The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-12-14
THE SHIPS SURGEON.
WHY HE RESIGNED AFTER MAKING
ONE ROUND TRIP.

mantle Surgeon to BE the Subject
Operated Upon-Saved by a Knife That
Needed a Little Sharpening.
"When 1 first hung out my shingle,"
said a prominent New York physician
to a group of friends, among them a re-
porter, 81 thought it would be easy to
drum up a good paying practice, but 1
soon realized my mistake. Patients were
few. l didn't earn $40 the first month,
and one day when l felt very discour-
aged and was thinking of giving up the
study of the healing art for a more lu-
crative commercial pursuit 1 met a
friend. The latter was the agent for a
line Of transatlantic steamers, and on
telling him of my poor success as a ply
stefan he offered me a position as sur
geon ON one of his ships. I accepted the
berth, and ON the evening of the third
day at sea / had an experience with a
mailman, which l shall never forget.
1.-THE weather was very stormy, and
as / in consequence had had but little
sleep the two previous nights l felt ra-
Their drowsy and sat in a chair in my
stateroom doing. Suddenly 1 was
awakened by a tremendous lurching of
the vessel. Then l heard a loud knock
at my door, and a tall, strange and very
excited dark featured man hurriedly en-
tered my cabin. The mans actions were
SO peculiar that L jumped to my feet
and reached for a revolver which lay on
my table, but l was too slow. The
stranger had seized the weapon. l then
asked the man gruffiy what he wanted.
He did not reply for some time and
then, after locking the door and putting
the key and my pistol in his pocket,
said:
"'I'm not sick, doctor. I've come
here,' exposing a long knife from the
sleeve of his coat, by order of the cap
tain to CT your throat.
"For a moment / looked the stranger
in the face, and his wild, steady stare
soon convinced me that ] had to deal
with a mailman.
II am not a coward, yet even nov
the thought of that moment makes me
shudder. There l was in q remote part
of the ship alone with a mailman of
twice my physical strength, without a
chance to escape or means to give alarm,
and, being unarmed, entirely at his
mercy. l therefore decided that resist
ance would be of the least service to me
and that apparent acquiescence would
be best. All this quickly flashed through
my mind, and accordingly feigning the
utmost indifference l could 1 said:
"'The captains orders must, of
course, he obeyed. But can you do the
deed quickly?'
"'Oh, yes replied the mailman,
calmly surveying the knife which he
held in his hand. I'm a butcher by
trade and can do the job easily with
this tool.
Here he paused to examine with his
thumb the edge of the knife, which
looked rather blunt, and as he did SO an
idea struck me, and l remarked:
"'Your knife does not seem to have a
very keen edge. The trachea is tough,
you know, and rather difficult to cut
with such a blunt instrument
1.-THE mailman now looked at me with
a curious expression, as if trying to read
my thoughts, and then. after examining
the knife more closely, seemed to think
my suggestion a good one, for he said:
"'Yes, doctor, | think you are right.
A little sharpening will do no harm, SO
if you don't mind waiting / will go to
the galley and get the cook to help me
put an edge On it with his grindstone.
"This was exactly what l wanted, as,
feeling sure he would not look the door
after him, | thought my escape would
be easy, but picture my dismay when on
his departure l discovered that the door
was locked as securely as before.
"What vas l to do? 1 flung open the
portfolio and shouted with all my might
for assistance, but the fury of the gale
was now so great that all my efforts to
make myself heard were of no avail.
Then in a frenzy of despair / looked
about for some weapon of defense, but
there was not so much as a stick to be
found in my cabin. l put my ear to the
keyhole, and, thinking l heard footsteps
approaching, l impulsively threw off
my coat, went to the farthest end of the
room and, standing as defiantly as pos
sible, resolved to fight to the last.
Il remember then the door bursting
open and the entry of the mailman, not
alone, as l expected, but securely pin
Toned and attended by two of the ships
crew in charge of the second officer.
The relief of the moment was SO great
that it completely Frustrated me, and l
fell in a faint to the floor.
when l came tony senses, 1 learned
that the peculiar and excited manner of
the maniac, the large knife in his pos
session and his anxiety to sharpen it
drew suspicion on him and induced the
officer to secur and bring him to my
cabin to ascertain his condition. Need
less to say | pronounced the man insane,
and he was kept securely confined and
watched day and night until the ship
arrived in Liverpool, where he was
banded over to the proper authorities.
! returned to New York on the same
vessel, but never went to sea in the ca
pacity Of a surgeon again. Washing
ton Star.