Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-01-18

S~SeAS oA~S& AASsAe6o O4AO PAA0OAC1s
In short, the chemist must know the
why's and wherefores of everything in
the phenomena Of life, as far as feeble
man can know. The composition of
the ocean he must be familiar with he
must be able to name the gases of the
air, and capable ofresolving the human
body itself into invisible vapors. lam
the occupant of this responsible and
important position in the medical col.
ege of P.
It was about II o'clock on a stormy
evening that bade good night to nv
student, Tom Richards, at the door Of
my laboratory, at the south end of the
college buildings.
Goodnight, professor" said Tom ::
We are going to have q fall of hy-
drogen, oxygen, and trace of saline. ~
Hydrogen and oxygen-in our no.
menclature H. O.-is water
:" hope," said, in answer to Toms
playful words, '' that it will not rain
before l get home"
Oh, no it won't for an hour yet, u
said Tom.
"Then," I said, with sigh, noticing
that the mercury in the barometer was
falling. sign Of violent storm, 81
shall certainly get wet."
Tom was very anxious to know what
would keep me up after IL o'clock, SO
told him I was about to commence
analyzing the stomach of a Mrs. John.
son, whose husband now Law in p
jail, just across the road from the col
lege, on suspicion that he was the mur.
derer. Tom said had worked hard
enough that day and deserved the night
to myself. He spoke the truth still,
l had delayed examining the woman'e
stomach SO long, and the trial was SO
near at hand, that could not in con.
science put off the examination farther,
although I had heard several classes
recite at the different public schools in
the morning; had delivered q lecture
in the college proper that afternoon,
another in the laboratory that evening,
beside attending to my several duties
as police surgeon during the day.
AS Tom was passing out OF the col
lege yard through the gate, his head
turned, bidding me good night, he
brushed against man standing with
his back to the college and his face to
the prison. The street-lamp showed
me that the man was in the police uni
form.
Re-entering my laboratory, I took
down glass jar from the shelf and sat
down before my sink to examine it. The
jar, which contained Mrs. Johnson's
stomach, was covered by cloth, duly
tied with a string, and properly sealed
with my official seal in red wax. Break
ing through the cloth, 1 lifted the
stomach ont with dissecting hook
and laid it on white platter before me:
then became busily employed IN apply.
ing those tests to its contents by Which
we detect the presence of Injurious sub.
stance.
An hour had passed since the depart.
ure of young Richards. I had care.
fully emptied the contents of the stom.
ach into q number of bowls and basins.
/ had labored hard to discover traces
of poison in all this, but had been un
successful. Joe Johnson, the suspect
ed man, had been student of mine O
few years before. I thought him g
good-hearted, intelligent fellow, only a
little wild, and really began to hope
Ouat uc WlSuC prove luuOCeuC Wnc0
among the maceratcd food, I came upo1
small, infiHitesimal white grain. B,
careful manipulation and the use of my
magnifying glass managed to get thil
upon piece of smoked glass, and ex
animated it.
was then certain I had discovered
arsenic, but to make assurance doubl,
sure I determined tc apply a we'll
known test for that poison. Accord
ingly I placed in the woman's stomach
the susual acids, and then turned OF
the blowpipe fame, and presently ther,
appeared the brilliant metallic mark
worthy of Gains brow, which is the sig,
and signet Of the poison fiend.
Yes," 1 exclaimed, as I saw the ia
tai blazon, Joe johnson is tho murder
er of his wife! With the evidence o
that mark to back me no power can saw,
him from the rope"
"Do You really think so ?" said
calm voice behind me.
turned quickly, aud discovered
tall, lank policeman, having red, veal
and watery eyes, standing at my otfic,
"oor and starring in. His body look
ell as if it had been rolled out long l,c
I tween his hands, like molasscs cand
stick. His nose was merely a., cl,n
gated tieshy pug, and his forehead wa