Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-05-04

partmcnt of the University OF
Illinois, tells it, impelled by it's truth.
Its dates are nebulous, its place is
Minnesota only, and the names Of the
chief characters are repressed. But
Its tragic elements are all there.
About ten years ago DR.. Lydston
was visiting a friend in The northern
part of Minnesota. The friend was Il
practlcing physician Of more than mid
die age, with iron gray hair and beard.
and distinguished by snOw-whitc
band of hair that ran from his right
temple half way around his head. DR..
Lydston never had remarked this pc
culiarity. but the friend, in the three
years DR.. Lydston had know him, had
never referred to it.
But on the occasion OF DIR. Lydston's
visit the Minnesota physician had Il pc
culiar skull on the mantel in his study.
1t had been beautifully polished, show
ing to striking advantage the strong,
white bulldog teeth of the man who
had found his being in the long, mar
row, arcnlnE Uranium.
"What would you say of the former
owner of it," asked the friend, motto
ing that DR.. Lydston was cycling II
critically.
The doctor remarked several cranial
irregularities an" made Il general OBJ
servatiOn.
THAT is the skull Of murderer who
was hanged" continued the host. "DC
you see this?' he continued. brushing
his fingers through the white streak
Mt the right side of the head. 'The
owner of the skull did that. too"
Then the physician told the story.
Ten years before when the North
west was still troubled with the wan
dering Sioux and by still more lawless
white men, the physician had gone
from Bellevue Hospital TO a town
near Red Wing. Most Of his work
was in the probing for bullets and
sewing up knife cuts, but the atmos
phere of the great Northwest was
pleasing to him. and he stayed.
One night he had a call by telegraph
to go to n small cabin thirty miles
down the railroad. 1t was eighteen
degrees below zero, dark, and a blind
ing snowstorm was blowing. Wrap
ping up. the doctor went down to tint
little railroad station to wait for {
train that was almost due.
Just as the physician reached the
station two young countrymen were
getting out of a buggy and saying
goodbye to the man who had driver
them into the little village. The three
reached the waiting room door to fine
1t locked on the inside. They pounded
at it for several minutes, until finally
1t was flung open and they were look
Ing into the muzzles Of two revOlvers.
"Come in here" was the order, ant
the unarmed doctor and the two cOun
trymen went in, only to find the sta
| ,ion agent bound and gagged and lyin:
OH the floor. The two men wore blacl
masks, and it was evident that the.
meant to hold up the train, then al
most due.
$50 through 'em, Pete" was the re
mark Of the man Of the skull; III
cover 'em."
| Pete made satisfactory haul from
the pockets of the two countrymen
but the doctor had only a silver watcl
and S. in silver. Pete made a partic
ularly ugly remark to the doctor, ant
when the doctor resented it the robbie
gave him kick.
The contemptuous kick was tn
straw that broke the patience of tn
physician. Forgetting the revolvers
the doctor swung his fist, :.riking tn
fellow in the face. At that instan
the fellows companion fired and tn
doctor dropped in his tracks.
Seeing the fight on the two country
men closed in on the desperadOes, bu
when the shooting was Gone both la
dead on the floor. The robbers wer
frightened. however, and gave up I'll
attack OH the train
Within half an hour posse was o
their track. At daylight, in runnn
fight, Pete was shot and killed. Hi
companion was shot through the shou
der and was forced to surrender.
A legal execution followed after
few weeks, and the body of the band
found its way into medical scho'
in Minneapolis. Later the skull of til
criminal was sent to the living victil
of the hold-up, for in the meantime til
physician had recovered from the bio
of the CHANGING bullet.
To-day the Minnesota physical
ponts out the skull covering the M
tor centre which prompted the pul
ing of the revolver 'trigger.-Chical
Tribune.
Emily Gcigers Ride.
| IN tho firinU lima woman NOV