The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1884-10-23

"You know the dead-house=at Char
| ity hospital and its interiorp Well,
had had case of aneufiSm that puz
zled all of us, and, being young phys
ician then, had n natural pride in my
diagnosis, which did not agree will
that of the other surgeons So l de
tormincd that when the patient died
as he was sure to do, [ would hold al
autopsy myself Well, tho poor fellow
succumbed at,last, and, as L had beer
busy all day, could not get back tt
tho hospital until II o'clock on tn,
nightvof June 80. remember the dat,
we'll. Illuminating the inside room O
the doad-house, there was but sinplt
gas burner alight. Rigid on one of the
dissecting tables was my subject, await
ing me.
| ! y needn't tell you that, after all OF
my studont life at the hospital, poino
out there alone at that timo of niohi
produced not the slightest impression
upon me. we were too used to sucI
things to notice them. In fact, sc
great was my desire to prove my dag.
nosls correct as against that of othel
physicians, l thought only of tho case,
and nothing else.
! ~ ""9 "by lliluS DuG ~ plCaSa0l
night /, may say that | cannot re.
member moro disagrccable ono. A
clustering northcr was blowing and g
heavy rain failing. The wind moaned
around the caves of the hospital rs il
hundreds Of sufferers were in agony
and the gurgle of water in the CUTTERS
leading to the cistcrn was anything but
musical. Once in while u flash Of
llph fhr.nN,r ,f -, ;,f -.
lying on other tables awaiting burial
Certainly it was night of nights for {
visit to n dcad-housc.
"Wcll, | took of my oil-cloth coat
opened my diSsecting case, and started
to work The wind stole i'm through
creticcS and llarcd the gas so that
was delayed. In my investigation con
siderably. But after an hours labor
approached tho solution of the problem
| over which / had so long studied. 81
full OF anxiety was my hand trembled
and seeing this l stopped, filled m,
pipe, and began smoking to conquc
my cagorncSs.
The face Of the dead man wa
ashen in its palcncss, and his flesh wa
as cold as marble. Looking back a
tho picture now, | don't think lcr- r-s1
saw moro spectral corpse than
The eyes were open, and in the
| of death the muscles of the mouti
CONTRACTED, SO that in the ripor II
he had sardOnic grin that was
bio in its lccr.
'Ihc patter of the rain on tn,
was lncessant, but it sounded plcc
Tor 1t seemed company 10 ono. 5
did not drown all other sounC
now and again above the storm
| came from tho female ward W
anguish from n poor sufferer i
lirium.
cit took but q few minutes sm
TO recover my stcadincsS of han.
L resumed the work.
"Whilo bending over the body
just at moment when tho or
delicacy of operation was requh
curious noise from one corner
dead-house startled me. 1t w;
like foot-step, but was somewh;
shutllng of feet.
'Instinctivcly looked in that
ton, and noticed for the first
some four or five skulls on tho fl
partial state of preparation.
younger students had been at
preparing them for their cabinets
grlnnlng faces looked as if to Chi
for working on such q night, bu
l was too anxious about my
miss my opportunity.
"Applying myself again to m
Jcct, was soon lost in the peculi
Velopments my eye discovered
moment, when I was again an
by distinct sound from the corr
"Glancing in that direction, it
be confessed | was not littl
pricd to see one of the skulls m
slowly " toward me along the fla
OF the floor. | rubbed my eye
looked again. There it was-the
less sockets of the eyes gazing
tho uneven, Jagged teeth civ
CHASTITY grin to the mouth.
'lt is little difficult for met
exactly what were my feelings.
they were peculiar frankly adm.
fell to studying about the cause OF
motion on the part of the skul
examined closely to see whether
there was string attached
student playing one of his prank
but no. In the light | could
ly discern that there was
attached to this relic of hum
Then what moved it.?
"Still cngrossed with my end
to solve this mystery, I did no
my eyes of this Skull.
"Slowly, stealthily and stea,
came on directly towards where
sitting on high stool. Tho
produced Il dull, grating sou
some sharp protubcrances of
scratched on the marble slabs.
after it had advanced abou
feet it stopped
81 laid down my pipe, still k(
my eyes on tho unpleasant obic
tried TO laugh away the morbid
'ments that had now began TO ris,
IN me. whispered 10 mysclI
much L would have rallied :,
DFother physician should he I'm,
me OF experiencing the sliqhte
ing or nervousness undor SINH,
cumStanccs. Even the students
have rctailed the affair as an ind
OF my cifcminacy had thcv kno
Surcl y thcro were mechanical
TO produce these results. knc,
tnn II n q IN nc t,tinl