Middletown transcript., 1881-03-25
THE PARKER MURDER;
OR,
The Mystery of Street.
BY W. A. WILKINS.

profession. Pictures of mans wonder
full anatomy charts of rare surgica
operations; casts of fractures or defor
mites, were to be seen in different
parts of the room, while through tht
open door to the left, could be seen :
large library filled with book cases con
tanning huge volumes of medical trea
tises and scientific works of celebrated
authors.
The furniture, valuable pictures and
bric-a-brac of the whole room, betok'
ened that the apartment was the office
of a successful physician.
The cold winds blew outside, and the
creak, creak of tho pedestrians, as
they hurriedly walked over the snow
and ice, formed a combination OF
sounds SO often heard in natures or
chestra.
"Well, well, " said the doctor, throw
ing down the paper and drawing closer
to the stove, ''it is wonderful what a
great amount of crime is committed in
the very heart of this great city, yet the
criminals manage to escape The at
tempt to rob the elegant mansion Of
Mr.. Warning last night was bold one,
the evening papers stating that one Of
the burglars was shot and his body
carried off by his comrades. None Of
us are safe-yet we annually pay thou
sands of dollars to policemen to guard
our property and lives. Whew what
a gust Of wind. God pity the poor this
cold night
Just then the Office door bell rang
and the servant ushered a richly dressed
lady into the Doctors presence. He
arose and politely placed chair by the
stove, but without waiting to be invited
to be seated the stranger spoke excit-
edly:
doctor, l have not moment to
spare. 1 am not cold-my husband has
Just met with an accident. While care
lessly handling a pistol it accidentally
discharged its contents into his breast
Oh! doctor, make haste or he will die.
I did not dare trust this to my servants,
SO while he was watched over by others,
1 came myself to summon physician.
My carriage, with pair of fleet horses,
is at the door. We can soon reach my
house in the suburbs"
Doctor White hastily encased his
outer form in sealskin overcoat, cap
and gloves, snatched up case of sur
gical instruments, and then without
stopping to ask whittier he was to 60,
followed the magnifcently attired lady,
whose touching anxiety and elegant ad-
dress had completely won his confidence
as well as touched his sympathy. AS
the team sped on, soon leaving the
crowded thoroughfare, the converse
tion in the carriage was kept up. 1t
related to the husbands misfortune,
and as the doctor became interested he
did not notice the direction the equi-
page was going, until a chance glance
showed him that he was passing through
one Of the streets within the city linn
its, upon which no houses had been
erected.
Just as he was wondering why he
had started without first enquiring the
name and number of the house to be
visited, the carriage halted, and before
the goood physician had time to ask if
he was at his journeys end, two men
leaped into the carriage and seized him
about the neck, at the same time pre-
senting pistol at his head. When he !
was completely in the grasp Of the two
men, one of them said
"Doctor White, you are in our power.
We are determined men, but will do
you no harm, if you swear to serve us
professionally, for a few hours. AS
this lady informed you, man has been
shot and he needs the assistance of a
skilled physician, having been now for !
many hours in the care of kind nurses
only. All we ask of you is that you
will attend our patient, and whatever
you see-for you will be surprised, as
probably you never were before-yOur
oath that you will not betray our secret,
will save your life, for 1 here say that
unless you take such an oath here and
now, the world will never learn what
has become of you. We are desperate
our case demands it-you are in our
time is to be lost, and as the
brink of eternity is only sixty seconds
beyond your feet if you refuse, / de-
mand that you swear to accompany US
Or prepare to take the fatal step into
Heaven OF He'll"
Doctor White was man Of nerve.
His position was not at all to his liking,
and he was preparing to meet his death
IS a man of honor should, when he re-
his family and felt that he
could not leave them when he might
indeed pass through the trying hours
before him and even assist to overthrow
! gang Of villains.
"Only ten seconds, DR.. White. Hesi-
ate and you are dead man, J" said the
person who held the doctor in his vice.
ike grasp. The thought of the dear
,nes at home decided the doctor, and
le said 81 SWEAR" !" +,
The men loosed their hold, took the
seats in the carriage, and
rave orders to the driver to move on.
In few moments the prisoner could
zee that he was again in the thickly
populated city.
With what feelings he looked out of
he window of the carriage and beheld
many people within speaking distance, |
ret there he was, an accessory, may be, {
# criminals. How he longed for just !
me opportunity to free himself from