Hutchinson gazette., 1900-10-11


afternoon, said Mrs. Smalwocd, but
we did not pay any attention to him
for about nm hour, Then we began
to wonder AT him, and when we spoke
to him he paid no attention. This
frightened us and we tred 10 per-
suade him to pcllne upon The sofa
there but he refused 10 give any heed
TO our entreatles but kept up his walk
ing backwards, bobbing his head and
mWteMng, After three or four hours
we decided that we would better call
a physician
81 told them that they had done per
foctly right In sending for me. No
one makes u mistake In sending for
yours truly. Then went back into
Smnllwood's room, and there he was
walking and bobbng and muttering
without any signs Of exhaustion. I
poured soothing lotion into glass
OF water and handed II to him. lie
did not pause in his walk, nor did he
cease bobblng his head from side TO
side, but he took the water and drank
II. Then he resumed his multerlng.
| watched him for thirty minutes,
long enough for the soothing lotion
10 have effect, but II did not seem to
phase him. doubled the dose, and
he drank that without pnusing In his
backward walk An hour passed,
still he kept up his walk, by this time
! was puzzled indeed, sent for Stan
ley, the nervous expert, and he came
and watched for nm hour, Finally we
secured help and forcibly put Small
wood TO bed, hut even there he'kept
moving his head from side to side and
mutterIng his intcrminNble YES mo,
yes, no, Al last we put brace on
his neck 50 he could not move his
head, and then he began rolling his
eyes from one side TO the other, NUT.
tering all the while,
Nothing in the shape Of oplates
seemed 10 have any effect although he
took quietly everything we held TO Ids
lips,
stanley and ! searched The library
of medical science trying to find some.
thing bearing on Smallwood's case.
hut our search was in vain. We call
ed other physicians and experts in,
but they were puzzled just as badly as
Stanley and myself, Smallwood ate
when we put the food TO his mouth,
but hour by hour we could see that he
was growing weaker. II was not In
human nature to keep up without
sleep. and for thlrty.onc days Small
wood never closed his eyes, We gave
him the most powerful opiates known
no matcria medicN, and gave them In
doses that would have killed an ele.
phant. but SmHlwood never showed
that he felt them, J began to worry,
not because Of Smallwood, but be
cause of my inability 10 solve his case
Stanley had given It up, but was
determined 20 hang on TO the last.
81 saw Smnllwood for the last time
might before last, left, telling his
devoted wife that | would call in the
morning When ! went back ycster-
day morning Smullwood was dead, He
had nt lasl ceased rolling ,hls eyes,
hobbing his head and multermg Mrs
Smullwood met me at the door and
broke the news | was allowed 10 go
in and gaze ON The remains, but when
! asked permission to perform an
autopsy ! ne) with n curt refusal.
"'No, | cannot permit that, Dr.
Ctpn1,,t t.t1 NIp.. G,,pll,,t,,1
know now what caused my dear hus-
bands actions, and when you read this
note You win know, too
81 took the note, but before could
read II Mrs. SmNllwood said:
"Wait until you return to your Of
flee. Mr.. Smullwopd became rational
about zen minutes before he died, He
asked for pen and paper, and we gave
II TO him, lie wrote that note, Then
he kissed me and the girls good-by,
and sank 10 sleep forever
~ thrust the note into my pocket
and returned 10 the Office When 7
read II the mystery was explained.
Here is the notc;"
Ripley handed me the folded paper
he had been lingering while telling
the story, ! opened II and read II. II
was as follows
To my loved ones; DO not wonder
nj my queer actions, could not help
.hem, although knew MI the time
what ! was doing, Mine is The first
Df what promises 10 be Il large num-
ber Of cases-the beginning Of an cpl
lcmic, in fact--unlcss there Is Il great
change In affairs. Why did | walk
backwards, throwing my head from
side to side and muttcrlng The words
did? The explanation is simple.
had been reading the public speeches
md reviewing The public acts OF
some Of our su.callcd statesmen.
They reversed themselves so often,
a q "ycS" when they meant "no"
md mo" when they meant Eyes"
with such rapIdily that | soon felt
nysclr losing my grasp on my mental
md physical powers and soon | was
oocktrncking, hobbiug from side to
side and muttcring yes aud no and
stop. My will and private
,apcrs are in my desk, Good by.
! handed the note bnck 10 Ripley,
md looked Ht him. Ripley tucked
he note back into the drawer, lighted
fresh cigar and pufTcd a few smoke
'ings toward the ceiling.
Remarkable case. eh?" said he.
A BenedIclnc priest AZ Maria stein.
was recently electcd
leputy TO the Grand Council of the
anton Of Solcure. II is the first time