Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-24

RippIcs on the Current of Life In the
Metropolis.

The medical branch OF the New 1ork
police department discovered a rare disease
affecting one member Of the finest and
followed the discovery with an equally
rare notation on the unfortunate cops APP
plication for retirement on a pension.
Patrolman John Eagsn had served. twenty
years and the job agreed with him. He is
ford, robust and weighs 2Ss pounds. The
surgeons, however, probed beneath Johnny's
healthy exterior and recommended his re-
tirement on a pension because OF per-
manent disability due to obesity contracted
on the line of duty" II don't see Just how
Eagan could have contracted obesity in the
line of duty" COMMISSIONS Greene re-
marked, but l cannot go back Of the sur
geons' finding. The law says l must retire
a man on their recommendation"
Physicians from the postgraduate and
Roosevelt hospital are Investigating at the
Seney hospital in Brooklyn the remarkable
case OF Joseph Robinson, who, after being
pronounced dead by several surgeons, sud-
denly awakened. ate a hearty meal and
again elapsed into the first mysterious
state. His limbs became rigid, his body
cold, and, although every effort known to
experts was resorted to to find II there was
life. they failed.
hobAuSons WIN IOImtEly was an orderly
In the Seney hospital, was found in an I'M
conscious condition at Fifth avenue and
Third street by Policeman Maher. He
thought the man had been drinking heavily
and had fallen and injured himself. He was
locked In a cell, and when a short time
after one Of the keepers passed he saw
Robinson lying full length on the floor. He
called to him, and when he did not reply the
keeper called an ambulance surgeon from
Seney hospital. DR.. Beecher responded and
Immediately began working on the man.
At the end Of five hours he said Robinson
was dead, his heart falling, II seemed, to
perform any function There was still
color in his cheeks, and to make sure the
man was beyond recall the surgeon placed
a glass over his mouth. No moisture gath
cred, and the morgue officials we're about
to be notified when Robinson suddenly
awoke.
There were several about him discussing
his strange death. II guess there must be
some mistake" he said. Thereupon he
jumped to his feet and demanded to know
where he was. The frightened policeman
notified the sergeant and DR.. Beecher re-
turned.
After another examination OF Robinson
he said he did not understand his peculiar
oNNNNi SoN ahOh6hN NO a ANOp@
inson then ate a hearty dinner, fell into a
sleep, and has not been awakened since.
He was taken to Seney hospital, where a
number of physicians are working on his
case.
1--WE bury our New York dead in no less
than eighty-six different cemeteries" says
the Press. MANY Of these are owned by
private corporations, and they have en-
riched their promoters. II occurs to me
that l should not care to go into the
dead business for a livelihood. Burying
the departed appears to be a church duty;
that is, the church ought to own the GEM
etery. II there were money in the resur-
rection you would find certain classes of
fellow citizens standing around the graves
to sell white clothes for the dead to rise
in. The James D.. and Charles Stewart
Smith family has grown immensely rich
out Of Woodlawn. whose 400 acres have
been cut up into lots worth small for
tunes. This is our most fashionable bury
ing ground, even being preferred to Green
wood. Kensico is beautifully laid out after
the style of Woodlawn, and has 400 acres"
O. - p t-"
Times and manners OF today are diff
ferent from the times and manners of other
days" observed Joe Howard, discussing
phases of life in New York. 81 was read
ing recently" he continued, "the names
of certain fashionable women who this
week have sought the solace Of retirement
in an adjacent retreat. To my surprise,
ten Of the twelve women mentioned had
been divorced and remarked. Two of
them had interchanged husbands. One Of
them had as her companion a woman who
recently married her son by her former
husband. The whole set is made up Of
that kind of social mixture. which twenty
years ago would have attracted universal
attention, but which today meets with not
even a passing comment. No scene is
more common here-not In Dakota, but
here-than parties waiting for the judges
signature to a decree Of divorce, while
their carriage stands at the door in order
that they may rush to Jersey City or be-
yond the state line into Connecticut, for the
purpose of an immediate second marriage.
How would that have been years ago?
The Chicago divorce has been a merry Jest
in comic columns and the vaudeville stage
for a decade. If this signifies anything, It
means a blunted sensibility, a thick hide
and a belief that the community cares next
to nothing for the severance of a tie which
in olden times was the most significantly
sacred OF them all. In this particular
city, where the wealth OF the country Is
centralizing at an extraordinary rate, moth
| ing is more common in our public places
than the picture OF Divorces. both sides
we'll represented. generally remarked. and
almost invariably to the correspondent
named, with whom they remain part and
parcel Of the unbroken social circle, and.
so far as external Appearances go. without
the ~faintest blush or indication OF embar-
rassment. In circles where vast fortunes
are controlled 1t would seem as IL financial
complications would follow divorce, but
the children fall readily into line, live in
terehangeably with either parent. and. so
far as may be judged, consider 1t all quite
the proper caper."
So many cranks and beggars have stormed
the portals Of sos Fifth avenue, New York,
home Of Mrs. Russell Sage, that the maid
who answers the door has provided a chain
bolt from her own savings, and now one
must break a cable before entering the
house. So long has this one slip OF fem
ininity answered the door that she has
learned the friends and usual visitors and
no one not properly qualified is allowed in
side.