The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-17

MEN Nt-StrenStn OF SlneW, bodily
strength; firmness of vigor of body;
muscular power; Drawn. More speci-
fically, strength, Drawn, or might in
general, fortitude or endurance under
trying or critical circumstances; cour-
age. Century Dictionary.
A patient of a prominent New York
physician walked into the latters office
the other day, as he placed a hand over
the small of his back, announced:
Doctor. I've a severe pain here;
what's the trouble?"
strip to the waist and I'll tell you
in short order" replied the practitioner,
who is also well-known as a surgeon.
After brief examination he added:
you've an ugly tumor oil your nv-
err"
The man thought a moment, then, IT
quietly.
Tut, tut. man, don't be so hasty,"
cautioned the physician. But the pa
tient, more doggedly than before, ans
wered:
Il mean it doc. 1 want that tumor
removed before j leave this office"
The physician looked the man in the
eyes and saw that they wavered not.
He felt his pulse and examined his
heart and found them normal
"All right" he said. shortly.
Wlthln ffteen minutes a. man was
lying OH couch and the physician was
making a ten-inch incision in his back.
Half an hour later the tumor was re-
moved, and an hour after he had sub
mftted to the operation, during which
he hn1 w.AE .AI.
his liver cleansed, rode to his home in a.
cab, calmly undressed, went to bed and
then told his wife what had happened.
He never whimpered, never culver
ed an eyelid," declared the doctor, as
he related the incident; land he would
have gone home alone had l not forced
myself into the cab. He showed abso-
lutely no fear at anything, and in ap-
pearance he looks like a man who has
only an ordinary amount of grit. Yet
his exhibition of nerve was the most
inspiring that / ever have seen"
But your nerve, doctor, in perform
ing such an operation offhand," inter-
rupted one of the auditors.
The reply was laconic:
Lay 1t to the fondness for handling
the knife
For three hours after the recital of
the Doctors story the men who had
listened to 1t recounted remarka BILE
and almost superhuman cases of nerve
that they had heard or met with, and
here are some of the stories that they
told:
A physician prominent in New York
state was interested in manufacturing.
While visiting his factory one day his
coat was caught in a shafting and he
was hurled around and around with
terrific force, and every time he went
round his legs struck an adjacent
wall. When he was finally released
he was found to be still alive, and ply
sicians were hurriedly sent for. A
half dozen of them came, beheld their
injured brother and shook their heads.
Il knew it," said the man. Eve
already diagnosed the case. You'd
just be wasting your time If you tried
to do anything. But tell me, don't
you agree with me that I'll live about
five hours before the shock takes eff
fect?"
The six men of medicine NODDED.
Then send for a lawyer
The lawyer came. Nationally and
calmly the crushed man dictated his
last will and testament and signed it
with hand as steady as that of a
man of full health.
Now" he said. when the last wit
ness had affixed his signature, please
send for my wife"
A little later on he requested: Call
up Mr.. Blank and Mr.. So-and-so on the
phone and say that / want to talk
over some important business matters
with them
For over an hour the three partners
arranged for the conduct Of the doc
tors business interests after his death.
The conference ended, the injured man
turned to his wife:
Now, dearest" he said, "Tve still
an hour to live. Give me a cigar, take
hold of my hand, and Wen wait pa
tiently for the end"
And so he died with a smile on his
lips and the blue smoke of his cigar
curling about his head.
man in southern Illinois had COM
mitted cold blooded murder He was
a member of a notorious secret society
of criminals and had been selected to
put out of the way a traitor to the or
ganization. He found his victim scour-
ing the country as member of a sher-
ifs posse for an escaped criminal. The
man literally rode into the arms of the
law. asked his victim If he were So
and-so, received an affirmative answer,
then and there shot him dead. fought
his way through the posse and fed.
Two DAYS later ne was discovered MD
ing In house in a neighboring small
town. He was bored by dozen bullets,
but he lived and was sentenced to be
hanged.
Then political influence began work
ing to save this weakened criminal
from the gallows. A man now oromi-
nent in New York city was assigned
to the task of trying to prevent the ex-
piation of the crime. His attempts re-
suited in failure. and the day before
the date set for the execution he called
on the murderer and informed him
that nothing more could be done.
"All right" said the man, 'fbut they'll
hang the wrong fellow Tomorrow
To the politicians query whether he
could do anything for him. the prison.
er answered mo"
Put what about priest?" asked the
politician.
NO" said the condemned man, add
ing a moment later: But there's
Methodist preacher in town who's been
kind to me. I'd like to tell him good
by"