Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-04-01
A SURGEONS STORY.
TRAGIC ENCOUNTER WITH A MANIAC
BENT ON SUICIDE.

pElN ONN 0OlOiOEs
rhe Desperate BJan Placed a Revolver n
the Physicians Hand and at the Muznissa
Another Ordered Him to shoot-The
Tragedy That Followed a Refusal.
We'll. would hardly be willing to
say, responded the physician to an in
luiry made by one of a group of listen
srs, that man who committed suicide
was insane, for l have known several
persons who we're never suspected OF
Insanity before the act, nor have they
been since, who, to my certain knowl-
edge, have attempted suicide. One OF
two cases have been public, and have
got into the newspapers, but the gem
eral majority of them are professional
secrets, and no one will ever know of
them, except those few who know now.
That's one of the responsibilities that
a physician takes upon himself
Il recall one instance where l have
saved a man from committing suicide,
and, though he never showed the
slightest symptom of 1t afterward,
am positive he was crazy as a loon at
the time of the attempt 1t happened
about six years ago in a western city
In a hotel where was resident ply
sician. had met the man in the even
Ing after dinner and had played game
Of chess with him in his apartments
the finest suite in the house. He had
arrived at the hotel the day before
alone, and had asked for the best
rooms, paying for them in advance
Then he had asked for the house ply
sician, and as one result of our ac-
quaintance. we we're playing this game
Of chess. We had had one or two mild
drinks during the evening, and after
the game was finished, he turned the
talk upon suicide, having some very In
teresting and peculiar ideas on the sub
ject, chief of which was his utter aver
sion to self-murder under any circum.
stances whatever. He was so firm in
his opposition that he almost lost his
temper when l ventured the assertion
that suicide might be almost justifia.
BILE
'In the midst of this conversation he
suddenly went into the adjoining room,
and returned with two revolvers, which
he laid down on the table between us
[ didn't understand what they were for,
and asked him.
Well, he answered in the coolest
kind of fashion, the time has come for
me to die, and you have got to kill me.
My soul would be damned forever If ]
did it myself, but If you do 1t, my
blood will not be on my own hands.
| There are two revolvers; you take this
one'-handing me one-'and I'll take
the other. AS you see, they are both
! loaded and in perfect condition. II
you do not shoot me within a minute,
[ will shoot you
HE took out his watch, and, stand
ing five or six feet from me, he count
ed the ticks, and aimed his gun direct
ly at my head. l saw by his eye that
he was crazy and that would have to
obey him or pay the penalty of my
disobedience with my life, and still
| did not want to shoot a man, however
[ might be justified in doing It. With
this thought lifted the revolver, and
taking careful aim, he watching me
narrowly, drew the gun square down
upon his forehead, and just as l was
about to pull the trigger, l threw II
one side and shot for his pistol arm
My intention was good, but was ex-
,ited, and my shot only cut through this
flesh without disabling him, and before
[ had time to move, he had fred at my
heart. A case of instruments in my
rest pocket saved me, and the next shot
[ fired was more to the purpose, and
my host was dead without committing
suicide.
Il told the story to the landlord, who
was my friend and relative, exactly al
1t occurred, but to the world at large
the story went forth that the man hat
committed suicide while crazed, and
the fact that he had been in an asylum
was sufficient guarantee that was tell
Ing the truth.