The Topeka state journal., 1908-01-23
Percy o. Winsted Would Give 1t
in Exchange for Operation.
Broken in Health He Turns to
This as Last Resort.
TELLS OF STRUGGLE.
Unable to Work at His Profess
sion as StenOgrapher.
Willing to Barter Body for a
Chance at Life.

Suffering such physical tortures as
| only Dante's Inferno can adequately
| portray Percy o. Winsted, of S151s
Monroe street, would barter his body if
| only he might gain a little respite
| through surgical operation.
Thirty years of age, with the long
shining vista Of the years that greet
one Just on the threshold, it is not
| strange that Percy Winsted would
strain every endeavor to stay in this
world while longer. especially when
ne has faithful, attractive wife who
believes in him and whose every
thought Is for his comfort. After ex-
mand to gain the attention of some
surgeon to his case Winsted sent the
following want advertisement to the
state journal which he asked to have
! inserted:
! WANTED-Some kind hearted doctor to
| perform an operation upon my stomach
| TO stop vomiting sickness of over two
years standing. Being physically unfit
contract to deliver to such doctor my
oody arter death to be used in the dis
secting room. Percy o. Winsted.
| Accompanying was letter which
| read: will you accept this want ad
| for publication? I will pay you more
tnan your average rate if you will
publish same. I have been suffering
for over two years with vomiting
! l. n.
| Believing in Immortality, [ do not de-
| sire to commit suicide. I have taken
| every patent medicine known with
out relief and believe I have either
! obstruction of the intestines or cancer
! of the stomach. I can hardly earn
| enough money to shelter myself
J therefore my request
oh, what made you go and put
that In the paper for Percy?'' asked
| his wife when she discovered what
he had done. 'I didn't like to see him
do 1t for l don't like the notoriety."
| L didn't want my wife to know
Mr. Winsted explained today with a
wan smile. But was just desperate
1t seemed like a fool thing to do but
when fellow like me, young, why 1
am only 80 years old, with one foot
in the grave, why he would try any
thing. 1 thought proDably' that 1
might get some one to attend to my
| case. The whole trouble is to get nv
| case before somebody that can or will
help me. If had only some influence,
but l haven't any, and that's why I
| thought would try rnIs. I hadn't
enough money to pay for an operation
and 1 thought If some one would
thoroughly examine me that 1 could
get we'll. I don't want to die. want
| to get WELL
IF only he could eat" said Mrs.
Winsted whose eyes were red with
| weeping but who forced a laugh. 1.-The
only thing he can eat is something like
the oats over there. If he could eat
| he could get strong and work. But
| when you can't digest anything that
you eat and 1t won't stay down right
after you eat, tell you it's pretty bad -
They talk about dieting," said the
| young man. why l have dieted and
that's the only thing that I can do. 1
! haven't eaten any meat for a long time
| I can't. I think it all came from my
| having typhoid fever. About two years
ago I had the fever and yhave never
been well since. If it wasn't for my
wife over here I don't know what
| would have done. She has been mighty
good to me. Many a woman would
| have left her husband. But then have
| been good to her, too, when / was well
and working. 1 made good living
This is the first thing that he has
ever done that 1 didn't know about
when he wrote this to the State Jour
nal" said Mrs. winsted with a quizzi-
cal smile. We'll, you will have to ex-
cuse me. I have got to work I wash
dishes at one Of the hotels
| And putting on a cloak and wrapping
a small shawl about her head she went
out with bright parting smile at her
husband and CHEEKY good bye.
"I don't like to see her work" sait
her husband. "She never worked unit
got down this way. People wonder
why let her work while I sit around
They think that I am lazy and wan
her to make the living. Goodness
knows 1 hate to sit around this way.
am not lazy and / would like to worl
If only I could stay with my job. Yol
don't know how disgusted a person car
get with himself. 1 just get SO dis
gusted sitting around here and cam
do anything but some light janitol
work 1 have worked at everything al
most 1 tried working for the grocer.
stores delivering and would work fol
about a week when I would have tt
quit They would ask me why I quit
And I told them that I was sick. Wei
why don't you get we'll then?' the.
would say next" Winsted laughed.
"Now that's IT, he continued. "the!
think I just get tired and don't wan
a job and it hurts my chances. Thi
pay is so awful small. You see 1 hav
never got so low as this. 1 used t,
have some good jobs. I was a stenog
rapher and 1 also worked up in tn
Santa Fe general offices 1 could ge
a lob right away if 1 only could ge
!, we'll and in that way could pay for al
operation 1 went to some of these doc
tors but they would look at me an,
, give me for what could expect to ge
for my 81 worth but I need somethini
: thorough 1 have tried all the medf
cine that I could get hold of but i
doesn't do any good. 1 thought If
could lay my case, say before the med
ical college, that they would be willin
: to interest themselves in it. 1 neve
was sick before and was always rea
strong.
You see people walking along tn
street and you think there isn't ar,
: feeling in the world. 1 have though
i so sometimes when l had been tryin;
to get some one to interest themselve
in my case But 1 don't think SO.
:. believe people care and that there ar
e some who want to be charita BILE. Tn
S world is good place to live in and
t want to live in it while longer
b The WinSfedS Keen house in on