New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-19
ROOSEVELT EAGER TO
LEAVE. THE HOSPITAL
Declares It Is IrkSome to Stay
in Bed, and He Wants to
Get Into Campaign.
TO START EARLY IN WEEK
Doctors Find Him Improving So
Rapidly They Agree He May
Soon Go, but Say He Must
Rest at Oyster Bay.

Chicago, Oct. lS-Theodore Roosevelt
swoke at Mercy Hospital little before
O'Clock this morning full Of vigor. his
nurse FASTENED into the coloneps room
and was assured he had had perfectly
bully night"
Soon after il o'clock last night he
dropped the book he had been reading
Mrs. Roosevelt retired TO her room, the
lights were extinguished and he fell
asleep, not to awaken until 4:9o this morn
ing, when his clinical record was taken
for the only time during the night.
In all, Colonel Roosevelt slept more
than SIX and q half hours, which he de-
clared was more than he had been ac-
customed TO in all his life.
The colonel felt fine He not only said
so himself. but he showed 1t In every
way. His color was good. His eyes were
bright and his manner was animated. He
joked and laughed with his nurse during
the process Of taking his clinical record.
Wants Bullet as Souvenir.
When the colonel awoke this morning
he wondered whether the doctors would
decide to remove the bullet He said II It
was extracted he would have IT gided
and made into a pocket piece.
When the patient had had a sponge bath
and an alcohol rub ne said he was raven
ously hungry and was almost positive the
fare allowed would not prove to be half
enough. He declared steak and a couple
Of chops would about fill the bill.
I'm getting anxious 10 get back 10
Armageddon, boys" was Colonel Roose-
velts testing greeting to his physicians
when they appeared. The remark epito-
mixed the whole situation at Mercy Hos
pital His anxiety to get back into the
campaign was sharpened by the continued
favorable tone OF the bulletin issued after
the examination.
Aware Of this. his physicians began
computing the wisdom OF fixing an early
date for his departure. They were not
inclined to make a definite promise but
the tone Of the conversation appeared TO
centre around the likelihood OF his leav-
ing Chicago on Monday or Tuesday.
Colonel Roosevelt said he would like TO
be on his way to Oyster Bay Sunday.
This, II was agreed, was impossible.
While the danger from sepsis, IT was said,
would be sufficiently gone tonight. there
was still the rest Of the eight-day period
in which lockjaw might appear. This has
been made less probable by administering
an antitoxin, but the practice OF taking
absolutely no chances will be continued.
You don't know how irksome this is"
the colonel told the doctors as they gath
cred at his bedside. II don't want TO do
anything TO undo the splendid work you
gentlemen have done for me and 10 put
myself in the position Of having to come
back and ask you to do 1t all over again,
but the time Just now lie very valuable.
and l hope you understand how impor-
tant it is that get back to work"
We do understand IT., colonel" replied
Dr. Murphy. but we have only one con-
Germ. When you go out of here we want
You to go to all purposes a we'll man, or
so we'll on the way 10 recovery that no
setback will be possible with reasonable
care. We believe you might better lose
day or two now than a week or a
month later"