Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-30
Peril pUs; EXPERIENCE

when first hung out my shingle," said
a prominent New Fork physician to a
group of friends. among them Star re-
porter, Il thoaght 1T would be easy to
drum up good paying practice But I
soon realized my mistake. Patients were
few l didn't learn ten dollars the first
month, and ONE day. when felt very dis
couraged and was thinking of giving up the
study of the healing. art for a more lucra-
tive commercial DuKsuit. met friend
The latter was the agent for line of
transatlantic steamers and on telling him
of my poor success as a physician, he Of
Tered me pcsitionaas surgeon on one of
his ships. / accepted the berth, and. on the
evening of the third day at sea, 1 had an
experience with mailman, which l shall
never forget.
|. in consequence, had had but little sleep
the two previous nights, 1 felt rather
drowsy. and sat In "a chair in my state
room doing. Suddenly 1 was awakened by
tremendous lurching of the vessel Then
l heard loud knock at my door. and a
tail, strange, and very excited dark-featur-
ed man hurriediy entered my cabin. The
mans actions were so peculiar that 1
jumped to my feet and reached for re-
volver which lay my table. But l was
too slow. The stranger had seized the
weapon. I then asked the man grufily
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:
exposing a long knife from the sleeve of
his coat. by order of the captain to cut
your throat
For a moment 1 looked the stranger in
the face, and his wild, STEADY stare soon
convinced me that l had to deal with
madman.
II am not a coward, yet even now the
thought of that moment makes me shud
I in
ship alone with a mailman OF twice my
physical strength. without chance to es-
cape or means to give alarm, and being
unarmed, entirely at his mercy. l there
fore decided that resistance would be Of
the least service to me, and that apparent
acquiescence would be best. All this quick
ly flashed through my mind, and according
ly, feigning the utmost Indifference could,
l said
The captains orders must, of course, be
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 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 I 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
q 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 sug-
gestion coed one for he said:
Eyes, doctor. / think you are right. A
little sharpening will do no harm; so if
you don't mind waiting 1 will go to the gal
ley 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 lock the door
after him, 1 thought my escape would be
easy. But picture my dismay when on his
departure, / discovered that the door was
locked as securely "a before
What was to. 40? l., flung open the
portfolio and shouted. with all my might for
assistance. butt 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 aefsnse,g but there was not so
much as a. stick to be found in my cabin.
/ put my ear to- the tkeyhole, and, thinking
l heard footsteps approachin l fmpulsive-
ly threw off my; coat, went to the furthest
end of the room, and standing as deflantiy
as possible, resolved to fight to the last.
Il remember then the door bursting open
and the entry Of the mailman, not alone as
1 expected, but securely apinioned and at
tended by twopf the ships crew in charge
of the second officer. The relief of the mo-
nent was so great that it completely pros
trated me, and I felf IN a faint to the floor.
when Ihcame Ito, my ssenses l learned
that the peculiar ands excited manner OF
the maniac, the large knife In his posses
suspicion III Tim and Induced the officer
to secure ara bring him to my cabin to
ascertain his condition. Needless to say /
pronounced the man insane, and he was
kept securely confined and watched day
and night 'until the ship arrived in Liver
pool where he was handed over to the
proper authorities l returned to New
York on the same vessel. but never went
to sea in the capacity of surgeon again"