National Republican., 1881-07-15
A REMARKABLE CASE.
wonderful woundInE or n Coaneciicut
Man Exactly Like the President.


The Norwalk Gazette, of Connecticut,
tells the following: "The shooting Of the Prosl.
dent recalls the circumstances of the accidental
shooting of Mr.. William X. Lewis by Mr. f. c.
Bisscll, some thirty more years ago. Mr. Bissell
was ot that time teller Of tho Fairfield County
Bank and slept in the directors room of the old
bank building. The bank had procured for him
q pistol, and late one evening several young gen
tlemen companions were in Bissells sleeping
apartment, when he took out and was exhibiting
the new weapon. Mr. Lewis was standing with
his back to Bssell, who was at the time handling
the pistol, and about three feet in advance, when
1t went OF.
Mr. LEWIS WAS hit
in almost precisely the spot where the assassin's
bullet entered the Presidents body-about three
inches from the spinal column and just above the
top line OF kidneys and in range OF the lower
lObcs of the liver His first sensations were OF
sharp, prickllng pains in his knee and leg, he at
the time supposing the ball had hit him behind or
beside the knee joint. He was much prostrated by
the shock, though at first II was dificut to mako
him believe that he had been hit about the body,
as he could feel no pain there.
HE WAS CONVEYED HOME
and the bullet probcd for TO the extent Of his phys
ical endurance without success. 1t appeared from
the orihcc Of the wound that II must have passed
directly into the cavity of the abdomen laccrating
the lower point Of the liver in its progress. Mr..
Lewis was confined to his bed for some time, but
amer healthy suppuration Of his wound set in he
rapidly recovered, and was soon thereafter attend
ing to his ordinary business, wearing compress
about his person. Now comes in
THE MOST SINGULAR PART
Of the history. About year and q half subse.
quently Mr.. Lewis one day felt hard substance
protruding from beneath the flesh just above the.
groin. He az once thought IL the lost and almost
forgotten bullet, and going to Dr. Hills Office the
doctor made a slight incision through the skin,
when the bullet fell out into his hand. Thontruder
had undoubtedly struck n rib in entering Mr..
Lewis bnck. and had glanced around instead of
going into the abdomen, as the physicians had
supposed from the track Of the bullet as traceabe.
LIT us HOPE AND PRAY
that our good Presidents life may be spared by an
equally fortunate turn In the direction of the
sassin's bullet. The two cases arc almost identical
in their outward features, and the Presidents
hopeful condition would lead to a reasonable sup.
position that the singular condolences may be
maintained throughout.
"P. S.-The above was written from our own
recollection, subsequently confrmcdby Mr. Lewis.
This Monday morning we interviewed Dr. Nc
Lean, who attended him. He has taken special
interest In the Presidents case from its almost
actly identity with that of Lewis. He said he
probed the wound for some two or three inches
inwardly, with slight decline downward and as
MS puuCnts eyeDhlls almost lnmeulately became
deeply yellowed and subsequently his entire
surface he could not then doubt but that his liver
had
BEEN SERIOUSLY LAcERATED,
and that the bullet had passed directly through
into the cavity of the abdomen. For n week his
vomiting was almost continuous, hethrowing off a
greenish, bilious matter, and peritonitis set in
quite violently within twelve hours and continued
over week. leaving the patient in most critical
condition. The hypodermic use of opium was
then unknown, and DR.. Mclean was sorely tried
and bafed in his efforts 10 keep his patient under
the influence Of nnodynes, The appearance OF the
bullet nearly two years afterward on the front sur
iacc of the lower abdomen convinced the doctor
that instead fpassing directly into and
THROUGH THE PATIENTS BODY,
1t struck against and passed between his ribs,
traversing the circuit around on the inner surface
of the rib and dropping downward to the point Of
its final exit The injury to the liver must have
been caused by conclusion and the inflammation
by the injury to the peritoneum. This is certainly
case most singularly identical with that of the
Presidents injury, only that DIR. Mclean says all
the symptoms in the Lewis case were more critical
and severe than any thus far reported in the case
of the President Every human heart will hope
and pray that the Presidents case may result as
mvorably."