The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-05-21

4
secret openings, and inspecting the par
tition on the east side narrowly. This
search revealed nothing. He looked out
of the window. There was the Chinese
candy-rnan" with his portable store on
the sidewalk mt the entrance. lmmedl-
ately behind him was Joseph Wendt, the
cartman, lying upon his back upon the
tail of his cart He could even see the
steps leading into the building, and they
were occupied by bootblack that he
had often patronized, and another cart
man reading newspaper. Inquiries
failed to elicit any information. Nobody
of suspicious character had issued from
the building. Indeed, the boot-black,
an intelligent lad who had been there for
two hours, and had seen everybody that
had come in or gone out, named the
people over. Endeavors TO fix upon the
person among his acquaintances, with a
sufficient motive for this assault, Mr..
Surden found equally vain. He, how
ever, took one or two precautions. He
hired an office-boy and armed himself
with revolver. He also had his door
fitted with a spring-lock which prevented
it from being opened from the hallway
without key.
He was boarding at the Merchants
Hotel at this time, and occupied small
room on the fourth floor.
On Saturday afternoon, July %, about
3 o'clock, while washing his hands in his
Office, preparatory to leaving the place,
he was struck again and knocked over
the blow, as before, falling upon the left
side of his head. He sprang to his feet
and, quickly obtaining his revolver, made
q rapid search. But the room was empty
and the door locked.
The effects of the third blow were
more serious than had been those of the
two previous, although, as before there
had been no abrasion. The shock was
sufficient to temporarily stun him, and
the subsequent nervous prostration was
such that he rode to his hotel III n coach,
and did not leave his room all the next
day.
There is no DOUBT that the mystery at
tending the assaults was already disturb
ing his mind.
On the Both DIR. Alva Morse was called
to attend him at the hotel.
Being an old acquaintance of the pa
tent, the Doctor succeeded in eliciting
all the facts which have here been stated
The following is the report made at
the writer's request by the Doctor, soon
after:
81 found the patient lying upon the
bed in a depressed condition. He had
not removed his clothes. A close exam
nation failed to discover any alarming
symptoms. Pulse natural; head cool;
pupils slightly dilated; no pain. There
was q confusion on the side of his face
as if from a blow At first he seemed
disinclined to tell how he received it,
but finally told the following singular
story" Here follow the facts which
have been already given. "He expected
me to ridicule his statement, and was some
what surprised when did not. told him
that L thought could advance a theory
that would explain his mystery. He
evinced a sudden interest that strength
ened my suspicion. If you have any
idea of who is at the bottom of it, Doe
tor he exclaimed, 'Out with it. He
then got up and appeared quite animated
Il don't think anybody is at the bottom
of it, my dear sir, / replied, but your
self. / look upon the occurrences to
which you have attached a mysterious
importance merely as the symptoms of a
not very rare and not very dangerous
nervous disease or group of diseases
which for want of better name is called
hysteria. L don't think you have been
struck at all. That which you have be-
heved to be blow was paroxysm, and
is one of the curious phenomena which
come on suddenly, without any premo-
milton Whatever, and occasionally takes
this exact FORM.
So But, he said, & was kicked, liter
ally kicked from one part of the room to
another. You certainly do not mean to
tell me that a morbid excitement of the
nervous system will operate dynamically
outside OF myself in such manner as to
throw me five or six feet and leave the
marks of the blow upon my body'
Z" L succeeded with great difficulty in
partially convincing him that his senses
had deceived him. That the sensations
caused by the paroxysm were those of a
blow, and that he had added the other
facts from his imagination. Until we
have another witness of the attack
said, your description of it will not
convince medical man, and when we
do then L think you will be convinced
that L am right. / then strengthened
my argument by narrating several SINH
lar cases III which women had believed
themselves to be suffering from great
fall or a railroad accident, from both of
which they had escaped uninjured Ad-
vising him to keep somebody about him
continually for the next month and to re-
lax somewhat of his business habits,
left him."
1t is necessary at this point to speak
somewhat more Mt length of Mr.. Surden's
social position and antecedents in order
to better understand the remarkable oc-
currences which followed. He was at
this time twenty-eight years of age, and
had been in business three years as
drug broker. His relatives lived
in and about Lowell. He came to New
York a mere lad and had worked himself
up to his present position from an office
boy by industry and shrewdness. His
moral character was good among bust
ness-men, and there is no doubt that he
was looked upon by all who knew him as
an honorable and upright man. His
personal habits were not conspicuously
irregular. He gave way at times to con
VITALITY, but was never known to be in
]