Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-27
A DOCTOR IN DANGER
He Was Almost Too Anxious About
Securing His Fee.
ROUGHLY HANDLED BY A CROWD.
Refusing to Attend an Injured Boy Until
His Pay Was Guaranteed.
PECULIAR SCENE IN A CHICAGO STREET

CHICAGO, November 26.-Dr. Ransom
Dexter narrowly escaped personal violence
at the hands of an angry crowd In the
Builders and Traders Exchange Building,
Nos. 1s9 and 161 La Sale street. The crowd
became aroused to such pitch of fury by
the refusal of the physician to attend boy
injured in an elevator accident until his fee
should be guaranteed.
The accident was caused by negligence on
the part of the lessee of the building to pro-
vide secure gates about the elevator shaft.
The victim was 13-year-old boy named
John Hurley, who is employed by the Put
nam Publishing Company. The boy had
delivered some goods on the fifth floor of
the building, and while waiting for the ele-
vator to descend TO the basement at about
II 30 clock he thoughtlessly leaned against
the gate. 1t was insecure and it gave
way and both it and the boy fell down the
shaft. The elevator car with seven passen-
gers aboard was midway between the first
and second floors. The weight precipltated
upon 1t set 1t in motion toward the bottom
of the shaft. 1t moved slowly enough, how
ever, to permit one of the passengers, Mr..
O'Donnell the President of the Lake Shore
Sand and Gravel Company, to wrench loose
the gate at the first floor and jump on the
landing safely. The rest OF the passengers
and the elevator man were uninjured.
WOULD TAKE NO RISKS.
The boy was picked up insensibie and was
carried into an Office. A messenger was at
once dispatched to DR.. Dexter's office, at
Clark and Madison streets, less than block
away. The answer brought back was that
DIR. Dexter would not come unless lie could
have assurance that he would be paid. By
this time crown had gathered in the office
where the little fellow lay limp and help
less and about the Railways. Wnen the doc
tors answer was passed round dozen
voices excaimed:
'Have him come. anyway! It's case Of
life and death There's plenty of money in
this crowd!'
There were a good many members of the
Exchange present by this time. Another
message was sent to DR.. Dexter to the effect
that he would be paid, and in few minutes
he came. A number of witnesses declare
that as soon as he entered the building he
again demanded to know if he was to be
paid. A collection had been taken up
amounting to over $40 for the boys benefit,
and several persons told him to go ahead
and attend to the patient. There were
Others in the crowd who did not like the
physicians solicitude about his fee, and
there were several who used strong Ian
guage. One man shook his fist in the doc
tors face and yelled: =
You're disgrace to the profession"
"You're liar!' roared the doctor.
ATTACHING THE DOCTOR.
L.. Co. l.,
Men reached over each others shoulders,
says r. w. Maxton, a dealer in building
stone, who was there, and struck at the doc
tor. None OF the blows reached his face but
his silk hat was crushed. He was quickly
hustled out of the building into Arcade
court, where he made his way back to the
Office. Some persons who were present
wanted to lynch him. and it was said he es-
capped in the nick OF time.
Another physician examined little John
Hurley and found no bones broken. 1t is
not certain that he has not sustained in
ternal injury. The police ambulance took
him to his parents residence, No. % John
place.
DR.. Dexter's version Of the affair is some
what different from that given by others
who were present.
WHAT THE PHYSICIAN SAYS.
ga boy came to my Office" said he, ITO
tell ME that a boy who had been hurt needed
my attention at the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union rooms. had had trouble
on two occasions with these people. l had at
tended patients at their request and had
been swindled. In one case they guaran-
teed my fee and 1 got only half of my cee
So 1 sent word that 1 couldn't come unless
there was a guaranty that 1 would be paid.
The same messenger came to say that unless
1 went there l would be written up
in the papers so this Is q case OF
blackmail is it o. / said. IF that's so
1 guess I'd better go.' 1 had just fairly en-
tered the building when some one cried out
that they didn't want such man-they had
no use for me- They were like a set of in
sane people-I should judge it was crowd
that had got drunk on cheap whisky. They
began to call names, and one man provoked
me beyond endurance by saying L was dis
grace to my profession. l called him liar.
Then a policeman took my arm and led me
toward the door. | went out and it was the |
best thing 1 could have done. The crowd |
might have hurt me, the men were so beside |
themselves.
81 think have a right TO refuse to attend |
if l see fit. For u years l have done an
office business almost exclusively. One |
year-it was 1S75-when aid visiting and |
responded to every call kept an exact ac-
count, and the calls responded to for which |
received no pay whatever amounted to 60 |
per cent of my business. 1t was nearly as |
much in 1876. can't afford to answer calls |
where receive nothing, and l think $40, 900 |
is enough to have lost that way in few
years.
II believe the profession will sustain me
in asserting right to decline business that
don't want"