Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-05-26
THE LITTLE OLD GENTLEMAN.
The Story of the BOdy-Snatcher

goLGluS up ana pOklnS Uno IRE vigorous
ly, ''reminds me of little incident that
occurred to me in my young days"
The scene is the best parlor of the
Wallsend Arms, at Cossop on the Sore,
where there is a snug meeting of the
Commissioners of Public Sewers for
the district The small, silver headed
old gentleman who is poking the fire is
O retired surgeon of the town. His col
league is Colonel Bowster, of Cossop
Priory, a tall, grizzled ex- cavalry officer,
and the red-faced, merry-looking man
in the corner is local lawyer, the clerk
of the Board. Wine and biscuits are
on the table. There is nothing particu-
lar to be done, but they are bound by
act of Parliament to sit till two O'Clock,
and it is now barely one.
sit wouldn't do to smoke, I suppose?''
says the Colonel, looking dolefully out
of the window; wet, dripping day,
High street deserted OF passengers, de-
preston prevailing everywhere ssIt
wouldn't do to smoke, eh?"
''Well, replies the lawyer doubtful
~, perhaps it wouldn't be quite regu-
lar, Ell? What do you say, Mr.. Will
SOM"
PERSONALLY, I haven't the slightest
objection" replies Mr.. Wilson; but
whether public opinion would quite
sanction the members of public Board
ON public business do you
think, Colonel?"
''No, no; [ see that quite see that,
said the Colonel, relinquishing his hold
of his cigar case and yawning dolefully.
''Try pinch of snuff, Colonel" said
Wilson, producing little horn snuff
box and tapping the lid with his
knuckle. ''Public opinion can't object
to snuff
The Colonel stretched out his hand
for the snuff box, took a pinch, and then
examined the box in listless way.
''That bcx," went on Wilson, sis con-
nected with curious incident in my
early life"
swell, let's hear it Wilson," said the
Colonel good-naturediy; ''anythings
better than sitting here doing nothing"
"Well, when l first joined the medical
school at St. Joseph's, began Mr.. Will
son, seating himself by the fire; 'swhen
4 first joined the medical school and
made my acquaintance with the dissect-
ing table, there was person in the
habit OF visiting the dissecting room
whose position and calling were for
long time a puzzle to me. He was
fine, tall man, well dressed, generally
in s. blue swallow tailed coat with brass
buttons, a canary colored waistcoat,
white kerseymere trousers, and Hes
sian boots; quite buck, in fact; and he
would walk up and down the room
handling a great bunch of seals that
hung at his fob, and gave himself as
many airs as a queens physician. The
professors seemed to know MIN well,
and treated him with sort of sarcastic
Difference; he would often be called out
and closeted with the authorities Of the
SCHOOL. Altogether, he held an impor-
cant, although unrecOgn1zable position
at ST. Joseph's. The elder students,
when I asked them about him, only
mystifed me; and at last my curiosity
became so strong that [ determined to
satisfy it at the fountainhead. So, one
day, when I happened to be alone with
him in the dissecting room, / said to
him: sMr. Blackstock'' Chat was the
gentleman's name), 81 see you here a
great deal; pray excuse me for asking
you what is the exact position you occu-
by in the medical profession ?" He
turned rather red, and looked down
upon me in a naughty kind of way.
of the Faculty.
{" Purveyor exactly, said the coron-
er, as Wilson paused to sip his wine.
Had 'em in the Crimea. Irecollect-
provided medical stores, and so on.
All, your friend was a purveyor, then,
Wilson %
"Aha not that sort of purveyor,
Colonel. Perhaps you might take a
guess at his particular line. Give it up,
Ell? Well, sir, they were subjects
subjects, as we call them; In plain terms
bodies"
"Body snatcher, eh % cried the law
yer. "Ought to have been hanged %
"Well, [ don't know whether that
wasn't his eventual fate: but there were
many worse fellows than Blackstock
I'll tell you little incident that illus
trates his kindness of heart [ think
I may almost say that he saved my
life.
I must tell you that Blackstock had a
little dog called Bingo, the most extra
ordinary dog you ever saw. He was a
yellow dog, of sickly unwholesome
yello W. He was always with his mas
ter.
81 mention Bingo," said Wilson,
with low chuckle, "because he's ne
cessary to my story; and l may remark,
that Notwithstanding his repulsive APP.
pearance, there was something very IN
telligent-I might almost say human
in his expression. And yet he was mo
rose in disposition, attached to medical
students, whom he recognized with mar
velous instinct, but to the rest OF the
world sullen and defiant. Bug to pro
coed. One evening, or rather, l should
say one morning, at very early hour
between two and three; happened te
be returning with a friend, one Jack
son, from some scene of gayety, to my
rooms In Marylebone. On our way we
passed the church of Saint Giles Over
reach. The public footway ran close