The news & observer., 1897-01-22
Strange Case
OF DR. [Pa0n[AG0o

For lack of better name, let this
tale be ycleped THE Strange Case of DR.
D. Reid Parker" This man may at once
be put down as one of the big IFS of his
tory, and around this illness a story run
Meth In the first picture of a shooting
battle, as well as of a Senatorial battle,
the figures of the leaders Of the opposing
forces appear with the private nothing
more than point of color in dim line
of distant soldiery. But afterwards
come the canteen stories, and before one
knows it, the private soldier comes for
ward in single figure. Within the broad
lines drawn by the public of the recent
Senatorial struggle wherein flgur-
ed Marion Butler, Harry Skin
ner and Jcter G. Pritchard the
face and figure of DIR. -. Reid Parker
was lost Let them be feebly rescued
here. For as stated above, our subject
was big If
For ten days the disposing of the lines
had been going on SINNERS line was in
full sight, and shining in trappings Of
gold and silver on the slopes near
Port Republic. Buffers forces were di-
vided and tacticalIy playing a hidc-and-
seek game about the Massauuttcn points
of vantage.
In order to win he mad to attack the en-
envy in detail And these tactics reaching
over a week, were minutely watched by
n reporter of the News and Observer, rs
well as by SINNERS scouts. Some OF
these moves may never he known, Ger
tainly not here. except as relates to the
illness of DIR. y. Reid Parker
If the eye caught the picture i'll the
Senate chamber, the first day Of the bal
Ioting for Senator, it is one that most eyes
would not soon forget There sat the
Senator Parker from the county of Kan
dolph. Behind hlm i'll the aisle, within
a hands touch, stood Marion Butler.
white from nervous strain, but rigid
desperately rigid-so rigid that his arm
was crooked stifiiy at the elbow, and his
hand was clenched. Marion Butler was
catching the enemy in detail on the Sen
ate side of the Shenandoah. the vote OF
ID. Reid Parker was the bridge between
the forces of the enemy, and by that
vote the battle of the first day was won
and the enemy sundered.
Doctor, it will kill you to he taken
from your bed and put through this
excitement" whispered Republican
voice through the press of Butler men
that we're hedging DR.. Parker about,
The Senator changed countenance trl-
he. and felt himself unable to get his
breath. The doctor was not there, nor
had his vote been cast. The patient
wanted air. HE shall have it" answer
cd Butler. and he was taken back to the
little room on the left lobby of the Senate.
The Republican emssaries crowded
about him, while Butler stood with ST.
lence as frozen as was his determination,
except to say suddenly, Send for the
doctor" The physician was within eau
in the building. below stairs; he was not
promptly found the words "cruel, IN"
famous" ''fendish treatment" and kim
dred exclamations were Kissed from the
burly mountain Republicans who were
passing into the little room.
II ct me take you home, DOCTOR and
the motion started with the word, but
Butler said .No," II mo" that carried.
for some reason or other. Was it the
tone of the mo" or the momentum be
hind the mop But it carried. Then in
an instant Butler stepped to the door,
and beckoned across the aisles to some Of
his faithful followers. And surrounding
the waiting man, they defiantly prevented
intrusion but only for moment. Dur
ing that moment, Butler addressing the
man said: IF the doctor says you are too
i'll to stay during the vote, L shall not ask
you to stay" and in pressed the physi-
clan at that second. He had been made
umpire by Butler himself, and he stood
awaiting the decision. Ammonia was
forthcoming, and other remedies, TO
which the patient at first objected, but the
decision-the doctor said the man was
not seriously i'll, and cor}d stand the or
deal
Then it was he was led back to MS
seat in front of the muttering. 1T Is
personally known to this reporter that
there were not few weapons among
those men, and that they were not used,
may be attributed to human emotions
balanced between impulse and repression
that would make a long story of psyche
logical complexity. Butler and his lieu
tenants with the principal actors were
crowded upon by the coyotes. 1t was
almost silent enacting of Davy Crockett
holding the door fast against the wolves.
He was back in his seat, and it was al
most the moment of the roll-caH. The
Pritchard men had gone to battle like
the banneretted Federal army that LETT
Washington for Bull Run that summer
morning, and a Centreville feast had been
spread just back of the lines for thae
celebration of the victory. There were "A
Senators for Pritchard, 81 against, and
the illness of DR.. Reid Parker was the
spot on the brow of the hill where Butler
purposed giving them the bayonet.
Earnhardt would have made him safe,
but Congressman Shuford had been twice
dispatched for him, meeting only with
the response that even the eight mile
ride to the station might be fatal to the
sick man. Skinner feared a second day;
for with the prestige of a first days vic
tory, he might march on to Washington.
And even as the case stands, this he came
near doing. Ten Republicans had proni-