The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-03
THE RED TERROR.


Incredible as the narrative may seem to
the average reader, the old gentleman who
related the incident to me firmly believed
it, and q few experts in electricity have ad-
nitted that such things are possible
When the revolution was at its height in
Paris during 1893, a young doctor named
GasPard met horrible fate under very sim
gular circumstances. The doctor was de-
voted to science. He had mastered many
of the secrets Of electricity, 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 Du-
mont, dreaded rival in his own particu-
lar field. One night Dumont was arrested
and carried before the revolutionary tri-
bunal He was tried and convicted of
treason before midnight and was sentenced
to die at early hour the next morning.
In this case, so hurriedly disposed of, the
prosecutor was Gaspard. He made the af-
fdavit which caused the arrest, and he was
the only witness against the prisoner
The square where the execution took
place was crowded at sunrise, for there
were 30 persons to suffer the death penalty
Dumont was a young man of gigantic
size. He was very tall, with q massive
frame, and his head doomed far above his
fellow prisoners. He had nothing to say,
but his rowing eyes searched the ranks of
one face-the face of his false friend, Gas
pard.
With a mighty effort the prisoner burst
his bonds.
VILLAIN, - he shouted in a ringing voice
as he pointed to the man who had betrayed
him, my death will be avengedI Your
hour of door is near at handP'
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 enc
my was the first victim, and the guillotine
had hardly severed the head before the re-
mains were placed on a stretcher and car
ried to the doctors laboratory close at
hand.
Gaspard locked his doors at once. He
had everything ready for his experiment.
A few stitches reunited the head to the
body, and the doctor went to work with
his electrical appliances.
just what occurred in the laboratory
wiIl never be known.
There were still ten persons to be ex-
ecuted, when the people around the guillo-
tine were struck dumb with horror by a
spectacle more shocking than the scenes
which they had just witnessed on the scat
fold
DR.. Gaspard was seen rushing from his
y
Close to his heels followed Dumont.
The pursuer's dress was disordered and
covered with crimson streaks from his neck
downward to his feet. His face, convulsed
with pain and rage, was horrible sight to
behold.
When they had recovered from their
fright sufficiently to move, the spectators
scattered in every direction, leaving only
the executioners, the guards and the pris-
oners 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 the most eX-
citing part of the race.
They had traversed about 200 yards
when the stitches became Ioosened in Du-
mont's neck. Quick as lightning the vic
tim of this guiliotine snatched off his bleed
ing head and continued to run, holding
the CORY, ghastly thing in one hand, with
its staring eyes fixed on Gaspard
The wretched fugitive, looking back
ward, saw this new horror, and with, blood
curdling yell, he almost doubled his speed.
Onward and still onward they few, the
pursuer slowly gaining in the race. Scared
sh opkeepers closed their doors. Women
shrieked from their windows and tainted
and many old people fell upon their knees
and crossed themselves.
Looking neither to the right nor to the
left, Gaspard 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 % 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 Gespairing
scream The fugitive saw her, but dared
not stop.
Without pausing, Dunaont, when he
passed the carriage, suddenly gave his
head swing and hurled it through the
air. 1t landed in the lap of the judges
daughter, and, seeing its staring eyes look
ing into her own, the poor girl gave anobh-
er scream and then tainted.
The judges horses 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 so yards from the
quay when Dunont caught him. The
head1ess man wound one crimson arm
around the captured Doctor and then drag
ged him rapidly to the river.
A moments pause and the struggling
doctor was forced to leap into the water
with the red terror, in whose grip he was
utterly helpless.
It was a hopeless, frightened face that
disappeared under the black current. THIS
was all that a party of pleasure seekers in
a boat near the scene could tell about it I
afterward.
Almost before they knew it those in the !
boat saw the two men disappear. They |
saw moment later crimson spot On the |
surface of the water, but that was all. The |
bodies were never seen again.
This strange occurrence would have at |
tracted the worlds attention but for the ]
fact that the revolution furnished new sen
sations every day. As it was, it was soon |
forgotten in q city where the guillotine !
e..