The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1896-12-26
In Huful Revenge.

told to me by the son OF a man Who
took an active part in the French revo.
y sution 5s
Incredible as the narrative may
seem to the average reader, the old
gentleman who related the incid ant to
me firmly believed it, and a few ex-
perts in electricity have admitted that
such things are possible:
When the revolution was at Its
height in Paris, during 1892, a young
doctor named Gaspard met a horrible
fate under very singular circum.
stances. Tho doctor was devoted to
& science. He had mastered many of
the secrets of electricity, and there is
good reason to believe that if he had
lived to our generation he would have
been far in advance Of our leading
electricians
DR.. Gaspard loved science and hated
Dumont, a dreaded rival in his own "
particular field. One night Dumont
was arrested and carried before the
{ revolutionary tribunal. He was tried
il and convicted of treason before mid
night, and was sentenced to die at an
1 early hour the next morning. In this
case, so hurriedly disposed of, the pros
ecutor was Gaspard. He made the af-
fdavit which caused the arrest, and he
was the only witness against the pris-
Oner
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 a massive frame, and his
head doomed far above his fellow pris-
oners. He bad nothing to say, but his
rowing eyes searched the ranks of the
spectators until they finally rested on
u one face-the face Of his false friend,
Gaspard. With a mighty effort the
prisoner burst his bends.
s!'Villainv' he shouted in a ringing
voice, as he, pointed to the man who
had betrayed linn. My death will be
avenged! Your hour of doom is near
at hand!'
He was roughly seized. His wrists
were bound, and the beating of the
drums drowned his voice.
Gaspard hid himself in the crowd
and waited. He did not have long to
wait, His enemy was the first victim,
and the guillotine had hardly severed
the head before the remains were
placed on a stretcher and carried to
the doctors laboratory, close at hand.
Gaspard locked his doors at once.
He had everything ready for the ex-
pertinent. A few STITCHES united the
head to the body, eId the doctor went
to work with his electrical appliances.
Just what occurred in that laborat tory
will never be known. There We're still
ten persons to be executed, when the
people around the guillotine were
struck dumb by a spectacle more
shocking than, the scores which they
had just witnessed OF the scaffold
DR.. Gaspard was see1l rushing from
his laboratory in a frenzy Of frantic
terror. Close at his heels followed
Dumont. The pursCer's dress was dis
ordered and covered with crimson
streaks from his neck downward to
his feet. His face, convulsed with
rage, was horrible sight to- behold.
When they had recovered from their
fright sufficiently to move, the spectat-
ors scattered in every direction, leav-
ing only the eXecutioners, the guards
and the prisoners who were awaiting
their turn to mount the scaffold.
Straight through the square the two
doctors dartcd, 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 the most exciting part
n of the race. - 5sSe ~
They had traversed about 200 yards
when the stitches became loosened i'll
Dumont's neck. Quick as lightning the
victim of the guillotine snatched of
his bleeding head and continued to
run, holding the gocy, CHASTITY thing in
one hand, with his staring eyes fixed
on Gaspard. The wretched fugitive,
looking backward, saw this new hor-
Tor, and, with blood-curdling yell, he
almost doubled his speed. 4
Onward and still onward they flew,
the pursuar slowly gaining in the race.
Scared shopkeeper5 closed stheir doors,
women shrieked from their windows
and tainted, brlve soldiers turned pale
with fe:,r and many old people fell OH
their knees and crossed themselves.
Looking neither to the right nor to the
! left, Gaspard rushed onward, coatinu-
ing 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 low
er flying before the red and headless
avenger behind him she gave desper-
ate scream. The fugitive saw her. but
. dared not stop
Without pausing Dumont, when he
( passed the carriage, suddenly gave his