Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-11-26
4 ssnosr sTenY.

81 don't believe ever told you my
experience In the dead house OF the
hospital after Sailor Johns death,
said q well-known physician 70 re-
porter. - never cared about saying
regarding II. for II ! have TO
confess Il. for the first time In my
life | was little weak.
You know the dead house II
Charity Hospital and It's interior,
Well, ! had a case OF aneurism that
puzzled ell OF US. and, being young
physician then, had natural pride
In my diagnosis, which did not agree
with that Of the other surgeons. 30
l agreed when the patient died, IS he
was sure TO do. / would hold an au-
topsy myself. Well, the poor fellow
succumbed 81 last, and, as | had been
busy ali day, ] could not get back to
the hospital until IL O'Clock on the
night OF June 30th. / remember the
date well. Illuminating the inside OF
the ad.house there was but . single
gas burner alight. Rigid on one OF
the dissecsing tables was my subject.
awaiting me.
needn't tell you that, after all
my student life at the hospital, going
out there alone at that time of night
produced not the slightest impression
upon me. We were too used TO such
things 10 notice them. In fact, so
great was my desire TO prove my di.
agnosiscorre as against that OF other
physicians, ! thought OF only the case,
and nothing else.
81 Il was anything but pleasant
night. / may say that ! cannot re-
member mere disagreeable one. A
clustering norther was blowing and .
heavy ram falling. The wind moan
ed around the caves of the hospital
as II hundreds of sufferers were in
agony, and the gurgle Of water In the
gutter leading 20 the cistern was
anything but musical. Once In a
while flash OF lightning threw out
relief to the bodies lying on other Ia
bles awaiting burial. Certainly II Was
q night of nights for visit to the
dead.house. Well / took of my oil
cloth coat. opened my dissecting case
and started TO work The wind
stole In through crevices and fiared
the gas so that was delayed In my
investigation considerably. But af-
ter an hours labor | approached the
solution of the problem over which |
had so long studied. So full of anx-
iety was | my hand trembled. and
and seeing this l stopped. filed my
pipe and began smoking to conquer
my eagerness.
"The face OF the dead was ashen
In its paleness, and the flesh was ss
cold as marble. Looking back at
the picture now. | don't think ever
saw a more spectral corpse than that
The eyes were open. and in the ago
ny Of death the muscles of the mouth
had contracted. so that in the rigor
mortis he had sardonic grin that
was horrible Ia its leer.
The patter of the rain on the roof
was inccssant, but 1t sounded pleas.
ant. for II seemed company TO one.
Still, 1t did not drown all other
sounds, Tor now and again above the
storm there came from the female
ward wall OF anguish from q poor
sufferer Il. delirium.
" took but few minutes smok-
ing 10 recover my steadiness of mind,
and / resumed work.
While bending over the body,
and just at O moment when the great
estdelicacy of operation wasrequired,
\ curious noise from one corner of
the dead.house startled me. Ii was
not like footstep, but was some
what like shutting OF feet.
lastinctlvely | looked In that d.
rection, and noticed for the first time
some four or five skulls on the floor
10 partial state of preparation. The
younger students had been at work
them for their cabinets.
The grinning faces locked as II to
chide me for working on such 9
night. but then / was too anxious
about my case to miss my opportuui-
~.
Applying myself again to my sub
ject, was soon lost in the peculiar
Developments my eye discovered
each moment, when again | was an
noyed by distinct sound from the
corner.
CHANGING In that direction. It.
must be confessed. was not little
surprised to see one of the skulls
slowly toward me along the
the tagging of the floor. rubbed
my eyes and looked again. There IL
was-the fieshless sockets of the eyes
gazing al me, the uneven. Jagged
teeth giving a CHASTITY grin TO the
1T Is a little difficult for me to tell
exactly what were my feelings. That
they were peculiar | frankly admit. |
fell 20 studying the cause of this mo-
ton on the part Of the skull. and ex.
amlned closely TO see whether or not
there was q string attached aud a stu.
dent playing one OF his rranks.
Blu, no. In the night | could
plainly discern that there was moth.
ing attached to this relic Of humanity.
Then what moved its
Siill engrossed with nv cndeav.
ors to solve this mystery, l did no,
take eyes of the skull.
" Slowly. steal,hily and steadily
Il came on directly toward where /
vas sitting on high stool. The mo-
lion produced dull. grating sound.
IS some protubcrance of bone scratch.
ii on the marble slabs.
Amer IL had advanced about !
ihree feet IL stopped.
" laid down my pipe. sill keep |
az eye on the unpleasant thing. aud /
'ried 10 laugh away the morbid senti.
nents that had now begnn 10 rise
sithin me. | whispered TO myself |
low much would have rallied at any
lrolher physician should he have
old me Of experiencing the slightest
ceiling Of nervousness under similar
Even The students
you'd have retailed the affair as an
Indication of my effeminacy had
hey known IL. surely there were
causes 10 produce these
ssnlts. knew that the unsuhstsn-
iai could not give motion 10 the sub.