Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-09-16
MIDNIGHT In A DEAD-H0USE.

We were sitting alone in the twilight
leisurely putting at our cigars when one o.
the hospital nurses came out and whispered
to the doctor that Sailor John was 'tagoin y
The passing away of mortal is an event
about which there is always something oi
the mysterious, and so we walked down the
long corridor and entered Ward 10. The
nurse was right. John was "agoin." Like
an alto relieve, out of the crumpled pillow
rose face that was Roman in its rugged
outline, and even the pinched nose, sunken
eyes and compressed lips did not obliterate
the likeness to some of those historic busts
dug up among the ruins of early Italy. A
student said it looked like Seneca, and truly
there was much to recall the old philosopher
in the wrinkled features.
The man in bed 81, restless with fever,
turned over so as to face the couch of the
dying man, and with wild staring eyes
watched every sinking respiration of the
old sailor.
An awkward plethoric beetle buzzed
around the gas jet in an irregular orbit, it's
hum being the only sound to break the
silence which the faint breathings of the
sufferer softly punctuated. The doctor lift
ed the sheet and felt the pulse of the patient.
''It's about over," he remarked, and he laid
down the helpless arm.
These was rattle in the throat, long
drawn sigh, as if all the sorrows of life
time were relieved as it died away, and then
the eyes opened. They looked into the doc
tors, and seeming to find comfort in the
returning glance of compassion, they closed
slowly. Then there was twitching of the
muscles around the mouth, ard in supreme
climax Of effort the lips moved and family
came forth, "Hard port it is, sir'' A
slight tremor shook his frame, and all was
over.
John had reached harbor.
Then there was tread of feet in the cor
ridor and the carriers of the dead came in,
and John was taken out to the dead-house
and laid beside other storm tossed barks
that had that day found last mooring-
place, whittier the whole armada of human
i ity drift at last. The hospital bell gave one
stroke to announce the departure Of anoth-
er soul, and then the nurses looked over the
ward book to see who next should receive
his lose of medicine, and hospital life re-
sumets its quiet current.
We went back to the portico and resumed
our cigars, f'A curious fellow, that" said
the doctor; this is his fifth visit here, and lie
knew it wou Id be his last. He was always
begging me to be at his side when the end
came, and by God luck CHANGED here to-
night.
7'Strange as it m az seem to you, this same
man was once a king. You smile, but
nevertheless, it is true, He was cast away
in the Pacific and reached one Of the small
islands out there, where he lived and be-
came the ruler of little kingdom. He
longed for whit, society and abdicated and
went back to the sea.
"But that IS 1ot Whist wanted to speak
about" the aoctor went on, lighting fresh
cigar. "It's his curious ideas of his ability
to come back from the other world. He has
talked to me by the hour on this subject un-
til 1 put him down as spiritualist of the
most orthodox kind. He has promised me
to make his presence known on the night of
his nativity, June 30, and has excited my
curiosity not little.''
eff he could only do that" said I, "it
would be the solving of all our doubts"
"Yes," replied the doctor, ''no message
ever came from beyond the Styx, and good
sailor as John was, he cannot, believe, re-
cross that inky food.''
The above little episode happened in the
Charity hospital about the middle of May,
1869, and the doctor spoken of was one
known and beloved throughout the city and
state. 1t is but little over year since BE.
too, crossed the Leth can stream, but before
his death he told the writer the facts given
below, speaking of them as acurious coinci-
1ence, and not for d moment looking at
hem in superstitious light.
He was man of emarkable nerve, was
rs brave as Ceur de- Leon and would be as
title daunted by the appearance Of
'imon-pure ghost as he would by the ap-
oroach of an old friend. 1t was but a short
lime before his de ath and whilst Canal
street was pande,nonium of sound, ana
1orns and fire-crack ers were making Chrlst-
mas Eve hideous, t'aat, seated in his Office,
,he conversation turned on things super
natural. The trepidations of youth over
'pooks and the fears of the superstitious OF
older growth were laughed at, and it was
not till after the subject 6rifted to hospital
ife that the doctor exclaimed:
"That's fact; don't elieve ever told
you my experience in the dead-house Of the
hospital after Sailor Johns death. | never
for if have to confess it for the first time
in my life was little weak.
'eYou know the dead house at Charity
hospital and it's interior? Well, had had
a case of aneurism that puzzled all of us,
sAo5 bSAho " yOubS PAiJo SAA oAASHA1 =
natural pride in my diagnosis, which did not
agree with that of the other surgeons. So
[ determined that when the patient died, as
be was sure to do, would hold an autopsy
myself. Well, the poor fe How succumbed
at last, and, as had been busy all day, l
could not get back TO the hospital until IL
o'clock on the night of Ju ne 30. remem-
Der the date well. Illumi mating the inside
room of the dead-house, there was but a
single gas burner alight. Rigid on one OF
5he dissecting tables was nay subject, await
ing me.
81 needn't tell you thfst, after all of my
student life at the hospi tai, going out there
alone at that time of night produced not the
slightest impression upo me. We were too
used to such things to notice them in fact,
20 great was my desire to provo my dag
nosis correct as against; that of other physl-
clans. thought only of the case, and moth