The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-23

pefed beyond the confines of TipDecanoe county. for tine diabollcal cunning em- ployed in his grewsome deed lnsures the perpetuation of the story for years 10 come.
 An Interesting Relic.
 The crude, but effective, gullotine by which Moon chopped off his head is now one Of the most interesting relics in tue of Purdue university.
 The sanity of Moon had been questioned before his startling act of self-destruction. for he was continuously talking of reyo- the world by various remark able inventions upon which he was work ing. One of his hobbies was sewing machine that he promised would far excel anything yet invented in that line and he would spend days working on it in a little shed in the rear of his home. Moon was known throughout the county. and there were some who believed that he was really a genius Id some day would succeed in the great invention on which hls heart d mind were set. Though none of his machines was ever successful, there Is no denying that his guillotine WAS a masterpiece of amateur mechanical art. After his death it was learned that he had spent months in per fecting the instrument which was once the terror Of France.
 Every Detail Perfect.
 Every detail in the construction of the 10 th-dealins device was perfect Could enc have watched the man at work in his little shop in the lonesome hours of the night he would have seen a remark able spectacle. Moon must have stretched ms body on the floor again and again. marking the distance with perfect accur- and than srip fJa to see if It would descend just at the spot where he neck had been. Every caIcu- lation had to be perfect, every joint in the instrument had to work perfectly to in- sure such perfect success as was att tained in the final test to which it was put.
 The big blade was sharpened to the keenness of a razors edge. Those who saw Moon's body afterward say that the neck was cut through SO smoothly that not even bone was splntered
 Bidding his family a happy farewell Moon left his home in the section of Tippecanoe county. known as the ''Wea Plains" and went to the old Hotel Lahr, In Lafayette, one Saturday afternoon in June, 1876. His only baggage was a trunk. fin which the pieces of his guillo- tine, the straps, bottle of ch1oroform and other materials necessary in the prepara- tion for his suicide were stored
 The afternoon and evening Moon spent chatting with friends about the hotel, and he was the gayest of all of them. He gave no indication that the hour was near when he would carry into execution the plans he had made to make his name Famous.
 Operation of GuilIotine.
 The hour must have been late before Moon began his work of setting up the guillotine, for the men In the adjoining room told that the light in his room was burning when they retired. but no sounds came from the silent chamber. It is pre- sumed, however, that he employed the early part of the evening in putting the different parts of the gullotine together. The arm proper was six feet three inches long, and was in three separate pieces, and was constructed out of hard oak. Each part was put together with screws, 50 that there would be no noise neces- sary In erecting 1t.
 The work of putting this arm togeth : CT must have taken considerable time, as each piece was thoroughly braced to prevent play in any direction. The arm connected with broad hinge tha fas- tened on one side to the floor of the room and on the other to the base boarding to make it secure. The broad ax, which no doubt was the last to be attached to the guillotine, weighed GA pounds, and was made secure with five heavy screws. Moon made the broad ax at one of the principal foundries in said that he was making a special kind of chopper for the chef of the Lahr Hotel.'
 Took Great Pains.
 All of the parts of the guillotine in place, Moon began his painstaking ar engagements for the end. At a measured distance from the hinge he fastened two straps to the floor with screws, and at the side of the window he placed a bracket, on which he put an ordinary kitchen candle. From the wall just above the candle to a point near the broadax ran two slender cords that he had sawed through the side of the can dle in order that at the center they would practically become part of the wick. Thus the flame had some time to burn before 1t would release the instrument of death.
 Moon even took the trouble to pre- pare a small box filled with cotton to receive his head when 1t rolled from his body. Through hole in each side or Jno DOX dnu DcntdlH HIS Shth ho passed a stick the object of this being to prevent his head from falling for ward when he became unconscious The stick held his head so that there was no chance for the broadax to miss his neck In the exact spot that he had calculated.
 cbloroform a Final Precaution.
 Shorter and shorter grew the yellow flame on the side of the wall. but the man calculated coolly and deliberately, and he had time for everything. When the candle had burned certain distance he reached for a bottle of chloroform that he had placed at his side and dash : ing It's contents on heavy cloth, placed it across his nose and the lower part Of his face Then thrusting his hands ne- neath the strap across his chest. the man had completed every detail. and all taitc remained was for the flame or the candle to release the gullotine's blade
 The night had passed and the day came with no one aware of the tragedy thai had been enacted. Supposing that Moon was sleeping late. he was left un- disturbed until late In the afternoon Then q colored porter was sent to Tn . vestieate. Getting no response to hls knock. he stood on a chair and looked the transom of the door. Wltii a veil he fled from the building
 Then the door was forced open anu the manner in which Jim" Moon had sought to perpetuate his name was re- vealed. The coroner, Dr. w. w. Vin- negee. who is still a practicing physi- cia n in Lafayette, was called ana Jury of nrominent citizens was empanelloo hafore the body of Moon became cold From o'clock Sunday evening untll o,cloels Monday afternoon this jury re- noained in continuous session. debating whether it's verdict should declare the man to have been insane.
 ~ .ro .ida of the big arm of the