Daily camera., 1898-05-27
WOUNDED in THE IMAGINATION.
Unique scnrfpin of a Negro Who Was
Not horn to Die of a Bullet.


Unique scnrfpin of a Negro Who Was
Not Born to Die of a Bullet.
The wonderful effect of the imagina-
ton upon the mind of man has been
demonstrated repeatedly by persons
who were willing to experiment.
Speaking of this popularity, New Or
leans physician who was for many
years connected with the Charity hos
pital gave striking illustration in
the course of conversation with Sun
reporter.
"As you know" began the physician,
81 have long taken an interest in gun
shot wounds of the abdomen, and have
followed the treatment of some very
complicated cases. l was in my room
at the hospital one day when an am
bulance surgeon came to me and said
that man suffering from gunshot
wound in the abdomen had been
brought in for treatment. Like 80 per
cent. of such cases, he was colored, for
the southern negroes, unlike their
northern brethren, have more faith in
the pistol than in the razor, and pre-
fer to shoot up a rival in love or busi-
ness to the more laborious method of
carving, so much in vogue north of Ma
son and Dixon's line. The wounded
man, big athletic chap of 80, was
stretched upon couch, and at the first
glance his time seemed to have come
to leave this world. He was breathing
laboriously, and the ashen stamp of
death was apparent in his face. asked
him where he had been wounded, and
he placed his hand upon the left side
of his abdomen, where the blood showed
plainly upon the light material of which
his clothing was made. He had all the
symptoms of man bleeding to death
as l stripped him for more critical
examination.
"When 1 got look at the wound I
found it a mere tear of the flesh, not
much more than skin deep, from which
the blood was flowing quite freely. l
saw that the bullet had been DETECTED
by something, ana told the negro to
stand up. He groaned violently and as
sured me that it would be the death of
him to move, but 1 finally persuaded
him that he was not hurt at all, and
that after dressing of collodion had
been applied to the wound he could go
home 1t was a study to watch the
mans face as the truth dawned upon
him. Fear gave way to doubt and doubt
to the complete realization of the stu
alton, and he grinned from ear to ear
as he stood up. 1 asked him to shake
his clothes, and as he did so the bullet
dropped to the floor.
81 had noticed that the man wore
bullet set in brass mounting as scarf
pin, and as he stood before me I re-
marked:
"'You seem to be fond of bullets.
Has that one in your scarf pin his
tory?
"'W-what bullet?' he stammered, as
he felt for his pin and with quiveriug
fingers withdrew it from it's resting
place. 4 nevah had no bullet in nah
pin, boss,' he said, in terror, and then
/ noticed that it wasn't mounted as &
icweler would do it, but sort of wedged
into place, with tapping of the edges
here and there.
81 asked the man how many times he
had been shot, and he said twice. Then
it was all clear to me. One ball had
spent itself upon button, which was
found attached to the bullet on the
floor, and the other had struck the
strong brass crescent scarf pin and had
wedged itself there. That negro GER
tainly wasn't born to be shot to death,
and l know he hasn't been razored yet,
for 1 met him in St. Charles street the
other morning with the unique pin in
his scarf."-N. Y. Sun.