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F 11 A XK M 0 11 T I Mi: 11 ,
ISdlior and l'roprietor
"Vol. I"7
J Published Weekly, !
At New liloonifteM, Pcnu'si.
JSV
F R A X K M 0 II T I 2.1 E II . j
I
smscKirrioN- tkums. j
OXE 1) OIj UAH Villi YEAH!
ITS .A.'OVA.TVOI':. j
A Mysterious Pationt.
HY FliANK l)i:i.ACY.
NE EVENING while myself and sev
eral old friends wore seated in Dr.
Blank's office, telling stories of our past
lives, one suggested that the doctor tell us
some of the curious incidents that must
have come to his knowledge duiinghis long
practice, in such a city as New York, lie
linally consented, and said ho would tell us
about his mysterious patient, as he had
named him. I will tell the story as near as
possible, in his own words.
'It had been nearly a year since I had
hung out my sign, and as yet I had hardly
been called to a single paying case." My
rent was long past duo, aud I was' in daily
Vxpectation of receiving notice to quit, or
pay up. Just at this time 1 was not pre
pared for either, for if 1 left, I knew not
where to go, and as to paying rny rent it
was impossible. This ev'ening I had sat
until quite late, thinking whether I had
not better give up, trying to secure a prac
tice in this city. I had finally come to
tho conclusion to hold on as long as my
landlord's, patience did not give out, and
had just aroso to clous my office for the
night, when I was surprised by hearing a
carriage stop before my door, shortly fol
lowed by tho entrance to my oflice, of a
middle aged man, of genteel appearance.
Ho carefully closed the door and taking
n hasty glance around tho room said, ''if:
ou are alone doctor, ar.d disengaged I
'houldliko a few words with you." Tel
iing him that I was at his service, he re
plied ; "I suppose doctor that you like to
practice, whero you arc sure of a good fee."
Under existing circumstances, I was not
disposed to deny this, and he continued ;
"J have' a case in which your services are
needed, but before engaging you, I must
tell you that I shall require certain promis
es from you which may not be agreeable
liut which I must necessarily insist upon ;
but I assure that I requiro nothing, that
you may not easily and honorably agree to.
In return for your services, if j ou comply
with my conditions, I shall pay one hundred
dollars," and handing me live twenty dollar
gold pieces, said, " hero is the pay for your
first visit, do you accept?"
'I must first know I replied, 'what are tho
conditions I am to agree to, though I need
ed the money bo badly, I was ready to
agree to anything not actually wicked."
" What I require," ho replied, "is that
after getting into the carriage now in wait
ing at the door, you allow youiself to bo
blindfolded and so to remain until you
reach the room of your patient ; and you
are not to try to ascertain who your patient
is, nor the manner in which his injuries
wore received. You shall bo safely return
ed to your office, probably jwithin two
lwurs."
I thought over tho proposition for a few
luomonts and as I could really see no reason
to apprehend danger from accompanying
him, I signified my acceptance of his con
ditions, lie then handed mo the sum
agreed upon, told me the naturo of the caso
that I might know what instruments to
. take and in five minutes wo woro on our
way. As boon as we started, ho produced
. .11 ...l.l-.i" 1'.... i l , . i
a liunuiveicuici ioi n uuuoiigu wnicn acuor-
AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY
ding to promise, I allowed him to place j
ovel my eves. We rodo rapidly, for proba- I
bly fifteen minutes, during which time wo
mado so many turns that I could not even
judge the direction we were from my oflice.
When the carriage stopptd my companion
conducted me into the house, passing
through a long hall and up a pair of stairs
covered with a carpet, mi soft and thick that
no sound of our footsteps could be heard
and taking me into a room requested mcto
wait a few minutes, while he announced
my arrival. From the rustle of garments
I was sure that some lady was in the room
although nothing was said, during tho ab
sence of my guide, who soon returned and
informed me that ho would now take me to
the patient who was anxiously expecting
me. Ho then led me from tho room, across
a hall as I thought, into an apartment op
posite, when he removed my bandage, and
pointing to another door, said, "you will
tind the patient needing your services in
the room adjoining this." A quick survey
of the furniture and ornaments, around the
room, showed it to bo the home of wealth
and refinement. I had no time now to
think much over tho singular manner in
which I had been brought there, though
the question, why all the secrecy? would
force itself upon me.
