The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-08-02
THE CHEMISTS STORY.

THE CHEMISTS STORY.
l am a chemist am the occupant OF
this responsible and important position
in the medical college of p.
1t was about o'clock on a stormy
evening that bade good night to my
student, Tom Richards, at the door OF
my laboratory, at the south end of the
college buildings.
Tom was very anxious to know what
would keep me up after IL O'clock, so
told him ! was about to commence an.
alyzing the stomach Of Mrs. johnson,
whose husband lay in P Jail, just
across the road from the college, on sus-
picion that he was the murderer.
As Tom was passing ont of the college
yard through the gate, his head turned,
and bidding me good night, he brushed
against man standing with his back tc
the college and his face to the prison.
The street lamp showed me that the
man was in police uniform.
Re-entering my laboratory I took
down a glass jar from the shelf and sat
down behind my sink to examine it. Al
hour had passed since the departure Of
young Richards. had labored hard tc
discover traces of the poison in all this
but had been unsuccessful. Joe John.
son, the suspected man, had been stu.
dent Of mine few years before
thought him good hearted, intelligent
fellow, only little wild, and really be
gan to hope that he might prove limo
cent, when, among the macerated food
came upon a small, infinitesimal white
grain, By careful manipulation and the
use of my lnagnifying glass l managed
to get this upon piece of smoked glass
and examined it.
was then certain had discovered ar
senic, but to make assurance doubly SURF
l determined to apply well known test
for that poison.
eyes" / exclaimed, as / saw the fata
blazon. "Joe Johnson is the murderer o.
his wife With the evidence of thai
mark to back me no power can say,
him."
"Do you really think SOP said cain
voice behind me.
turned quickly and discovered a tall
lank policeman, having red, watery eyes
standing at my Office door and staring
in, His body looked as if it had beer
rolled out long before his hands like
molasses candy stick. He had no ex
preston at all in his face, and his police
mans hat was so large that it Threatened
to settle down on his shoulders. His uni
form reassured me and l addressed hin
with some impatence
"My friend, suppose am wanted t,
attend an inquest, or what is your pur
poser
Twas police surgeon as well as coroner
"Dont bother, professor; the man ain
dead yet, but they say he will be befor
morning."
whats the matter with him?a
Brain disorder, l mean something
wrong here"
l touched my forehead, and so did h
as he said: Gay, as 1 thought I'd drop il
and tell you if you were going to tn
station tomorrow to take look an,
see if it is post mortem or not, Beside
I wanted to see where l could alway
ma you III case OF need.
l bowed, and attributed his visit to
feeling of curiosity. He sat ON the sink
and while his eyes wandered about li1
one who felt himself called upon to sa,
something, he said;
"PFofessor, there has been an aociden
this afternoon terrible, too"
"What was itg"
"Nitro glycerine explosion up in th
iron mills-a hundred fellow mortal
busted"
"Sadw
Affecting, very" Here he rubbe
his mouth with the back of his hand
Professor, what is that nitro glycerinei
,'It's a very dangerous article" al
swered. happy to display my lnowledg,
sit has nearly twice the destructivenes
Of gunpowder, but, unlike it, does nC
explode ON the application of heat.
red hot coal dropped into it will not el
plode it. 1t will freeze. 1t is yellow an
greasy"
"YQU don't mean 10 say So said I'll
officer, interrupting ne in disagreeabl
tones in the middle Of a choice extra
from one of my lectures. "Why, br
you haven't told me how it goes of.
the fire won't burst it, what in (hem)-
willg"
told him if it were pressed, or an,
thing fell on it, it would explode.
''Place it under the crusher Of a cid,
mill, strike it with q hammer, let
weight fall On it from a height
yes said the man, land that rous'
its volcaner, does itf'
Il suppose, professor. that ere ca
would make mighty big noise if a
lowed toexplode here all at oncey'
1T would blow the entire building
atoms, said /, resuming the analysis
Mrs. Johnson's stomach.
''Noy" / heard the policeman remal
in deliberate Yankee tones, 'you don
say soy7
The next moment / lay ON my back,
gas in my mouth, terribly frightsl
and sick at heart Over me stood d
policeman and the frst thing that fun
Honary did was-loolling me straight
the face-to take OFF his nose. He tn
-, rid himself of his eyebrows, hair n
cap, and became a determined loolIii
fellow, with the eyes Of a hend and G
nose of a Roman.
80 you think" said the metam,
phosed, in the tones of gentlema
"that nothing can save Joe Johns
from the ropeY Poor fellowl II dc
Z look like IL. But my dear professor J
d johnson Is fortunate enough 10 have
4 nle a devoted friend as wel as brpthl
] have undertaken 10 avs him aud