The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-09-02
SELECTED STORY.
THE CHEMISTS STORY.
BY DIR. ROSS WILSON.

l am chemist Many, doubtless, would
find it difficult to define what the duties of {
chemist are, if asked. To such say, chem
list is collector of facts. 1t is the business:
OF his life to aid in unmasking, for the worlds
benefit, the good and evil lowering even in
the air we breathe, burrowing in the earth we
tread, mingling with the food we eat, and
swimming in what we drink.
Then again, the law waits on the chemist.
A human being has passed suddenly awav,-
Somebody thinks there has been foul play
The chemist examines the body of the sup
posed victim. The law listens hat in hand to
science. The suspected party trembles in an
tlclpatlon. The oracular lips of the chemist,
move; ne names out one of a fearful list of
polsons. 1t is either strychnine prussic acid
or that deadly oil of almonds. The law then
puts on its hat, takes the decision into court
and hangs the prisoner.
ln short, the chemist must know the WHY'S
and wheretores of everything in the phenom-
en- ema OF lie, as far as feeble man can know
Inc composition of the ocean he must be ia
mlllar with he must be able to pane the gas
ses OF the ar, and capable of resolving The
human body itself into visible vapors. I am
Tue occupant OF this responsible and impor-
tant position in the Medical College of p
1t was about eleven o'clock on stormy
evening that babe good night to my student,
Tom Richard, at the door of nv laboratory
at the south end of the college building.
GOOD night, Professor" said Tom: 1--WE are
going to have fall of hydrogen, oxygen, and
trace of saline"
Hydrogen and oxygen-in our nomencla
ture, ii. o. is water.
nope" said, in answer to Toms playful
wworus, that 1t will not rain before 1 get
,. 0 no; it won't for an hour yet,s said Tom.
4, lneh, said, with a sigh, noticing that
me mercury III my barometer was ranidIv
railing, sign OF violent storm. 81 shall cor.
talnly get wet.' wi
ION was very anxious to know what
would keep me up after twelve O'clock. 80
told him was about to commence analy1ina
Inc stomach of Mrs. johnson. whose
nusoand now lay in P jail, Just across the
road from the college, on suspicion that he
was the murderer. Tom said L had worked
hard enough that day, and deserved the nigbt
70 myself. He spoke the truth. Still, l had
uIeIayed examining the woman's stomach so
lohg, and the trial was so near at hand that
60 . ny III conscience put off the examina-
t,on larlher, although L had heard several
classes reclte at the different public schools in
the morning, had delivered a Lecture in tha
Scollege proper that afternoon, and one in the
LABORATORY That evening, besides attending to
day. "'ii'is Tie
AS Tom was passing out of the college ward
through the gate, bis head turned, bidding me
goodnight; he brushed against man stand
ing VILE his back to the college and his face
toward the prison. The street lamp showed |
ine that the man was clad in the police mi |
form.
-, Reenterng my laboratory, l took down a |
sinL "a Jar rom shelf, and sat down before nv
e'nN Mo W examine it. The jar, which contain.
eu MRS Johnson's stomach. was covered b11
soTn, uuiy tied with strings. and nronor,u
- tt oi my o1lclal seal in red way Reel |
- WI Eusn me cloth and seal. 7 Iifted tho
o,oW ,ho 9gI win dissecting hook and laid IL
on the white platter before me. thor nnI Iau IL
Duslly engaged in applying those tests pecame
contents by which we detect the nraSo, W us
injurious substances P'e'once OF
An hour had passed since the danart,,uo
yonng Richards, had carefully emntied ,ba
contents OF the stomach into number of bowls
and basins. had labored hard to discover
traces OF poison in all this, but had been nm
iI )" Joe johnson, the suspected man,
I I y, been student of mine few years before.
! thought him good-hearted, intelligent fell
how on,o only a little wild, and really began to
amonr tL ne might prove innocent when
small n rte iHhacerated food, 1 came upon a
maninniat,n lDesslinal white grain. By careful
glass I manan ana the use of my magnifyng
smoked glass ana 20 get this upon a piece Of
i was tnen certain [ had d..
DI in W make assurance doublv snro arsemc
IIlheu 10 Try well know sure, L deter
poison. Accordingly placed ieS =, forl that
s ,I the usual acids, and then me woman's
lhe oow-plpe flame, and presentIv ' ,L on
eared mat brilliant metallic mark w vnrfe ap
the Poison Fiend. vs." anu slgnet of
on Js Toe Je exclaimed, as saw that fatal bIaz.
VIZ 9 , Johnson is the murderer of his Ia,
w 'tu Ile evidence OF that mark to baoI, vic!
10 power can save him from the rope!S me-
10 you really think sop said q ~
voice behind me. calm,
turned quickly and discovered a tall no