I found my patient to be a young man,
probably about twenty-three years of age,
and to be suffering from a severe fracture
of the thigh and a severe cut on the head,
with some internal injuries, which I judged
came from a fall. It was apparent that
the injuries had been received a day or
perhaps two days previous, and I wonder
ed greatly at the delay in sccuYing surgi
cal attention. After attending to his in
juries in proper manner, during -which
time I saw no other person except the
gentlemen who had como for me I signi
fied my readiness to leave when I was
again blindfolded and returned to my of
fice accompanied by my former companion,
lie removed my bandage as tho carriage
stopped at my oflice, and said, "I suppose
doctor wo can depend upon your services
as we may need them." I assured him
that ho might, and wishing him "good
night," went into my office to think over
the singular circumstances attending this
visit.
After I returned it was long before I
could sleep and then I dreamed such
strange dreams, that I awoke in the morn
ing uncertain whether tho wholo nfl'air,
was not a delusion, and nothing .but tho
gold received for tho visit convinced me
of the reality of the transaction. Although
I had promised not to try to discover who
my patient was, I must acknowledge that
nearly my wholo thought through tho day
was, "who is this mysterious patient and
why all this secrecy," but I arrived at no
satisfactory, conclusion. About ten o'clock
in tho evening I was again ca led for by
tho same person who came tho evening
previous, and again ho paid mo tho hun
dred dollars, for a visit, requiring tho same
precautions.
In this manner I had mado four visits'
receiving each time, tho same fee, and as
yet was as far as ever from, arriving at any
solution of the mystery. I could but won
der "why they should pay me so large u
price for a secret visit, when ten! dollars
would pay for tho visit in tho regular man
ner of tho best surgeon in New York," un
less there was some crime connected with
the caso. What I saw on the premises
tihowed every evidence of wealth and refine
ment, and I was unable to think in what
way to connect any crime with tho par
tics. Tho morning after iny fourth visit, in
looking over a paper, I read a paragraph
which it onco explained as I thought, tho
wholo affair. This you remember was
before tlo days of telegraphs, and often
quite important events would not bo ex
tensively known by the public for some
days after they had happened. Tho article
read as follows :
" On last Monday night, Charlce Gordon who
cw ISlooinfiolcl, J?:i.9 July
wan confined in Ilaekensnek juil nwniting his
uml """l lm! ciiiirjfe t killing AUner Header
i DI1I1 lllili n . n ........ I1 it... .1
I con, made His escape. Hv the uid of some
friends, he had procured tools with which he
had cut fie har t. i hU r-;i. nml I y tearing
his bedcloilies In tt:ips had made a rope long
enough to reach the ground. This rope was
found to he broken near the top and from tlte
appearance of the blood on the pavement he
liuet have been badly hurt hv the f ill. It h
probable that some of bi friends were there to
help linn, us he could hardly have escaped ult ir
reaching the utrei t, without their uid. No clue
to his whereabouts, has as yet been discovered.
Ho will probably have to apply for medical at
tention, and tliis may lead to his detection."
Charles Gordon, to whom the above re
ferred, was the son of a wealthy broker in
tho lower part of the city, lb; had been
exceedingly disipated, going on from bad
to worse, until in a drunken light, a com
panion was killed, and ho was arrested on
the charge of murder.
All was now clear to mo. Mr. Gorden
to save his son the risk, and his family the
disgrace of this trial for murder, had aided
Charles to escape. Toe injuries received
by the fall, had made it necessary to bring
him home aud care for him in this secret
manner.
I was undecided, whether when asked
again to visit my patient, to state my sus
picions, demand an explanation or else de
clino to visit hiin again, or to say nothing
and continue my visits as before. I finally
decided, that as I might be wrong in my
conclusions, and was so well paid for my
services, that I would not relinquish so
profitable case, on mere suspicion.
I therefore continued my calls whenever
required and it was not until I had made
eleven visits, that I thought my patient
sufficiently recovered, to dispense witii my
services. .
