Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-11-24
The Romantic story of Polish
officers Uranium.


Officers Uranium.
Sedalia Democrat. Nov. 81
Last Saturday afternoon in the court
room we met Mr.. Frank Houston, our
popular prosecuting attorney, bearing
about in his hand human skull. OF
course we we're curious 10 know what he
meant by it, and on inquiring he told US
that he had borrowed the grim relic from
Major Suess, Of this city, for the use Of
surgeon who had testified the day pre-
vious in the case of DR.. Welborn, who
was then on trial for the killing Of John
Milan, at Aulville, Lafayette county, last
November. II seems that the surgeon
wished to illustrate the effect a certain
kind of blow would have on a persons
nasal bone, such as Milan had struck
Welbornin the encounter which proved
fatal to the former.
We had barely mentioned the subject
TO Mr.. Houston, when he told us the
skull had peculiar history, and that we
could get full particulars by calling on
Major Suess. This we did yesterday
morning, and that gentleman kindly
gave us q story, which, while it is literally
true, has about it a glamour of romance
seemingly incredible. Indeed, it is but
another illustration that truth is stranger
than fiction.
The skull is that Of Captain Padlovski,
distinguished surgeon in the Polish
army at the time that country was vainly
battling against the powerful Russians.
This officer was bosom friend of DR..
Hutawa, who died in this country about
three years ago, after having enjoyed the
highest respect of our people. He and
Hutawa had been students together at
the same medical university, aud after
wards were intimate companions in the
service CT their heroic country.
One day, on the eve of terrible bat
tie with the Russian forces. Drs. Rutawa
and Padlovski, as though with q dread
iul presertiment of the fate that would
befall one or the other Of them, entered
into a solemn agreement that should
either of them gO down in the coming
battle storm, the surviving party should
secure the head of his friend and pre-
serve the skull.
Finally, as the day was drawing to a
close, and the shadows gathered gloomily
about, there was keen rattle of mus
kerry and the dull, heavy booming of
cannon. The advance lines of the two
armies had encountered each other, and
gradually the conflict deepened down
the valley until the entire forces of both
armies were struggling for mastery Of
the field. There was dreadful slaughter
on either side, and not until the darkness
had shut out the antagonists from each
other did the furious conflict cease.
DR.. Hutawa, as he related to Major
Suess, went back to camp and there
awaited the ccming of his comrade, the
Polish surgeon,
Hours passed by but the missing came
not, and then Hutawa took lamp and a
squad of soldiers, at the dead of mid
night, and went out on the bloody field
in search of his friend After looking
about among the mangled and dying, he
at length found his companion who had
been killed on the battle night, with his
white face turned up to the sky, and in
the midst Of many brave men who had
gone down in that terrible slaughter
According to agreement, DR.. Hutawa
severed his friends head from the body,
bore it back to camp, kept it through
the war, and when he came to this coun-
try brought itwith him and carefully pre-
served it as q sacred relic of past COM
panionship. When Hutaws died, the
skull fell into the hands of Major Suess,
Of this city. And this is the true
strange story o. the Polish officers skull