The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-01-24
A DOCTORS SECRET.
STRANGE STORY OF HOW A PH1SA-
DIAN OBTAINED n SkELETON.
Robbed Pretty Womans Grave But IL " u"
AL Done from a Pure Motive-some-
body Has to Do These ThingG


upon the vicissitudes Of this ever-chang
ing, wave-tossed world of ours has had
a skeleton in his closet. Practicing ply
sicians are no exceptions to the rule.
One cold, rainy night friend of mine
CHANGED to be the guest of a bachelor
| doctor, having been invited by him to
| partake of the hospitality of Bachelors
| Den," as he called his quarters, consist
| ing of an office in front and bedroom to
| the rear. They had been fellow revelers
! at the german given OF the splendid home
| Of the Denierres just a few blocks away,
for, though the doctor had sprinkle OF
the white frost of years on his hair, he
still parted it in the middle, and was just
young enough in spirits to enjoy the
dance as much as any of the younger
| men.
1t was 1 o'clock, and maybe g. before
! they could overcome the charm OF the
dance, don their overcoatS and hurl them
selves into the cold and slippery streets
to go home. and, hence, it must nave
been getting on pretty close to 3 O'Clock
| in the morning before they found them
| selves seated in the doctors simply 1ur-
uiSned bed chamber, where everything
seemed gloomy and nothing bright, eA-
cept the blazing fire In the CRATE.
The fumes OF iodoform and carbolic
acid lurking into the room from the
office in front added not one whit of
brightness or cheer to the environments
They were smoking good cigars, however,
and the doctor was very entertaining
gentleman. SO, despite the iateness OF
the hour as if by mutual consent, the
two fixed their eyes on the glowing Goals
of fire and soon were lost in conversation
about the serious side of the world and
its ways.
s'By Jingov' the doctor finally exclaim
ed with a suddenness that made my
friend look up nervOuSly and unconscious
ly at the big bone he had previously
noticed Oh the mantepiece, asking
whats the matter, dUctor!'
why here's my surgical knife all
covered with blood, lying here on the
table where | LETT it tins evening, YET
uucleaneu. l must rub it up little,
gracous."
My friend felt relieved that it was
nothing else, and soon fixed his eyes on
the CRATE again, meditatlngly, while the
doctor, with Il rag and soft SKINS, rubbed
away at his D.aue, telling OF the case III
which it had served the afternoon before.
Soon he ceased talking, and, looking over
tne table, my friend saw hlm looking
tiXpdly into the fire, the knife still IN
his hands, and the rubbing getting slower
and slower till 1T stopped.
Nv nat are you thinking about, doc
) tori"
'.Oh, nothing" he remarked, recovering
himself, but did you noLce how happy
, Old man Dcnlerre appeared at Lis
| daughters dance tonight?
re was seemingly JOYFUL, my TRENT
said, but why do you ASK
A well, this Knife could tell you Il story
t If it could talk, which would explain my
strange mood, and, If you viii lSh
49,. pl,,, hnr cigar ana listen. / Ii give you
c My friend lit the cigar and the story
proceeded.
"Oid man Denierre once had anOthe
, | daughter, prcttier even than the one il
| whose name the german was given to
night; oh, she was Il beautiful yount
woman, the belle Of the town and courtet
! by scores of young men. She died, how
ever, before marrying and at the zenitl
| age OF WOman'S beauty and loneliness
! 1t was a strange case; the StrangeSt
ever had anything to do with None o.
: | the physicians attending her knew VIVA
the disease could be. 1t came on hel
like some blight that saps away the life
| OF some pretty flower. She began t(
turn pale without being sick This con
tinued for months, and several doctors
were called i'll from time to time fol
consultation. | was among the number
and, | DO declare, it was the most mys
FERROUS case that ever came under my
observation. The poor girl lost all hel
beauty, and gradually lost her strength
yea nothing in her physical condition
could be taken to account for it. BY slow
and gradual fading away she finally
died, leaving her parents sorely grieved
and q half dozen physicians seriously
perplcXed. | became intensely interest
ed for in those days when | was fresh
from college | wanted to know everything
that science could unfold. / asked De
nerre to let me have an examination
after the death Of his daughter that our
science ana profession might be bene-
fitted by the strange case being dis
closed, but he sent me from him with an
outburst Of grief and opposition. The
more l thought of It, the more curious l
became-nOt simply curious, for l was
anxious to benefit my profession with
the discovery / was determined | made
I'D my mind must | tell you, | resolved
to rob that pretty woman's grave"
"What, you a grave robber, body
snatcher?" my friend exclaimed
Yes, and l would do it again with
the same motive. The doctor who would
sion, and is but little worthy Of his title
to practice"
Go on with your story!"
THE night after the burial / employed
negro man and hired a one-horse
! wagon 1t was a dark, moOnleSs night,
| and we left the city about o'clock. The
open cemetery on the outskirts of the
little town was easily entered without q
chance for any obtruder to detect us. l
shall never forget it. 1t was the first
time | had ever done such thing We
finally reached the coffin-gracious, how
loudly it sounded when our shovels and
spades touched the casket. Each time
I thought it was q gun shot, so Oppres-
| siyely still was the night and SO solemn
and 'scary' the situation. We put the
ropes under the coffin, and, after long
time trying to pull the casket up, decided
to break into it and get the body alone
This we finally did. How ghostly! and
yet the trace Of beauty remained on her
| perfect face.
Our work was over, and we drove
slowly back to town with the body in the
| wagon | need not tell Won of the aXami-