It was about a year after these visits
ceased that a young man formerly an as
sociate of Charles Gordon's was taken sick
and died. Shortly before his death how
ever ho had duly drawn up and attested,"
a confession which Mr. Gorden had pub
lished stating that it was him who had
killed Abner Henderson, and thatOhailes
was perfectly innocent of that crime. Since
his escape from prison no person seemed to
know anything regarding the whereabouts
or Gordon ; but it was only a few months
after the publication of this confession,
however that a gentleman called at my oflice
and introduced himself as "Charles Gor
don," and I at once recognized him as my
former patient. He had been living in
Europe until ho found that he could return
without danger of being arrested on the
charge of murder. During tho timo he was
suffering from tho injuries occasioned by
his fall, ho had thought over the evil of
his ways and determined that in the future
he would lead a different life. Ho carried
out his good intentions, making an enter
prising and useful citizens, and until his
death which happened only about a year
since ho was one of my best friends.
1 have always considered, that one of the
most fortunate events of lifo was being call
ed to visit this "mysterious patient."
Horrible Treatment of n Child.
ON Monday night last week, tho au
thorities of the city of Newport, O.,
received information that a chihwas being
treated with excessive ciuelty by its pa
rents, residing on McArthur street. Tho
facts set forth were deemed sufficient to
justify an official investigation, and a visit
to tho premises was accordingly made.
Tho Mayor at once ordered tho arrest of
tho father, John Wcidinger, and placed tho
child in chargo of a kind-hearted neighbor.
The mother, having a young babe in her
arms, was permitted to remain at home.
After tho arrest the child was visited by
thousands of citizens, and the feeling ex
hibited by tho wholo community was most
intense. An examination of these two
fiends in human shapo was had before May
or Buchanan Tuesday afternoon, and ro
vcaled the following additional facts : John
Wcidinger is step-father to the child, and a
tailor by trade. Both parents are Germans.
They had been treating the child cruelly
NEWSPAPER.
10, 187Q.
for more than a year. Although but little !
ovei six j ears oi age, it lias been given a
certain amount of work to do daily, and a
scanty supply of food in proportion to its
deserts, measured by their unnatural judg
ment, which was sometimes scarcely suffi
cient to keep it alive. They have been in
tho habit of punishing the poor little fellow
by placing him in a holo under tho floor for
hours at a time, of locking him up in the
wood-bhed at night, and of inhumanly
beating him with a raw-hide.
The boy was stripped in Court, and his
emaciated form and bruised and bloody
body was enough to melt any heart not made
of stone.
The only excuse offered by the brutal pa
rents for their conduct was that the child
was bad, and would steal, although no evi
dence wiis offered to show that ho had ev
er taken anything except a piece of bread
from another child, and that was probably
induced by tho pangs of hunger. Mayor
Buchanan said it was evident the parents
were not fit to exercise authority over their
ollspring. and as Mr. Frank Cook had
taken the child, if it was agreeable ho
would willingly bind the child to him ; if
not, care should be taken to furnish a prop
er home.
The father was remanded to jail in de
fault of $:J00 bail. The mother was also
remanded to jail for her own safety, tho
feeling of exasperation against her being
such as to make it necessary for her bodily
protection.
How about Elijah.
A METHODIST minister was on his
1. travels through the west of Illinois
tw.-niv yiars ago. Illinois was a wild
place then. He traveled twenty miles one
day before coining to a farm house. But
thero ho was received with hospitality.
Chicken pot pie and corndodgers composed
his supper, but to a hungry man these are
as good as a truffled turkey.
A fine old grandmother of tho houso was
most profuse in her hospitality. She press
ed the hot pie upon tho holy man's plate
till he could eat no moro. And then when
the family was gathered around tho great
log chimney, and its blazing fire, tho vener
ablo dame opened her mouth and thus
spoke :
" Ah, well-a-day ! it's a grand comfort
to have a minister of tho Gospel in these
parts. It's twenty years ago now since I
have seen ono 'cm. I've been a readin' o'
my bible all that time, and a waiten' to sco
a minister to ax him a question about sum
thin' I don't rightly understand."
"Madam," answered tho cautions minis
ter, " I am so t ired with my long ride that
I could not enter into a serious conversation
till I have slept ; but if you will ask mo to
morrow morning before I set out, I will
answer it to the best of my ability."
Tho old lady expressed herself satisfied
and tho cunning minister secured a soft
c for tho night. Tho next morning
grandma was up early, and hard at work
frying slapjacks for tho minister's break
fast. This last being dispatched, tho old
lady was still in a nervous fidget about her
question, while the holy man's horse was
saddled and brought to tho door.
