The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1904-03-07
THE MYSTERIOUS patient
fOriginal.l

hard days work among my patients
when there was a sharp ring at thu
telephone. | keep the instrument with
in reach of my pillow and seized til.
receiver.
doctor. my nurse is killing me. Ii
you DON'T
There was a click. and after that 81
ieIra had been shut of. ranc
aI.l called Hello" and Central" a,
saSi ~, Ting Il reply from Central" OF
w..on | asked with whom | had been
in communication; but the girl ut the
Office couldn't tell NE.
! was too much diScOnIpOsed to lie in
bed with he thought of one of my pa
tents being murdered by a nurse whom
the nurses employed in my cases.. 81
| got up. lighted the gas and waited.
hoping for another call The voice wa,
more like that of a woman than Il man
but what woman | could not tell. |
have a large practice and so many pr
tientS that it would be considerable oi
An Effort to 90 over the list with IL view
~ 49, ~ 4
subsidized 10 the opinion tina there ha,
been some mistake in the call and Ell
deavorrd to dismiss the matter fro..
my mind. After an hours waiting |
.urned in again and finally fell ;tSircp
] awokP before daylight and la.
thinking over the matter of my Str:ing
telephone message. At that hour. WhtI
me is rested after a nights sleep an.
Il is yet quiet. the brain is clearer thar.
Il any O.lier time. reviewed all ~
%Dhtients. but not one of them was TX
$ 10 have cause to be Dissatisfied w.
n nurse. Patients sometimes tut1
i:,Hinst their nurses for some reason
!s,Ltlly because the nurse chooses t.,
}ccomr dnmineering. | was forced t.
die opinion that this was one of thoS,
eases and resolved in my round OF Wis
IS that day 10 keep my eyes open viii
Las in view.
brcakfasted and started earIir,
han usual. proposing to spend addi
tionaI tim" in discovering who had call
ed ne nevertheless though | WAS ok
Er"m"!y Wa:chfuI, | failed Ia dptpcf
he slightest di>cord between any o.
any patients and the nurse in charge.
During Tie night the telephone bel
rang | put the receiver to my ear, an,
A voice was saying. Doctor. doctor
doctor. pitifully, We'll" said
whcrriIItCn the voice continued. My
nurse is killing mel" There was IA
click and no uiOFe words. nor did | sue
cc"t! II getting the voice again.
made VI, my mind the next day t.
interview every woman patient of mine
sill OF. l.er nurse being present. W'ller
eyer ! called ! sent the nurse out of the
room and asked the patient if she WAS
St:i+ii.u With her attendant. All Of
fhcni answered in The affirmative eX
'ei}t one or two. who, though they wer.
rot e-peci;tlly pleased with their al
enc intS. were not disposed to chang.
L"In. None of them minated that he,
i:lrsa was iii treating or killing her. |
v"nt i0iie feeling very much discour
aged witl' my investigation. The next
day. OF twelve nurses | had asked to
cay the room while | Interviewed the
naii"nt obey attended. seven asked /,
Il. relieved Of their duties. AS every
ioci0r NEEDS good nurses, | was very
mech troubled. | asked them all To re-
IMAM ut their posts till | could explain.
my action. and | then went to a detec
I've office, related the circumstance au,.
asked if they had a man who would
ferret cut the case. One of their nun
Der vas assigned the duty. and | dis
missed the matter from my mind.
| was not called mp again by thu
mysterious patient. but | learned aft
erward that the detective left inStruc
lions with the central office whenever
| waS cailcd To call him first. If the
call was not unusual | was then called
Two days after my visit 10 the de
tective office | received Il note that If
the next night | should go 10 n house
occupied by Il gentleman whose fam.
lily physician | had once been | would
receive al explanation of my singular
calls. Before going to bed | went to
the house in question. where | met tn,
detective. He took me upstairs to a
bedroom and there left NE. and / heard
him carry something into IA room al
joining. This done. he came in through
ii door which he left open, putting n
finger On his lips To insure silence.
We sat for a time without speaking
| heard nothing in the other room ex
cept a grating AS of something againsI
metal. Suddenly there WAS Il click. Ii
was the raising of a telephone receiver
and a cracked voice said. Il want DI.
Sea thorough Since | am the doctor
referred TO | was somewhat astonisbed
The call for DIR. Scarborough WAS re
peated Git occurred to me that Central
was asking for the NUMBER till at lasi
! heard a ring and then: Doctor. doc
tor. my nurse is killing me, If you
don't TAX her away | shall dier' This
in part vas repeated several times.
Then there was a click. The detective
went into the adjoining room and call
ed on me to fellow.
There. hopping about. was a huge
parrot. the only occupant of the room.
This parrot said the detective. "Oc-
cupied the adjoining room to this one
when a patient Of yours was here de