Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1902-09-19

me Man Who
Aade a Man


resigned his chair as head Of the de-
partmeut OF synthetic chemistry In a
famous American college, his friends
wondered, for they well knew that
his greatest pleasure In life lay in
original chemical Investigations. When
two weeks later the papers stated
that the learned chemist had been
taken to the Rathburn Asylum For
the Insane, wonder changed to lnordi-
nnte curiosity.
Although nothing definite was pub
lIshed In the papers, there were hints
Of strange things which had taken
place I'm the private laboratory on
Brimmer street, and before long n sto-
~ was current that ms n result OF dab
bling in the mysteries OF psychology n
man had beer killed while undergoing
one OF Professor Holbrok's expert
ments.
1t is to clear up this mystery and to
fefute the charges Of murder that l,
who served for ten years as his assist
ant, am about TO write this account,
which, to the best of my knowledge
and belief. contains the facts OF the
case.
1 had noticed for the year previous
that Professor Holbrok was much pre-
occupied, but / knew that he was
working over some new experiment.
Many times when l came to his door
at 3 o'clock to clean up as usual for
the next day l found n notice pinned
on the door telling me that he was in
the midst Of important work and would
not need me ngaln that day. l thought
nothing about 1t at the time, for when
he was experimenting with DIR. Bick-
nell, performing operations with hyp-
notism instead Of a~nesthetics. there
were weeks at a time when l was not
allowed even n glimpse Of the inside of
the laboratories. One day. however,
as l came In to report the professor
called me aside and told me that he
wanted TO have n talk with me.
you know, Frederick" he began.
chat 1 have been working and exper-
imenting for a long time on n new
problem, and I have not told you or
any one else the object Of my toll. But
now l have come to n point where l
must take some one into my conf
dence. 1 need an assistant. and I
know Of no one 1 can trust more than
you. who have been with me now for
nearly a dozen years"
/ was naturally iattered.
Frederick" he continued, rising and
placing his hand on my shoulder, 'this
experiment is the greatest one of my
life. l am going to do what has never
before been done in the history of the
world except by God himself. l shall
make n man!'
I did not realize at first what he
meant. 1 was startled not only by his
wild statement, but also by the in
tense tone in which he had spoken.
"You do not understand" he said.
'But let me explain. You know enough
chemistry to realize that all things
water, air, food, everything which We
use I'm everyday life-are merely com
binations Of certain simple elements,
AS you have seen me by means of an
electric current decompose n jar OF
pure water into its two component
parts, two molecules OF hydrogen to
every molecule of oxygen, so you can
bring these same elements together I'm
the gaseouG state, and II the correct
proportions are observed when an cleo
trio spark or n fame Is brought into
contact with the mixture you will OBJ
tain again the liquid water. This is
only a simple case, but the chemical
laws which govern it hold equally well
for every known substance found in
nature. There are only about seventy
Ave known elements, and of these less
than thirty compose the majority OF
the things found in everyday life.
During the last six months | have
been working with these elements
making different substances. l have
taken n piece OF wood. decomposed II
with acids, Analysed it quantitively
and qualitatively. finding the proper
tions in which its elements were com
bined. Then / have taken similar ele
ments, brought them together in the
same proportion, and / have produced
a piece of wood so natural you would
have sworn 1t grew upon a tree,
II have been Analysing and thel
making again every common thinI
which you see In nature, but / wa
only practlcing. l have had an end Il
view. Finally l took II human body
which l obtained from DR.. Bicknell a
the medical college, and l analysed tn,
flesh, the bones. the blood-in short
every part Of it. What did l find? o
that body. weighing 165 pounds. 10l
pounds were nothing but water, pur,
water. such as you may draw at tn
tap over yonder, and the blood whicl
I'm the mans life had gone cOursini
through his veins. bringing nourish
ment to every part-what was that
Nothing but a serum filed with littl
cellular red corpuscles. which In thei
turn we're only combinations Of car
bon. oxygen. sulphur and a few othe
simple elements.
II have taken the sternum bone froI
a dead mans chest, analysed It, the
brought together similar elements
placed them In a mold, and / have pre-
duced a bone which was just as rea
As the one with which l started. Their
were only two things In nature | coul
not reproduce. One was starch, tina
substance whose analysis has dehe
chemists Of all ages; the other was III
aeah. Though I have anafyzed bits {