in a weird jargon.
Gradually and imperceptibly the bones
of a skeleton appear. The human form
becomes less distinct, the skeleton
more clear. The illusion is perfect,
startling. The mans head has sud-
denly turned into grinning skull. In
the coffin nothing remains except o
skeleton.
Presently the lights are turned uF
and the ghastly apparition disappears
while from out the coffin walks the man
who has contributed the amusement
to his morbid friends. He has seen
nothing of the skeleton into which he
was transformed, but could vaguely
see the audience, TO whom, owing to the
Illusion. he was invisible. Needless 70
say, the Transformation is effected By
the use of concealed stereopticon.
Such is the domain of death"
This room is connected with another
by narrow passage. The latter room,
being furnished in a less impressive
style, is somewhat more endurable
than the others. There are rows OF
long benches across one end, while al
the other is low, curtained platform
Here a performance is conducted
Tricks, sleight-of-hand performance
and dancing generally comprise tne
programme. The exit from this room
is through a passage similar 70 the en-
trance. which leads back into the main
room of the cafe.
The proprietor is little Frenchman
who seems to have entered thoroughly
into the spirit of the place and his un-
dertaking. That he is making money
out Of his chamber of horrors is IN
questionable The strangest thing Is
that. besides the usual throng of curl
Gus sightseers, be has large number
Of reCTriar customers whose morbid