The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-29
Minister Gives Up Ills
Blood When Volunteer
Fails to Appear.
FELT CALL FROM GOD
Clergyman Who Officiated at
Marriage of Steel King and
Actress Is Hero In Hospital
Operation of Poor Woman
Who Was Parishi0ner.

NEW YORK. Nov. 2s.-with one of
his arteries olalnped fast to hers, the
Rev. DR.. John Lewis Clark lay be-
side Mrs. Julia Ladson In the Bushwick
Hospital, and. risklng his life, let his
blood surge through her veins while
physicians amputated her right leg.
DIR. Clark is the man who married
William Ellis Corey and Mabelle Gil
man.
Mrs. Ladson was suffering from an
acute case of blood poisoning. DIR.
Clark was warned that If the smallest
drop Of her blood passed into his sys-
tenn it might prove fatal, but was told
hat unless he took the risk there was
not one chance in a thousand of saving
her life.
Thanks to the infusion of blood from
DIR. Clark, Mrs. Ladson is very likely to
recover. Had he declined TO take the
risk of blood poisoning she could not
have survived the operation more than
two hours, according TO Drs. William
the woman's leg.
DIR. Clark had been praying with Mrs.
Ladson and her husband, and was leav-
lh6 llCF liOSPlIdi ACh lHS GiASlS euQ-
denly faced him. A member of Mrs.
Ladson's family had agreed to submit
to the TRANSMISSION of blood, and ply
sicians from all parts of the city were
waiting to, witness one of the most re-
markable operations ever performed in
New York. But with everything await
ing his arrived, the man who was to
have given his blood failed to appear.
M. Tol..~F ~ rarI., 1nfo.1I g.. ri.,a
his blood for his wife, but the physi-
clans told : him that he had none to
| spare.
DIR. Clark was an deal subject. He
weighs nearly two hundred pounds. and
his bodily vigor was shown by his re-
cent winning of the Forest Park golf
trophy. Drs. Campbell and Clark
looked at him and at each other, u
neither had the hardihood to suggest
such a sacrifice. He knew of the
patients peril, however, and without
thought of the danger he was running
volunteered to subject himself. to the
operation.
In a few moments a nurse had shaved
his right wrist. He was bound to an
operating table beside Mrs. Ladson,
Inc DR.. Campbell at nee began the
operation of blood TRANSMISSION, The sur
geon made an incision in DR.. Clark's
wrist sevegal inches long and half an
inch deep. Forcing the tendons aside.
he caught hold of the artery and lifted
it to the surface.
A similar operation has been per-
formed on the patients right wrist. The
outer ends of both arteries had been
bound tight with catgut, while their
arms were bound tightly above the ell
bows to check the flow of blood. An
| attempt was made first TO sew the ends
of the severed arteries together, 80 as
to permit of a direct TRANSMISSION, but
| just as the stitches were put In Mrs.
Ladson moved and they were all torn
away.
A silver tube was then tried. The free
end of Dr.. Clark's artery was then at
tached to the end of the tube and he
other inserted into the patients opened
blood vessel. The bands on the upper
arms were removed and without fur
Their accident the process of TRANSMISSION
was continued until the patients leg
had been amputated.
In every respect the operation was most
| successful. Mrs. Ladson rallied strongly
from the effects sof the dnaesthetics and
at the end of the operation her pulse was
| stronger Ina0 il Hdu Deen bcloIt the sur
geons began their work. She was said
today to be on the high road to recovery
II she continued to improve as she has
been doing.
at was a direct call from Cod said DR..
Clark at ais home. AZ Linden street, Will
iamsburg. ~ had been praying with her
and telling her how Christ died to save
man, and hen, without warming, the test
was put to me whether l had the courage
to live up to the Masters teachings-to
the very doctrines ] and other ministers
are always preaching. II 1 had failed to
make good and the woman had died I
could never have held up my head again.
| would have branded myself a hypocrite
Of the worst kind, and the only course
| omen to me would have been to give up my
church ard the ministry.
''Tbe whole thing was utterly unex-
| peeted. Mrs. Ladson is not a member OF
the Bushwick Avenue Congregational
Church. of which | am pastor. nor Is her
husband, and until a short time ago, when
one Of my parishionePs asked me TO call
upon her. ] did not even know her. From
time to time / had prayed with her at the
hospital. and when her husband asked
me to go to her, telling me of the opera
tion that was about to be performed, 1
went to her side, just as / would to that
of any other invalid.
'eThen came the test OF my sincerity.
Was l sort of man who would make good
when the hour of trial came? God set me
the task of determining that fact. and
thank God | did not fall
God gave him to me. II God takes him
away | shall be very sorry. But 1t will
be Gods WILL said the wife of the Rev.
DIR. Clark. in discussing the deed Of her
husband today at the home of the couple.
II am, Of course said Mrs. Clark. very
nervous, and really know very little about
DR.. Clark's experience. 1 do. however,
heartily agree that he took the only proper
course. and / think him a hero and a Cad
gifted man. You cannot say too much. TO
tell how proud / am OF his courage and
devotion"