The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-10-02
PESTLE AND MORTAR.
STUDYING HUMAN NATURE FROM BE.
HIND A DRUG COUNTER
Terrible Prescription and the Tragic
Denouement-The Clever Trick That
Saved q Jealous Husbands Life
A Clever Dodge.
IPhiladelphia Times. I

llhiadelphia ItmeSl
was a dark and dingy little shop, with
Q Very low, broad entrance door and very
high ceiling that a reporter entered the
other day. A counter ran around three
WI 81 .e esssp ssap hRd sEahiDsst taa
bottles Under the bust of Paracelsus
stood a little old man, whose back was
bowed ami who Q thin hair and struggling
beard was gray. He was busily engaged in
compounding pill prescription in small
porcelain mortar, and he talked as the pes
tie went round and round with dull, grind
ing sound.
WHERE EXTREMES MEET.
1We certainly do meet strange characters
here" he said @aud a student of human
nature can learn much about his fellow men
and women, too. behind the counter Of Q
drug sire. Two great extremes meet here
the rich and poor. ! am on the border
grounl and number my customers among
both classes. 1t is as good as play to
watch them and study them and fathom
the secrets OF their life. Such secrstsl Both
the tragic and tha comic are revealed here"
The old druggist turned the pill making
over to an as istant and leaning across the
worn counter said:
" have been in the business nearly half
scenes enacted in this little shop. Once, it
was about two years ago, a very gentle-
manly, well-dressed man. accompanied by
q lady-younS, beautiful and superbly
dressed-drove up to my door in a carriage
and the man handel me q card, on which
was printed q name, with II. D. attached
to it.
That is my card, SIR he said, and then
calling for a prescription blank he covered
it with the hieroglyphics Of our craft Fill
that he said, smilingly, and when read
the ingredients / could not repress shud-
der The prescription called for a combi-
nation of chemicals that taken in the most
infintesimai quantity would produce in
slant death.
A TERRIBLE PRESCRIPTION.
4 want to make some experimsnts,' he
said, when / hesitated, and he handed me
two vials Of very thin glass Divide that
compound into two parts and fill each
OF these vials.' His manner was so natural
that / no longer hesitated AMI began to
combine the chemicals. He stepped to the
door and the woman followed him. They
consulted in low tones, and when my work
was finished and / set the two tiny vials Of
death on the counter, preparatory to wrap
ping them up, he stepped forward quickly
and seized both. Before I could prevent
him he had passed one to his companion
Courage, my darling hs cried in u firm
voice, and lifted the little vial to his lips
"The woman initiated him, and before /
could spring to them and snatch the
draughts away they reelsd forward and
fell upon the floor dead. Ahl there was a
sad story In that. and learned it all after
wards when the coroner investigated the
tb. a hi. -.
friends / promised to tell you only what
occurs here, and you can imagine the Sc
quel, however. 4 score of men and women
tired OF life have purchased the means of
Liberation here. They are very cunning
about 1t, too, for we are very careful about
selling poisons, and refuse IL we suspect
that the purchaser intends to use the deadly
drugs improperly.
4 JEALOUS HUSBANDS ACT.
1Less than month ago man past middle
age came In here, very much excited, and
wanted an ounce bottle filed with laudanum
He looked like would be suicide and sub
stituted harmless mixture for the deadly
drug He paid me. took his bottle and
rushed out In about ten minutes q servant
girl rushed into the shop and frantically i'm
plored me to come around to her employers
house. He has taken poison, she said, and
1 think he is dying Arming myself with q
stomach pump q package Of ground mus
tard and bottle Of ipecac I accompanied
the girl to her masters house.
"he had recently married a wife much
younger than himself, Of whom he was in
sanely Jealous She was fond Of society and
he preferred quiet domestic life. think
she married him for his money, for when
he begged her on this particular night to
abs absent nth herself from . party to which she
ordered her carriage. IL was then that no
rushed out to buy laudanum. When he
came back with what he thought was poison
in his pocket she was just leaving ths house
and he again entreatsd her to remain.
She refused and he threatened to end his
life. She laughed at him and, mad with
jealousy, he drained the bottle had filed
for him to the dregs My blood will be on
your head he cried dramatically, and,
staggering to lounge dropped down.
HEARTLESS WIFE.
"His words alarmed the giddy woman,
and when she picked up the bottle and saw
the grinning skull and crossbones on the
label she began to scream and beat the air
with her white arms The servants fiocksi
to the room and was sent for. When
entered the room the wife rushed toward
me and, crying and moaning. begged me to
save her husbands life She was bordering
the I truth. Instantly 1s' her face % brightsned
and her tears vanished. The old foolr she
cried, with withsring contempt, ITS pity
it wasn't poison
aShs summoned her maid, and. without
further inquiry about her husband, who was
moaning and groaning piteously, rode of to
che party. wanted to teach the man q
lesson and administered big dose OF ipecac
and applied mustard plasters to his stomach.
] caused him to be stripped, walked up and
down the room, and beaten with wet towels
As q last punishment applied the stomach
pump, and when got through with him be
was weak and limp Where's my yifeF be
asked. told him that she had gone out.
III apply for divorce Tomorrow But be
didn't a. 0..
4 CLEVER DODGE, ..
u had queer experience with q man
during the hot spell. He walked into the
shop, stepped toward the counter ~ though
about to speak, staggered and fell on the
noor. This 20 alarmed ms that did not no.
tice the marks Of dissipation on his face.
and buried to his side with q graduating
glass full OF brandy, In the meantime order
ing my assistant to bring me some water
and Q towel lifted up the fellows head
and touched the rim OF the glass to bis lips.
Instantly he seized It. and much to my sur
prise and disgust drank OF the liquor In
half-do1en gulps. Then scrambling to his
feet he bowed mockingly and said: Thank
You, doctor. That was splendid brandy,
and needed a drink bad Before could
recover from the stupor into which his as.
surance threw me he made his escapes