Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-07-15
the demonstration reached It's eli

| of sanity His head was in bandages
and he muttered incoherent phrases
as he tossed in a fever OF deirium.
| Among those who greeted the re-
| turned castaways at New. Orleans
was Robert Van Horne, editor of
| the Record. who arrived in New York
| in time to take the special train
| south. Mr.. Van Horne did not re-
turn to New York with the happy
| throng. He brought with him three
| of the most famous specialists in
| the country, and soon stood at the
bedside of Walter 3. Hestor. Mr..
| Van Horne alone knew the recent
| history of the man who now lowered
| between life and death. He gave the
physicians the essential facts in the
| case.
A year or more before Hestor had
| been injured in China. While con-
| Quoting an expedition into the inte-
rior of that country his party had
been ambuscaded, and in the melee
| which followed Hestor was knocked
| senseless by a blow on the forehead,
! delivered with great force by some
| blunt instrument. The attacking
| Tartars were driven off The i'm
| IneuldLe eHecIS Oh Lie dow were
slight, but several months later Hes
| tor had a severe attack of acute
traumatic meningitis, from which he
apparently fully recovered after
long illness. Later he complained to
Mr.. Van Horne that his head troubled
| him. He explained some strange
symptoms and was much worried.
Acting on Mr.. Van Horne's advice,
Hestor consulted a specialist in brain
| diseases. He was informed that in
all proba bility clot of blood from a
| ruptured blood vessel had formed and
| was pressing against the brain tissue.
Hestor agreed to submit to an oper-
| alton, but postponed it and went on
| another cruise. He suffered no fur
Their attack, and the incident was
forgotten by Mr.. Van Horne. 1t was
wildly recalled when Chalmers wired
his suspicious.
An examination at the hospital dis
closed the fact that the Seymour bull
| let had plowed it's course past the
point where Hestor had sustained
| the blow some IA months before.
Without going into details of SUI
gerry, it is sufficient to say that the
gun shot wound exposed and par
| tally relieved the blood clot; the
existence of which had been sus-
pected. 1t was successfully removed.
For a month Hestor lowered on the
border line, and then slowly moved
away from the danger point. Sidney
Hammond and Mr.. Van Horne alter
mated in remaining in New Orleans
until he was on the road to recovery.
Hestor had no recollection of events
| subsequent to the Chinese expedition.
| In his delirium he imagined himself
| at the head of his men in that far
away Celestial empire. When he
awol>e from this fantasy, clothed in
his right mind, he recognized Sidney
Hammond and greeted him with
pleased but mystified smile.
How came you here, dear old fell
low?" he asked as he reached out
a wasted hand. "What are you doing
| in China? What is the matter with
me? All, I remember now. That
pig-tailed beggar hit me on the head.
But where did you come from, Sid
ney?"
Sidney made a non-committal an
| swer and warned Hestor that he
must not talk or disturb himself in
any way until he regained his
strength. During the period of con-
| valescence Hestor's curiosity was too
great to be denied, and Sidney evolved
| a wonderful fabrication. which gave
| a rational explanation of how Hestor
happened to be in New Orleans,
rather than in some city of the
| fowery kingdom. 1t was apparent
Hestor did not believe or understand
this statement; but like all invalids,
he was compelled to accept with the
best possible grace what was offered
him.
The physicians in charge of the
case prepared a statement in which
it was set forth that Mr.. Hestor had
been suffering from a clear1y-de-
fined attack of amnesia, preceded by
| a period. of mild dementia It pos
sessed many remarkable features,
but was by no means unprecedented.
do you believe his recovery a per-
manent one, doctor?" asked Sidney,
anXiously.
"Quien sabe?" replied DR.. Brown.
There is no reason why it should
| not be a permanent one. The cause
| is removed. and Hestor is now appar-
emily in full possession of his fac
ulties. He is a strong, healthy man,
and there is no faint of insanity in
his family. The truth must be kept
from him until he has entirely re-
gained his physical strength. He
should take a long ocean cruise, in
company with some one in whom he
has complete confidence. That means
you"
nIoSn o6
| to Mr.. Morton and his associates,
| they were unanimous in a decision
to take no legal steps against Mr..
! HRSfOr. ~. int