Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-02
his LOCKJAW ONLY A SHAN
Frank Marshall Alleged to Be Merely
Peigning the Attacks
IMPOSITION DETECTED At HOSPITAL
Man Thought 20 BE at Deaths Door
Proves 20 he Either a Cheap
Fraud or Foolish
Crook.

Opinions may differ as to the causes or
motives which make Frank Marshall a
sufferer from or simulator Of the dread
pangs Of tetanus but all persons con-
cerned agree that he is a repeater and an
artist.
Thursday night that young person in
question appeared suddenly at the police
station, shortly thereafter went into spasms.
was promptly chloroformed and sent TO
Clarkson hospital, where he was solemnly
treated for lockjaw until Sunday, when
disquieting suspicion was aroused, which
led to inquiry. 1t was found that the
patient had only just been discharged from
a Denver hospital where he had gone
through the same routine, been trepanned,
! injected with snti-toxine and turned out
cured. So yesterday afternoon the disturb
ing Marshall was elected into the arms of
officer Baldwin and incarcerated in the
city Jail.
There is now apparent perhaps what
might be termed a feeling OF chagrin
| among professional men and nurses and
others concerned and slight desire to
avoid discussion. DR.. Paul Luddington, an
authority on tetanus, said when questioned
in regard to Marshall, that he held no
theories. or at least would express none,
and referred the questioner to DR.. Sum
mers whose case 1t was. In response to
the question whether he had seen the case
the doctor admitted that he wouldn't go
so far to say that he had not. Dr.
Summers said:
II only returned to the city yesterday and
detected the sham at once. 1 charged the
man with 1t and he quit his foollshness
He had told another patient that he was
hiding from the law. The man was
brought here under chloroform.'
Miss Henderson, the head nurse. who had
had general supervision of the case from
Thursday, also became suspicious by Sun
day Of the readiness with which the pa
tient yielded to the anaesthetic and Of
other symptoms.
His Denver Experience.
The prisoner is either an impostor siniu-
lating tetanus for the pleasure of being
chloroformed and trepanned or a fugitive
| from justice who seeks this means of evad-
ing the police. or simply a person of un-
sound mind or one affected with disease
which resembles lockjaw in its manifes-
| tations.
When investigation was being made a
clipping was found in the pocket of Mar
shalrs vest which had been left at The
police station. 1t was from the Denver
|
had been discharged cured from the
county hospital. his being the first case
successfully treated in the city. He had
been taken from the police station, where
he had appeared with his jaws set giving
| the cause of his condition as a rusty nail
on which he had stepped four days be
fore. The patients skull was opened and
| anti-toxine injected. This was May IL,
and on May 25 he was playing ball.
On the night OF May 2S he came to the
city hall in company with two other men
who had found him on the street and asked
for the city physician. He was not there
and Marshall was directed to the police sta
tion. There he appeared with his jaws
set and apparently unable to talk. TIe
wrote on a scrap of paper that he had
stepped on nail four days before and
begged that his mother be notified He was
| apparently seized with commissions and
was chloroformed and later priest sum.
moned The fresh scar on his forehead
was noticed. but thought to have been g
scalp wound which had been stitched to-
gether Those present say that II 1t wal
acting merely, It was very good of it;
kind.