Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-14

| after, that he had found the result we began
| working for at the same time. Not in the way
| l did, though. He simply STUN bled on 1t, and
| hadn't 81 far any of the deductions L have
made Not making any such experiments As
! mine he has no data sufficient TO lead him 10
| the analysis or synthesis OF organic matter.
He can make sulphate OF qunine, but not one
| OF the thousand other substances to which my
| discovery leads. When, however, he found
| himself anticipated, and / gave him pretty
much the same general idea OF my discovery as
| 1 have told you. he acted like a trump.
| 81 know you never liked Price, but he is a fine
| fellow. even II he was too quiet at college TO go
| much with our set. In the old chemistry am
| going 10 supplant he is far my superior, and he
| l. well up in physics, too, especially in cleo
tricity. Ii you will keep his secret too, will
tell You one Of his discoveries. Before long he
| will loo at the roots of electricity, as am at
| those OF my science. He has invented process
now by which IA storage cell is made to trans
| NIT the fluid either in a current, oy single
shock or in "A series, at the will of the operator.
| lie charges MS cell, too, from "a uyhamothough
| / IN not sure whether that is a new idea OF not,
| with a power hundreds of times greater than
| any other known means Will give. \ little cell,
no bigger than an thimblc, and"
~ o., yes, L broke in impatiently, "but what
about Price,
| -Oh yes. was wandering sadly. Naturally
he admitted my right To do as pleased with n
discovery prior to and more complete than his
own: and after my reminding him that our first
know ledge would gice us "a vast advantage over
| other manufacturers. and that he would be GER
tain 10 reap large profits from his intended cleo
trical patents. he gave up all his rights to me.
and I'm going To surprise him by publishing 1T
! as "a joint discovery.
"But now 1 really must go. old man. for Il Is
almost two. Come round To the lab if you can
tomorrow, and We'll go over all of my results
together, and then take the prospectus, on
which should like your opinion, TO Ban
| crO1ts.
/ readily promised. and in a few minutes had
! seen hlm out of the house. But was in no
| mood for sleep, SO, lighting a fresh pipe, sat
down TO muse over our conversation.
| such a Wild improbable theory. The man
must be mad. Yes, that was the whole ex-
| plantation. l had noticed his restless excite
! ment and the feverish eagerness with which he
| talked of his hobby. Now, that this impression
struck forcibly. / recalled numerous
small symptoms that would have led me to that
irresistible conviction in the case OF a patient.
| Wilcox Was as sane as L on ordinary subjects,
| but in brooding over his wild 1ancieS he had
come to believe in their reality. A victim OF an
/ haIIucination, a mOnOmaniac.
| My course was soon decided on. / would
| keep my engagements with him, watch him
| closely, and nndng, as / expected, no proofs of
! his fancied discovery, could easily cOntriVe
| some means for accomplishing his cure. But
| blight his prospects forever. That he was
| fully able to attend To his regular affairs,
could have no doubt; still knew that the slight
| est hint of insanity or mOnomania would create
such public distruSt of his manufactures as to
| destroy his business entirely. For his own sake,
i must keep my suspicious reSOlutely to myself,
and as soon as sure OF them must attend to his
cure as secretly as possible. So / went to bed
| determined TO lose no time in performing my
duties of saving the mind and repu tation oil my
1 poor friend.
Having no hope of an immediate practice my
y, e,
Tuesday morning, after an hour at my down
| town office devoted TO the daily papers, tele-
phoned 10 the laboratory. asking il Wilcox were
| there and could see DIR. Haight. The answer
came wildly, rs that you, DE-. Haight? On, for
Gods sake, come quickly. MIR. Wilcox has just
| fallen dead.
l gave great sob, for loved him dearly
Then, last as L could run, jostling the stream OF
men on their way To office, dashed down Cali
| iOrnla street to the laboratory.
