Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-11-18
THE CHEMISTS STORY.
A Thrilling Sketch.

1t was eleven o'clock on a stormy even.
ing that badc goodnight to my student,
Tom Richards, at the door Of my laboratory,
at the south end of the college building.
"Good night, Professor" said tom I'VE
arc going to have a fall Of hydrogen, oxy-
gcu, aud trace of suiine." -.
Hydrogen and oxygeu-in our nomen-
claturc, Ii O--is water.
81 hope," said, in an answer to Toms
playful words, that it will not rain before
get home"
20, no it won't for an hour yet said
Tom.
'Thcn,' l said, with sigh, noticing that
the mercury 10 my barometer was rapidly
falling, sign Of a violent storm, l shall
certainly y get wet
Tom was very anxious to know what
would keep me up after twelve o'clock !:
50 | told him was about to commence
analyzing the stomach of Mrs. johnson,
whose husband now lay in =. Jail, just across
the road from the college. on suspicion that
he was the murderer. Tom said l worked
hard enough that day, and deserved the
night to himself. lie spoke the truth.
Still had delayed examining the woman's
stomach SO long, aud the trial was so close
at haud, that could not in consequence
put off the examination further.
As Tou was passing out of the college
yard, through the gate, his head turned, J.,
bidding mc goodnight, he brushed against
Il man standing with his back to the col
lcgc nml his face towards the prison. The
street lamp showed me that the wan was
clad in the police un!orn.
Il. entering my l,h,ratory, I took down
class jar from shelf, and sa: down be-
fore my sink to examine it. This Jar,
which contained Mrs. Juhnsons stomach,
was covcre! by cloth, duly tied with
strings, anl prof. erly sealed with my off
cla! seal in rc'! w,x. Breaking through
the cloth aud seal, I,Ilrd the stomach out
with di.scctin; hook, and laid i. ON
white platter before me, then became bu-
SLY engaged in applying those tests to
its conicuts by which We detect the pre-
scncc of injurious substances.
An hour had passed since the departure
Of young Richards. l had carefully emp.
tied the cnntcnts of the stomach into
number of bowls aud basins. hal la.
bored hard to discover traces of poison in
all this, but had been unsuccessful. Joe
johnson, the suspected man, had been
student of mine few years before. |
though, h'm IL good hearted, intclli gent
fellow, only II little wild, aud l really be-
gan to hope that he might prove innocent,
when, amon5 the mas;icatcd food, l came
all 1,E Il
Dy careful manipulation, and the use of
my masnifying glass, l managed to get this
upon Il piece Of smoked glass, and exam
iucd it.
l was then certain | had discovered ar.
scuic, but TO make assurance doubly sure,
| determined to apply well known test for
that poison. Accordingly placed in the
woman's stomach the usual acids, and then
turned on the blow-pipc fame, and present.
ly, upon white aud porcelain ground,
there appeared that brilliant metallic mark,
worthy Of Gains brow, which is the sign
aud signct of the Poison Fiend.
Yes exclaimed, as l saw the fatal
blazon, Joe johnson is the murderer of
his wife; with the evidence of that mark
to back me. no power on earth can save
him from the rope
'Do you really think so ? said calm,
squeaking voice behind me.
l turned quickly, and discovered tall,
thin policeman, having red, weak and
watery eyes, standing at my Office door,
and staring in. His body looked as if it
had been rolled out long between hands,
like molasses candy stick. His nose was
merely an elongated Acshy plug, aud his
forehead was decorated with two red strcaks
instead of eyebrows. He had no express
sion at all in his face, and his policcman's 8
hat was SO large that it threatened to set
tic down GU bis shoulders.
His uniform treasured me, and ad.
dressed him thus, with some impaticnce
My friend, l suppose am wanted to
attend an inquest, or what is your pur.
posc?
No, doctor; the man amt dead yet'
Anything in the surgical way p
l was police surgeon as well as coroner
NO
Well, then, why do you send for me at
this time Of night?'
Don't bother, Professor the man
amt dead yet. but they say he will die be-
fore morning.
Arc doctors attending him?'
y, he's in good hands, Professor
What is the matter with him -
Well, said the official, somc folks say
he's got so much knowledge into him that
he cant live under it,
Cerebral disorder, eh
what " asked the man.
Brain disorder, l mean something
wrong here p
touched my forehead, and SO did he,
as he said:
'Ayc; and l thought I'd drop in and
tell you if you was going to the station to-
morrow to take look aud see if it's post
mortem or not. Besides, l wanted to see
where could find you in case Of need
/ bowed, and attributed his visit TO q