The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-20

| began 10 pale Inc rudy Color gave place
to gray tint. But the mouth remained
firmly closed. with the dental arche:
| pressed one against the other. Bringing
light near che eye caused no contract
in gof the pupil The irIdian reflex did no.
! appear.
'At the end Of four minutes the facs
/ became -bloodless and anaemic- The eye
| brows were half fallen. The mouth wa:
still closed. but we could put finger be-
tween the Jaws Various sensory excite
ments were attempted-cries in the ears
| pnching the tongue and skin-but showed
no result.
1--WE continued to observe the body 20.
twenty minutes"
This awful problem exercises an endur-
1 ing fascination for French physicians
| DR.. Cfners contribution 20 Il Is the SEN
sation OF the day.
! The Most Famous Experiment With a
Gufllotined Head.
The most famous and historical Of al
Experiments with a decapitated head Is
| Hat made on Dr. Couty de la Pomme-
/ rails, executed for murder in 1854. He made
an ante-mortem agreement with his friend
| tIo great phy sIClau fcipedu, "t44SA IL
! thus recorded:
LAT the fall Of the knife said Velpeau
to La Pommerais. whom ne was visiting
in his cell, 4 shall be there in front OF
/ you by the machine. As soon as possible
your head Will pass from the hands OF
the executioner into mine. And then
Will cry out distinctly in your ear:
Monsieur Couty de Ia Pommerais,
in memory of our agreement in life. can
you at CHS moment lower three times
the lid of your right eye?"
of at this moment, whatever may be
the other contractions of the face, you
can by this triple winking OF the eye
warn me that you have heard and under
stood. and by an act of memory and OF
permanent Will. control your palpsorai
muscle, your zygonatic nerve and your
conjugativa at the same time dominating
all the abyss, all the horror OF your other
impressions-t9at will be enough 20 illu-
inmate science and to revolutionize our
convictions And ! shall, believe me. be
able TO record this fact for posterity. so
that you will leave the name OF hero
rather than criminal
la PommeraLs accepted the proposition
and Velpeau was on the scaffold on the
day of execution. The knife fell and the
head was handed TO him.
"Velpeau bent over the head and pro-
nounced in the right ear the agreed ques-
ton. Strong-willed as he was. the result
made him tremble and blanche. The lid
OF the right eye lowered, the feft re-
manned wide open and stared at him.
lin the name OF God and OF our be-
ing give this sign twice again." Velpeau
cried desperately.
''The eyelids closed as IL by an internal
effort, but the lid rose no more The
head seemed tired. The face from second
to second became rigid, frozen. immobie.
All was over"
Statement Of NJ. Diebler. the Great
French Exeeutioner.
All my experience proves 10 me that
the guillotine causes an instant and pain
less death.
1t happens frequently that the severed
head for two or three minutes presents
certain commissions OF the eyelids. few
vague movements of the lips and Jaws,
but these acts, II appears, are purely re-
fiex. unconscious. Now they pretend that
certain heads have bitten. They cite the
case Of sailor OF Brest who in clinic
an hour afterward bit pencil in half
The story Of DR.. Couty de la Pommerais
has been often told. But these things
cannot be true. in my opinion
Undoubtedly the man has bad moment
when ne IS fastened TO the board and
stretched out on his stomach, with the
blade hanging over hi sneck and the bas-
ket under his chin. 1t is but for mo-
ment. The instant the knife falls he has
no consciousness. no pain
The knife is heavily weighted, to make
IL fall swiftly and with tremendous force
when l touch the spring. This is the
reason why I think an consciousness de-
parts from the brain OF a man after the
fall of the head. At the same instant
that the neck is severed by the blade the
weighty portion strikes such fearful
blow on the occiput that the cheek els
often bruised from the fall OF the head
into the tin vessel containing the saw
dust. Yet the head is only raised few
inches above the tin vessel which receives
It. Such a blow is, in my opinion, suffl-
Gent to drive away any ray of memory.
reflection or real sensibility that may lin
of the most obdurate. bhl-headed Grim
inal.
Statement OF DR.. Paul 1oye.
After a series Of the most exhaustive
experiments. conducted in my laborato-
ries. and after attendance at many execu-
tons. it is my fixed opinion that death
by decapitation is instantaneous.
I have received into my hands the heads
of decapitated criminals actually as they
fell from the knife Of the guillotine. The
heads have never exhibited the least trace
Of psychic life after they were stricken
off. Usually the face remains calm and
fmpassive. though often there is muscular
twitching and movement OF the eyelids.
In my opinion. the pain produced by the
wound upon the neck IS not felt by the
criminal. The spinal cord has been sew
cred. and stnsation has been destroyed
before the pain had time 70 be communi-
Gated 20 the brain. PAUL LOVE.
Our Treatment or Spanish Captives
Never before N history Nas ;hers a case
where a defeated and captv, enemy re-
celved such generous treatment as we gave
the Spanlards. Other nations are aston
ishaa. Equslv sst0uish' ~ ara he cures
brought about by Hostettsr's stomach Bit
te-s. Never before IN history has there
. been 81 successful a medicine for ne weak,
dsb1'tatei and nervous. or stonacA and
liver disorders Ike dyspepsia. ind ,gestio1,
. bil1usness and constipation. AL rations
have benefited by IL. and all praise It.
PrizefIghter Held for Murder.
Omaha oct 1s.-Lats this afternoon An
Who administered ne fatal beating 70
lam Walker Monday night. was ar
rested AZ South Omaha lie : he'd fo-
! ,-e- aILra h.rt h.sr-r--- J