Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-03-23
THE SHIPS SURGEON.
WHY HE RESIGNED AFTER MAFa'si
 ONE ROUND TRIP.

A Horrifying Experience With Mad
 lnan-The Surgeon to De the Subject
 Operated Upon-seved by Knife That
 Needed 8 Little Sharpening.
 When I first hung out my shingle, ," said q prominent New York physician to a group of friends. among them a TO- porter, - thought 1t would be easy to drum up good paying practice, but soon realized my mistake Patients were few. didn earn S10 the first month. and one day when 1 felt very discour- aged and was thinking of giving up the study of the healing art for a more h. crative commercial pursuit I met q friend. The latter was the agent for q line of transatlantic steamers and on telling him of my poor suceess us q phy- sician he offered me position as sur geon on one of his ships l accepted the berth, and on the evening of the third day at sea had an experience with a madman, which l shall never forget.
 The weather was very stormy, and as I in consequence had had but little sleep the two previous nights felt ra- ther drowsy and sat in chair i'll my stateroom dozing Suddenly was awakened by a tremendous lurching or the vessel, Then 1 heard loud knock ct my door, and @ tall, strange and very excited dark featured man hurriedly en- tered my cabin. The man s actions were so peculiar that 1 jumped to nay feet and reached for 8 revolver which lay on my table, but l was too slow The stranger had seized the weapon. 1 then asked the man grufly what he wanted lie did not reply for some time and then, after locking the door and putting the key and my pistol in his pocket, said:
 :. I'm nas sick. doctor. I've come here, exposing loag knife from the sleeve of his coat, by order Of the cap tain to cut your throat.
 Fer q moment looked the stranger in the face. and his wild, steady stare soon convinced 1no that had to deal with 9 nadman.
 1T am not 2 coward, yet even now the thought of that moment makes me shRdder There 1 was i'll Q remote part of tho ship alone with a madman Of twice my physical strength, without 6 chance to escape or means to give alarm, and, being uaarmed, entirely at his mercy. l therefore decided that resist ance would be of the least service to mo and that apparent acquiescence would be best All his squickly flashed through my mind, and accordingly feigning the utmost indifference l could 1 said:
 The captains orders must, of course, he cl 2yed. But can you do the deed quickly
 Oh, yes, replied the madman, calmly surveying the knife which he held in his hand. I'm butcher by trade and can do the 3ob easily with this tool
 Hero he paused to examine with his thumb the edge of the knife, which looked rather blunt, and as he did so an idea struck n.e, aad l remarked:
 Your knife does not seem to have q very keen edge The traehea is tough, you know, and rather difficult to cut with such Q blunt instrument.
 The Elaanan BOW looked at me with q curious expression, as if trying to read rny thoughts, aud chen. after examining the knife more closely. seemed to think ny suggestion q geod one for he said
 Yes, doctor, think you are right. 4 little sharpening will do no harm, so f you don | mind waiting l will go to the galley and get the cook to help mo put an edge on 1t with his grindstone.
 This was exactly what 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 l discovered that the door was locked as securely as before
 What was to dc: l flung open tho porthole 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 i'll q frenzy of despair 1 looked about for some weapon of defense, but there was not so much as stick to be found in my cabin. put my ear to the keyhole, and, thinking heard footsteps approaching, l impulsively threw off my coat, went to the farthest end of the room and, standing as defantly as pos sible, resolved to fight to the last
 remember then the door bursting open and the entry of the madman, not alone as l expected. but securely pin toned and attended by two of the ships crew in charge of the second officer