The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-03-03

tive existence, MAD never learneu W
crawl, to utter word. He did not
even possess the common animal fac
ulty of recognizing one person from
another. AS there existed no appar-
ent cause for this defect, no deformity
of the head or body, and the vital
functions being in perfect condition,
many theories had been advanced as
to the cause of so singular an anon
ally. DR.. Brodsky, after studying the
child for many months. had finally
formulated his own conclusions.
1T is one of those rare cases." he
said "in which the soul was not born
into the body. It remains shut out,
as you can imagine yourself shut out
of your house. Doubtless it Is hover.
ing i1k close proximity to the mortal
form, connected, as it must be, by
the ethereal ligatures that bind 1t to
the spinal cord. In this condition, 1T
is practically deprived of it's existence
upon either of the planes; it is earth
bound and spirit-bound. And there is
only one remedy; some other disem-
bodied soul must assist 1t. 1t is my
plan to pass out of the body temporar-
lily and to compel it to incarcerate
ITSELF"
"And If you cannot return" I
cried.
81 shall ask your assistance in this
matter" the doctor answered. II
shall give you careful instructions,
which you will fulfill to the letter If,
after the lapse of certain time, you
find that these attempts are fruitless,
you will break open the letter which
l have left for you in the bureau draw
er, and read it."
I can hardly tell how this project
affected me. In vain I pointed out
to the doctor the inexpediency, from
purely unitarian point of view, of
risking his own life for the sake of
giving intelligence to the imbecile.
But my words were unheeded. l felt
that in truth. this was to be our last
experiment, that it amounted almost
to premeditated suicide. l refused to
participate in it.
Well, in the end, of course, I con-
scented, though / felt that this would
be the last occasion upon which I
should look into the doctors face
while he was alive. Looking back
now, think my mind must have been
warped; l accuse myself hundred
times Of having been the cause Of
Brodsky's death. Yet the first lesson
that he had implanted in my mind,
ever since / frst heard him lecture
to us students at the hospital, was the
duty of obedience. He had command.
ed and it was for me to obey. Espec-
tally, however, l base my vindication
upon that hypnotic power through the
medium of which Brodsky possessed
the ability to compel me, or anyone
else, to obey him.
Some days elapsed before the ex-
pertinent was made. Brodsky occu-
pied himself during this interval, as
l surmised, in setting his affairs in
order. At last, upon the afternoon ap-
pointed, repaired with him to his
laboratory, long chamber in the
rear of the house, completely shut off
from all communication with the ex-
ternal. Ordinarily there was no sound
within, but now great electrical
engine buzzed and throbbed beside
low, fiat table, raised only some six
inches above the floor, and surmount-
ed by a large bowl of translucent
blue, into which the wires entered.
Upon the table the imbecile child sat,
propped up against flexible pillow
of rubber, or some similar non-con-
Quoting material, searching the room
with his large lack-luster eyes. The
doctor stopped over his machine and
made his adjustments; then he con-
nected rubber sponge, at the termi-
nation of q network Of wires, with
the child's spine, and bound it there
with strips of cloth in such manner
that 1t could not be removed. He
drew another wire. terminating in a
similar sponge, from the recesses Of
the machine, and affixed it to himself
in the same way; finally, he united
both to the metal base of the globe
with clamp. Immediately the globe
became dark and Opaque.
"That is the measure Of our vital
forces" he said. and now will give
you your instructions.
1T was my intention to ask you to
press the lever which will send the
high voltage through our bodies. But
In case Of any untoward results you
would reproach yourself with being
my slayer. l shall, therefore, myself
press the lever, and lay upon you only
the responsibility Of recalling me to
HE again. 9
when press this lever 1t will send
a current of electricity of several
thousand volts directly through our
bodies. The effect will be the same
as that which is produced by an cleo
trocution. Now 1t has always been
my claim although the authorities OF
our prisons would never permit me to
| demonstrate it-that the man who has
suffered electrocution can invariably
be revived by the proper methods,
since the current merely paralyzes the
nerve centers and suspends the vital
functions. without destroying any OF
the tissues. The criminal who goes
| to the electric chair dies, not from the