After adjusting his saddle bags and sha
king hand with all tho family, he mounted
his horse, and turning to her asked :
" And now, madam, what is your quos
tion?" 'Waal, minister,, ' said she, "yor know
how it sea in tho bible, that Elijah was
mado a prophet, the heavens opened and
Elijah was taken to heaven in a chariot
and horses o' fire.' It's bettor nor twenty
years sin' I see that ere in tho bible, nod I
have puzzled ovdr it. ever sinco, an' there
ain't a soul round these diggins knows any
more nor I. But you're a minister o' the
Gospel an' ought to know all them things.
Now, what I want to know is this : Did
the Lord take Elijah right straight to
ITermn: IX ADVAStE
One Dollar per Yea r.
IVo. 29.
heaven or didn't he go kinder slaiitendicu-
lar ?'
History has not recorded the minister's
reply.
A Foolish Custom.
rgIIE foolish and ridiculous custom of ask
JL ing others to drink, is responsible for
there fourths of all the drinking done in this
country. Abolish that custom to-day, and
w here there arc eight barrels of liquor drank
now, there would not be two. We believe
this, and believe it can't be gainsayed. We
appeal to any number of drinkers for theh
opinion on the subject. Wo think they will
agree with, and corroborate our statement
in the matter. To this custom we owo this
"drinking between drinks," which some
wag, with more trutlr than poetry in his
soul, said was the only thing that hurt, or
words to that effect. What a ridiculous
piece of folly it is to go into a place, if in a,
mood for liquor, and to ask five or six ac
quaintances up to drink with you ; yet it is
done all the time, and by parties who per
haps needs the money for stockings ; but
not to do it when your acquaintances are
about is to bo looked upon upon sm " small
potatoes" and few in a hill. A most ab
surd, dreadful fraud, this "asking" in con
nection with liquor. Do wea.sk, coax, pre
vail, on acquaintances to go in and have
neckties, gloves or boots with us? "Come
in and take a bottle of wine with me?"
men will say, and, take you by the arm and
in you go. Do they ever say, " Come in
take a hat with mo?'' Are you continually
urged to eat things? Do they ask you to
take pocket knives, lead pencils, hair-dye,
tooth-powder, paper collars or umbrellas
with them? No ; thu "asking" business
is confined to liquor. It is liquor liberality,
or a custom rather, that extends itself to
no other article, if wo except oysters am,
cigars, but in this it is limited.
Take a party of six Germans who go in
for th'eir lager. They sit down, and each
ono drinks what ho wants, and pays for
what ho drinks. He isn't forced and ban
tered because he don't drink more. Tho
same with Englishmen, Frenchmen, and all
other people on tho face of the globe ex
cept Americans. You know how it would
bo with six of tho latter, did they go in for
lager. There would bo thirty-six glasses
diank, or paid for, if not all drank, be
cause each must ask tho other. Humbug !
Folly !
Imagine a case like this, did tho " ask
ing" business extend beyond the confines of
liquor. Two gentleman walking up Broad
way. One is attracted by a fine display of
bottles no boots, shoes. &e.. in a winrlmu
" Bob letS? go in and take some boots." In
they go 1 " Take hold, Bob. What's your
faney?" "No, I thank you, Tom, but I'm
not taking boots just now." "Oh, get in.
Take a pair. One pair won't hurt you."
" No, excuse me, Tom." "Take some
thing else. Have a pair of shoes, boot-jack
or gaiters. Take homo a pair of boots to
your wife. Don't seo mo do this thing
alone." Bob comes down and takes a pair
of boots. It's no use. Who could stand
Tom'h appeal ?
Can't this thing be extended to boots,
hats, umbrellas, tooth-brushes,.nutineg-gra-ters,
shirts, eye-glasses, carpet-bags, Ac. P
How cheap some of us could get a long, if it
could bo. Givo it a start, gentlemen. Do
not let it be limited to liquor. If not let
us say Teetotalers, if you would curtail the
consumption of liquor, make an assault
upon this absurd 'asking' custom in vogue
with us ; and until you can do this, you
nee In't expeot any decreaso in the liqucr
business.
VW Tho lion and tho lamb may possibly '
suintiine lay down in this world together
for a fu minlts, but when tho lion kums to
git up, the lamb will bo missing. Billing.
Tho lady whose blood curdled in her
voins has ever sinco been sour iu her disposition.