The Washington times., 1906-07-22
HEROIC SURGERY
SAVES LIFE OF
JESSIE POPKINS
Child Had One Chance
Out of Thousand
to Live.
CASE A RECORD ONE
Skull Crushed, Throat Cut,
Badly Beaten, Death Ques-
ton of Minutes.

Jerked from the very jaws Of death.
while nfes tide was ebbing and almost
the last ray Of hope had disappeared.
Jessie May Popkins. the pretty four
teen-year-old girl who on the afternoon
OF July was the innocent victim of
a horrible assault az the hands Of an
uncle in a jealous rage, has recovered /
and is again permitted To breathe the
fragrance OF Verdure and blossoms
around the hospital grounds. once
again has the power OF medical skill
been demonstrated and a decisive vie
tory won in a battle Tor life.
Case Attracted Attention.
Few cases have attracted attention
so widespread in recent years as that
OF the Popkins girl. For days and |
nights she fingered near death, after
being carried 20 the hospital and suffer
ing the tOTtures Of the surgeons knife |
the only alternative 10 save her life
From a medical standpoint. few. if /
any. cases have parallel In the history /
OF the local hospitals Noted physI- /
clans have pronounced it as remarkable /
and one for thought and study. The /
girls speedy recovery was due 10 two
things. First surgical skill OF the .
most delicate nature, and. secondly, To /
the girls own courage and fortitude. I
The girls belief THAI she would re-
cover was 10 be seen at every stage. .
and even while gasping for breath in /
a weakened and dying condition, her /
declaration that she would live aston ]
ished the physicians.
With three depressed fractures Of the /
skull. two arteries of the right arm /
severed. and her throat cut, the jugular /
vein being almost severed. she was pick |
ed Up unconscious from the blows of
the hammer. and weakened from loss
of blood. and hurried away To Freed
mans Hospital There she underwent
several operations While each was sue
cessful, the girls case for eight days
was one OF uncertainty.
Crisis Passed.
The crisis passed. after she had lain
almost lifeless in her bed during the
torturing hours Of the first weeks con-
hnement and the news was given out
that she would recover. Gradually ahe
grew stronger. Her paIlId and expires
siOnIess cheeks which had lost its blush.
began 10 regain its former color. Buoy
ed up by her recovery. the gilr pleaded
to get out OF bed. and was finally per
mitted 10 sit about the room in a re-
clning chair. The sick room was al
ways fragrant with fresh blossoms. the
gifts Of many of the child's playmates.
Books We're given her TO read and
little delicacies prepared. The attend
ing nurses became endeared To her and
she wanted for nothing.
For several DAYS past she has been
e fs.a
lawns surrounding the hospital The
nurses and physic ans at the hospital
will not consent 10 her leaving the hos
pital for the last week. thinking that the
least excitement might bring about com
plications in the girls condition II is
confidently predicted that she will leave
the hospital and return to the home or
her uarents by next Wednesday. Then
IL is expected her uncle John Popkins
will be brought 10 trial upon the serious
charge which stands against him.
Girl Keeps Secret.
Since the tragic incident of July ..
which brought with il a storm Of indig-
nation. no greater than the sympathy
aroused for the girl, nothing has been
divUlged by the girl about the murder
ous assault and when usked bv the
.eplied that John Popkins struck me
with a hammer" She viii say nothing
further. and processes ignorance
of everything that happened The
little girl innOcently declared 10 one
Of the nurses that she did not know
what 1t ali meant. At times she seems
bewildered when the subject Is men
toned and tactfully turns the CONVERSE
zion 70 some other topic. She mas be-
come very laxative OF late and for ii
girl OF her years displays much con-
yersatlonaI ability
When the photographer arranged TO
take several snap shots Of the girl
while on the grounds yesterday after
noon she was delighted and her face
lighted up with a smile She was
overjoyed at the thought of having her
picture taken and after the photogra-
pher had finished she ~an into the
building TO infoIm the attendants Of
what had happened.
Assault Was Brutal.
The assault upon Jessie Popkins is he
lieved 10 have 5,en one of the most
brutal i'm the his -ory of the Washing
ton police. John Popkins. her uncle
was madly in love with her ana sudden
" he became crazed with jealousy. Al
the time the girl was visiting her aunt
at lS45 Eighth str -t northwest and be-
VY.H.vr r,1rfsr