The National tribune., 1899-08-31
THE NATIONAL wAsHMGToy AUGUST

THE RATIONAL TRIBUNE:
| advantage from being removed to the
hospital, but as there was such place, and
he was undoubtedly dangerously sick. he
to take him there. / did not know how
to treat the man, and must wait for the
doctor, but his immediate removal would
have this good effect-it would show the
boys that we who had been intrusted with
the management of the hospital were
anxious to do all we could for the sick; that
We We're not careless, and the greater the
general confidence in lis the more we
could do; SO l determined to have him
moved at once.
Loney had proposed to make litter to
carry the sick on. did not know whether
it was finished or not; if it was the man
could be better carried on that than in any
other way; if it was not, Loney could pick
hlm up in his arms and carry him quicker.
easier, and with less danger of injury than
would be involved in carrying him in
blanket, as his comrades proposed. So
went back to get Loney.
had been gone perhaps 20 minutes
perhaps little longer. for had asked
| the sick mans immediate friends many
| questions about the case. When reached
the hospital Loney was lying where l left
HIM, eyes wide open. l spoke in a low
ing:
'Loney, that sick man must be brought
| in at once. Is the stretcher ready?"
He made no answer.
spoke again, louder, not doubling that
he would then hear and understand me.
Still he did not move.
thought he was sleeping with his eyes
open. Some people do sleep in that way.
| touched his forehead. 1t was warm and
moist. That he was dead did not occur TO
me-, for in the interest aroused by the new
| patient, who feared would die before MORN
| ing, had for the time forgotten Loney's
prediction. / shook him, struck a sharp
| blow on his cheek with my open PALM but
he did not respond.
Then remembered all.
'He sleeps sound" said a wakeful pa
| tient on the next bed; "but, poor fellow, he
| must be tired"
The man who spoke had an intermittent
fever, and during the intermiSSion noticed
| and understood everything that happened,
though during the hight of the fever he
was out of his head and very violent. At
that time his fever was off, and he was
| intelligently watchful. Knowing this pc
cullarity of his case, / asked him how long
| Loney had been asleep.
WATCHED BY A PATIENT
| "I'm sure don't know" he answered. II
heard what you said to him when you went
| out. He was awake then, for heard him
answer you. / have been lying here with
| my eyes half-open ever since, watching
him. / didn't notice him go to sleep. He
didn't close his eyes at all; but ! knew he
was asleep some time ago. because, think
| ing he was awake, j asked him first what
time it was. and after that, louder, for a
drink of water, but he didn't answer me; so
| / knew he was alseep"
HAS he not changed his position or
made any noise?" ] asked.
when asked him what time it was he
Strengthened out-stretched, YOU know;
that made me think he had been sleeping
lightly, and that my voice had startled
with out waking him. so spoke louder the
next time, but he did not answer me; then
he braathed louder, so could hear him, but
as he got sounder asleep he eased off grad
ually. and has lain so ever since"
/ had hold of Loney's wrist; it was pulse
| less.
"How long is it since you asked for the
water?" inquired.
81 don't know rightly" he answered. q
should think about 10 minutes"
| ] placed my hand over the heart on the
| bare skin. There was no motion there.
whispered in his ear, tickled it with straw;
did everything / thought of that could be
done to test if life remained, without acting
| so as to disclose to the others that / feared
| more than sleep.
AS have said, his skin was moist and
| warm. There was no rigidness of arms or
| legs, no signs of death TO the mere locker
on, and 1 did not want to disclose to the
patients that / feared he was dead, as to
hear of death always shocks a sick person,
| and to realize death so sudden and un-
looked for as that was might have caused
others almost as speedy.
There was a galvanic battery in the
place, probably left there accidentally at
the close of one of the fairs held in previous
years. / desired to apply current from
it, in the hope OF arousing some latent
spark of life, but / dare not undertake
such measures in the presence of the others
They would understand it at once
must do something, and do it quickly,
and if possible without arousing any sus-
picion of the truth.
"He has tainted" / said, sprinkling
his face with water. 81 will get some Of
the boys and carry him out in the cool
night air; he will revive quicker there"
SOLOMON LoNEY DEAD
The lie was accepted as truth, and Loney
was carried out without any of the patients
suspecting that he was dead
We moved the body to the large building
and laid it beside the one Loney had car
ried there that afternoon ] applied the
battery, first with light power. gradually
increasing until full shocks were given;
but they produced no effect / put nv
lips to his and breathed in his mouth, and
while like pump-handles, and his chest
and bowels rubbed and pressed with a
motion much like that of kneading dough-
hoping to reinfiate his lungs or start some
muscular action. Three of us worked at
him until after 3 o'clock, but with no result
Only then did the extremities begin to
lose their normal heat.
CAUSE OF DEATH UNKNOWN.
Why he should thus die at the predicted
| time is mystery still unexplained. Leay-
| ing out the prediction, no man knows
why he died at that time; what caused his
death.
In the morning reported to the doctor
| the full story. ] told of Loney's habits.
and of his prediction; of his evident loss of
! the date; of everything knew bearing on
the case, and ] suggested post mortem
examination. He fell in with the sug-
gestion, and called in two other physicians
10 assist in conducting it. l have wit
messed, taken part in several such inquests
mot less than 20 ] think. / have been
i 9 ~.