Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1907-11-22
THE LAST MOMENTS
WHEN THE SPIRIT CROSSES THE
BoRDERLAND.
Passing Of a Life az Seen by One
Who Is Not a Physlclan-Death
Rattle a Shock to
Listeners.

One afternoon a reporter for the
New YORK Sun was sitting in n OF
the rooms OF the house surgeon OF n
hospital in New York city, smoking a
cigar and chatting With the doctor
while the latter busted himself with
looking over some instruments that
he n taken from n case.
An orderly entered and said: Doc
tor, / think he Is dying now"
Are his brother and mother here,"
asked the house surgeon.
No, they said they were coming.
but they are not here yet"
Its n case OF severe opcratIon"
said the doctor to the reporter. "Hc
took his ether all right and rallied
from the shock. but he has been
losing ground for TWO days. VIII you
come along with NEE" '.
The reporter followed the physician
into one of the small rooms devoted
to private patients.
Lying fiat on his back on the mar.
row Iron cot was a young man, per.
haps n little more than 30. The bed.
clothing was In perfect order. Thu
narrow counterpane was spread
smoothly on the cot and folded over.
with the sheet across the patients
chest.
His arms lay straight on either
side. His face did not Indicate enact.
Ito His breathing was Irregular.
and there seemed TO be Il considerable
interval. sometimes longer and some.
times shorter. between the end OF an
expiration and the beginning of an
inspiration. The orderly stood at tho
foot of the cot.
How long has he been uncon.
s~cious?' the physician asked.
"A little moro than an hour" re-
piled the orderly.
We may talk said the doctor. Tho
won't hear us" But this was spoken
In n low tone. as bcGttcd speaking in
the presence of death.
Does every person die uncon.
~RciOus?" he was asked.
Many persons are conscious when
they believe they orc dying. They
become unconscious, and they may
or may not regain consciousness and
lose II again before death takcs place
"A period OF Inconsistencies is i'm.
measurable to tho subject. 4 second.
Il minute. Il million years-thcrc Is
no difference SO so far ;s lie is con.
cerned."
The death rattle" whispered tho
orderly.
The Intermittent breathing Of tho
man on the cot had given way To q
sound that was strange TO one not ac-
customcd To hoar ia sound so far
from human that II is made but once
In n lifetime, and that Is when one Is
passing To the other side OF the Dor.
dcrland OF human existence.
"tncarthly" Is perhaps the one
word that comes nearest to dcsiruat.
Ing this sound. ~iiccausc. maybe. OF
the silence Of tho death chamber. Il
seems loud Ia ears not acquainted
with IT. 1t seems oven loud enough
to be heard through the brick walls
and out In the street.
The sound ceases and the watchers
turn their eyes toward the face of tho
physician. It begins again, M 81 tho
dead were awakening.
They viii not come before ho
dies" said the doctor.
"ls he likcly TO regain conscious.
ness. even for n momeEt?' the ply.
slCihn was asked.
Il don't think So" was tho reply.
May | hold his hand. so that II no
docs be may feel that he IL not
alOnc?"
The physician nodded assent.
The mans finger tips seemed very
cold to the warm hand that took them.
There was no sign OF permission or
rcSlstancc. The death rattle Contin-
ucd with longer intervals between
tho brcathingB.
For how many minutes this con.
tnucd cannot he told; IL seemed an
age. The strange. uneutihly sound
ceased, and W faces we're turned
toward that OF tho physician.
Their there was n %convulsive move
; mont OF tho body on the cot. followed
by II jerk OF tho head ag IL from
BtranEulatiOn. The Jaw OF tho patient
fell II his eyes, which had opened,
stared at tho wall.
There had been no sign OF response
from h hand OF the dying man.
The orderly stepped To tho head o!
The cot, aud with the thumb and n fin.
ger OF ono hand pushed down tho ego.
lids ovcr tho sightlcss oyea.
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