Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1897-07-22
BULLET HOLE IN HIS HEART
rhus Wounded, This Man Lives, DEFY.
ing Natures Laws,

LdNs.
Chicago, July 19.-Charles B. Mel.
son, who, while in Washington Park
"n the night of July |, in companv
with Mrs. Edith NJ. Staples, was shot
IN the breast, expects to learn soon if
he is carrying around heart with
bullet hole bored through it. He sub-
mltted to the X-rays for two sciagraphs
last night, In the hope of locating the
nullet fired into his chest on that night.
The sciagraphs seem to indicate that
the ball cut through the heart on the
shortest and most direct line, to lodge
near the spine, but they are not quite
conclusive. When he was brought to
the Chicago hospital the surgeons said
he was shot in the heart and was
doomed to death. He surprised them
by promptly getting better and he was
well enough yesterday to go to Wash
ington Park and try to locate the
clump of bushes near which he and
Mrs. Staples were sitting when he was
shot.
When The photographic plates were
developed person was able to see
traces of the bullet. One of the plates
showed the bullet in line with the
junction of the spine and the ninth rib.
The other indicated it was back of the
junction of the fourth rib and the breast
bone. These two points are in direct
line from chest to back.
1t is the opinion of the specialist,
judging from the density of the bullet
spots in the negatives that the bullet
was lodged about two inches in front of
the spine. 1t that is so. and the ball
travelled in y straight line, it must
have gone through the heart If it did
not 90 through the heart how did it
get around the heart and reach it's
present location? That is what troubles
the surgeons Nelson's heart is direct
ly back OF the entrance of the bullet
and surgeons say the bullet could not
have gone in direct line without pierre
ing the heart. The sciagraphs indicate
that the ball was not DETECTED. 1t will
require another sciagraph showing a
lateral view of the patients chest to
determine whether the bullet has
passed through the heart or not. If it
proves to be back of the heart, the
mystery will be greater than ever.
When Nelson was brought to the
hospital and his wound was probed he
lost a pint of blood. The surgeons
were satisfied his heart was pierced and
said he had but short time to live.
When he began to recover they con-
cluded that the bullet had pierced the
pericardium, the sack envelopiig the
heart, and dropped, perhaps, to the
bottom of the sack after bruising the
heart. The sciagraphs indicate that
the bullet did not drop, but went
straight ahead in its course, after bor
ing its way through the breast bone.
In taking the sciagraphs, Nelson was
exposed to the waist, revealing round
hole in his chest with traces of blood
about the orifice. He sat in front of
the apparatus in small room at the
hospital, with his chest to the Crooks
tube and the Photographic plate fas-
tened to his back. Several surgeons
and white-capped nurses were in the
room. The patient held bit of cloth
to his chest to cover the gaping bullet
hole. His body had been smeared with
cocaine to lessen the irritation and he
declared he felt no pain, only a prick
ing sensation.
For several minutes the company 81
lently watched and listened. Then the
patient was turned around and the doc
tor held another plate to his chest for
four minutes. Nelson said he felt no
pain either from his wound or from the
X-ray.