The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-12-05
better. Instinctively l glanced upward,

MIS-. w liSOn n:iu been SO nNculy DENT.
There, framed in quadrangle of blue
sky, saw the head and neck of Miss
Borgier. The sash of the skylisht had
been removed, to afford ventilation
The young woman was evidently lying
at full length upon the fiat roof. She
commanded perfect view of all tina,
was done upon the operating table. Her
face was flushed with eager Interest, land
wore an expression of innocent wonder,
not unmingl with delight. She nodded
merrily to me when l looked up, and
laid finger against her lips, as if to
warn Inc to silence. Disguised, with
drew my eyes hastily from hers. In.
deed, after my experience of the pre-.
vious evening, did not care to trust my
self-control under the influence of her
gaze.
As DIR. Mack with his sharp scissors
cut the end of linen bandage, he wits.
pered to me: "This is without par.
allel. not sign of syncope, no trace OF
functional disorder. She has dropped
quietly into healthy sleep during an in
Fiction of pain that would drive a strong
man mad"
As soon rs released from my duties in
the lecture room, made my way to the
roof of the building. AS emerged
through the scuttle-way Miss Borgiel
scrambled to her feet and advanced to
meet me without manifesting the slight.
est discompOsure. Her face fairly
beamed with pleasure.
"Wasn't it beautifully" she asked with
a smile, extending her hand. "I heard
the bones slowly grinding and crush.
ing!"
l did not take her hand. "How came
you here?" l demanded, avoiding her
glance.
"Oh!' she said, with silvery laugh.
81 came early, about sunrise. The jan.
itor left the door ajar and slipped in
while he was in the cellar. All the
morning l spent in the place where they
dissect; and when the students began
to come in down stairs escaped here
to the roof"
"Are you aware, Miss Borgier,"
asked, very gravely, "that you have
committed serious indiscretiOn, and
must be gotten out of the building as
quickly and privately as possible?''
She did not appear to understand
every WE'LL" she said. 81 suppose
there is nothing more to see. may as
well 60"
led her down through the garnet,
numbered with boxes and barrels of un-
articulated human bones; through the
medical library, unOccupied at that
hour; by back stairway into and
across the great vacant chemical lee
ture room; through the anatomical cabi-
net, full of objects appalling to the I'M
aginatiOn of her sex. l was silent and
she said nothing; bnt her eyes were
everywhere, drinking in the strange sur
roundings with an avidity which could
feel without once looking at her. Finally
we came to a basement corridor, at the
end of which a door, not often used,
gave egress by an alleyway to the street.
1t was through this door that subjects
for dissection were brought into the
building. Itook a bunch of KEYS from
my pocket and turned the lock. Your
way is clear nOw," said.
To my immense astOnishment, Miss
BOrgier, as We stood together at the end
of the dark corridor, threw both arms
around my neck and kissed me.
"Good by" she said, as she disap-
peared through the half-opened door.
When l awoke the next morning, af-
ter sleeping for more than Is hours,
found that l could not raise my head
from the pillow without nausea. The
symptoms were exactly like those which
mark the effects of an overdose of laud-
anum.
l have thought it due to myself and to
my professional reputation to recount
these facts before briefly speaking of
my recent testimony, rs an expert, in the
Ratcliff murder trial, the character of
my relations with the accused having
been persistly misrepresented.
The circumstances of that celebrated
case are no doubt still fresh in the recol-
lection of the public. Mr.. John B. Rat
cliff, a wealthy, middle-aged merchant
of Boston, came to st. Louis with his
young bride, on their wedding journey.
His sudden death ut the Planters Hotel,
followed by the arrest of his wife, who
was entirely without friends or acquaint-
ances in the city, her Indictment for
murder by poisoning, the conflict of
medical testimony ut the trial, and the
purely circumstantial nature of the evil
dence against the prisoner, attracted
general attention and excited public in
terest to degree that was quite extra
ordinary.
1t will be remembered that the State |
proved that the relations of Mr.. and
Mrs. Ratcliff, as observed by the guests
and servants of the hotel, were not
felicitous; that he rarely spoke to her at |
table, habitually averting his face in her
presence; that he wandered aimlessly
about the hotel for several days previous
to his illness, apparently half stupefied,
as if by the oppression of some heavy
mental burden, and that when accosted
by any one connected with the house he
started as if from a dream, and an
swered incoherently if at all.
1t was also shown that, by her hus-
bands death, Mrs. Ratcliff became the
sole mistress of large fortune.
The evidence bearing directly upon
The circumstances of Mr.. Ratcliff's
death was very clear. For "a hours be-
.ore physician was summoned, no one
1ad access to him save his wife. At