Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-12-11
FIELDS OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DARING
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.
A Doctors PerilOus Experience With q
Mailman on Board steamshir-COl-
onel Rice's Experience With an Angry
Elephant and an Enraged Lion.

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Mailman on Board steamship-COl-
onel Rice's Experience With an Angry
Elephant and an Enraged Lion.
"When first hung out my shingle, u
said prominent New York physician
to group of friends. among them a
Washington Star reporter, 81 thought
it would be easy to drum mp good
paying practice. But l soon realized
my mistake. Patients were few. /
didn't earn $40 the first month, and
one day when felt very discouraged
and was thinking of giving up the
study of the healing art for more
lucrative commercial pursuit, l met a
friend. The latter was the agent for
line of transatlantic steamers, and
on telling him Of my p9esr ps ssesss posfsioa Is as
surgeon on one Of his ships. / ac-
cepted the berth, and, on the evening
of the third day at sea, had an ex-
perience with madman, which L
shall never forget.
''The weather was very stormy, and
as l, in consequence, had had but lit.
tie sleep the two previous nights, 1
felt rather drowsy, and sat in chair
in my stateroom doing. Suddenly I
was awakened by tremendous lurch-
ing of the vessel. Then I heard loud
knock at my door, and tall, strange,
and very excited dark featured man
hurriedly entered my cabin. The
mans actions were so peculiar that I
jumped to my feet and reached for
revolver which lay on my table. But
1 was too slow. The stranger had
seized the weapon. then asked the
man gruffly what he wanted. He did
not reply for some time, and then, af-
ter locking the door and putting the
key and my pistol in his pocket, said:
:" I'm not sick, doctor. I've come
here, exposing long knife from the
sleeve of his coat, 'by order Of the
captain to cut your throat
'For moment looked the strang-
Ell in the face, and his wild, steady
stare soon convinced me that I had to
deal with madman.
81 am not a coward, yet even now
the thought of til atmoment makes me
shudder. There I was in a remote
part OF the ship alone with madman
of twice my physical strength, without
chance to escape or means to give
alarm, and being unarmed, entirely at
his mercy. L therefore decided that
resistance 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
could, 1 said:
'The captains orders must, of
course, be obeyed. But can you do
the deed qulckly?'
"'Oh, yes,' replied the madman,
calmly surveying the knife which he
held in his hand. I'm butcher by
this tool"
Here he paused to examine with
his thumb the edge of the knife, which
looked rather blunt, and as he did so
al idea struck me, and I remarked:
"'Your knife does not seem to have
very keen edge; the trachea is tough,
you know, and rather difficult to cut
with such blunt instrument
with curious expression, as if trying
to read my thoughts, and then, after
examining the knife more closely,
seemed to think my suggestion good
one; for he said:
"'Yes, doctor, I think you are
right. A little sharpening will do no
harm; so if you don't mind waiting I !
will go to the galley and get the cook
to help me put an edge on it with his
grindstone.'
This was exactly what wanted,
as, feeling sure he would not lock the
door after him, thought my escape
would be easy. But picture my dis
may when on his departure, I dis
covered that the door was locked as
securely as before.
"What was to do? 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 I looked |
about for some weapon of defence, but |
there was not so much as stick to be |
found in my cabin. I put my ear to |
the keyhole, and, thinking I heard |
footsteps approaching, I impulsively |
threw off my coat, went to the furthest |
end of the room, and standing as de- |
family as possible, resolved to fight to |
the last.
II remember then the door bursting |
open and the entry of the madman,
not alone, as I expected, but securely |
pinioned 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 prostrated |
me, and I fell in faint to the floor.
when I came to my senses I |
learned that the peculiar and excited |
manner of the maniac, the large knife |
in his possession and his anxiety to |
sharpen it, drew suspicion on him and |
induced the officer to secure and bring |
him to my cabin to ascertain his con-
dition. Needless to say I pronounced |
the man insane, and he was kept |
securely confined and watched day |
and night until the ship arrived in
Liverpool, where he was handed over
to the proper authorities. 1 returned
to New York on the same vessel, but
never went to sea in the capacity of
surgeon again"
Colonel Rlce's Two Marrow Escapes.
Speaking of escapes from death
recalls my experience with the mur-
derous elephant Romeo. Had I been
a little slower in my movements I
would have been his eighth victim,"
said Colonel Rice, refectively. Zone
day I was directing the arrangement
of some canvasmen, and unwittingly
ventured couple of steps backward
and within range of the death dealing
elephant, which at once raised his
trunk slowly with the purpose Of CIV
ing me settler. He would have sue
ceeded in killing me had not a young
elephant near by trumpeted an alarm,