Upon my arrival found a crowd gathered in
ana about the laboratory, the center of attrac-
| ton being the body of my friend. Medical as
slstance mad already been summoned, but 1t
was too late. He was dead. The cause OF his
death no one could conjecture. l made inquiry
| OF Price. who seemed particularly shocked, but
he could offer no explanation. He had, he
said, been talking with Wilcox about some tri-
fling matter, when, suddenly, the latter reeled
and without a word ieli to the floor. He tried
10 raise him, but found him seemingly dead,
and upon that he had sent for a doctor: and il
was shortly after the latter's arrival that they
iiad received my telephone message. Upon en-
t',f4ng, heard some one remarking "a strong
gsfucky smell. Ozone, cried the doctor in
attendance. .Yes," replied Price, II have
been using that electrical machine during this
cold weather.
1 myself made hasty examination of the
body, but could discover nothing. The eyes
We're open and slightly distended, of course
but the features were otherwise calm and with
out distortion.
As is usual in such occurrences, all sorts of
theories were advanced as to the cause of death
For my part, tried not To commit myself i'm
the matter From all visible symptoms, it was
cause, and said SO to those VINO questioned
me; but there flashed upon me the conclusion I
had reached only the night before to the con-
ditlon OF WllcoXS mind, and what had hap
pened only confirmed me IN that opinion That
his brain was in an advanced state OF disease
had not at the time thought; but had no doubt
now that the sudden formation of a clot OF
blood at part already diseased had produced
death. considered 1T my duty, however to
say nothing i'll reference to my suspicious
thinking that IL they We're unfounded the in.
quest would show that had erred in my con-
ciusions, but II they were correct, my determin-
alton not 10 disclose TO another my opinion as
To WilcOXs sanity while he was alive, ought to
be strengthened now that he was dead.
That afternoon while l was sitting III nv of
flee, meditating upon the sad calamity that had
beiaIlen my poor friend, / was surprised by o.
visit from Price. IL have come" he said, ito
ISM you That shortly after your arrival here
was expected your friend made a will i'll which
we were named as joint executors. | am not
aware OF It's terms nor whether he had any
near relatives living, but We ought. at any rate,
To collect whatever there is OF his estate and to
see that it is disposed OF according to his Wishes
AS remember the Will Is at the office of his
attorneys, your friends, Fisherson d Coffin,
deliverable upon our joint demand: and l
called upon You To see whether you would not
proceed immediately with the matter
at once assented and went TO the office of
my friends and obtained from them the will 1t
Was entirely III the handwriting of Wilcox and
was not witnessed. the requests were few and
simple. He left TO me his body to be used in, the
interest oi science and also his private library.
OF his money he left $4,000 10 the college i'm the
state university for the iounda lion of scholar
ship to- bear his name. The remainder To-
Sether with all the interest in the partnership
with Price, and his chemical library, he lett To-
Price. Then followed the clause "An nd lastly
i Maine as the executors of this will Inv dear
friends, Dr. George Haight and Edward Price
10 whom leave all the remainder OF my prop
erty In trust, 10y them To be used in "a manner
and Tor the purpose which shall hereafter dis
close To them.
" hen the last clause was read, l looked at
Price inq ulringy, to see from his general ma N.
her whether any thing mad been communicated
To MIN, but his face seemed To express surprise
rather imam any lining else. Indeed. when I
asked him rather Indirectly OF what the re-
inalnder OF the estate consisted, he answered
I III tnat, nave not the slightest idea. / re-
member, now, that Wilcox once said to me
Joklngly: Price, II ever taken Oft sudden.
~, want the world TO have the benefit of nv
discoveries, but what those discoveries were I
do not know. He was always experimenting
ana possibly there may be something among
his papers That may supply what he referred
TO.
suppose then that make the search
among them ut once, l said
ny ell, 10 be sure, II you wish it can perhapS
make arrangements to go with you now But
have some very urgent business at the labora-
tory THIS afternoon, though We may fiDd time
before the inquest. We can make the sea rch
this evening, however, if you desire, among I ne
papers at his mouse, and put the rest OFF until
tomorrow morning. mean looking over his
bookst;iud papers in the office. For INV own,
part should prefer TO do this, but still, ii you
wish Otherwlse- No, no. / answered
THAT Will be entirely satisfactory TO me: and IN
You viii call for me about eight this evening
1 snail De prepared To go with you to the
house To this he assented, and tor the time
We parted.
At the appointed hour Price called for me and
we went together TO the house where WiIcoy
y