The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-01-04


The Americans found the situation
about as 1t had been described. Both
men were on their last legs" When
the party drove up to the Ogilsby resi-
dence 1t was evident that commotion
Ind been caused In the Baxter house
opposite by the heads that appeared at
the windows. The heir In case Bax-
ter survived 0gilsby was Colonel
Drummond of the British army, IN old
man. who would soon turn the proper
Is inherited over to host Of grand
nephews and nieces. who had descend
Ell upon the house like vultures on a
dying horse.
No sooner had Mr.. Ogilsby's case
passed into the hands of the girl who
would inherit In case of his survival
beyond his rival for the property than
every movement In and about the
house was eagerly watched from
across the street. DR.. Searle wrote to
the physician In charge Of Mr.. Baxter
suggesting that a person representing
the Baxter interest be admitted to the
Ogllsby residence. and vice versa.
ltSt ltGiS hCLG W pC edbNo IA "
certify to the death and the hour, min
ute and second of the death Of the men
on whose lives depended an immense
fortune. This the English doctor
agreed to. and the representatives
were apr3 nted aud admitted.
Miss l.,nchelwOod continued to be
! informed of the fact that the heirs on
81. ii H. 90 str
Matching all kinds of devices to conceal
the exact time of Mr.. Bakers death
and that Il living person would be plac.
ed In his bed If necessary to represent
him. Upon this DR. Searle stipulated
with the physician In charge of the
Baxter interests that the representa-
tiyes should not only see the patient.
but hear him speak.
The case had resolved itself to one
between rascality and science. DR..
Searle felt that If he could cause his
patient to remain alive little longer
than Mr.. Baxter he would be fully
justified in meeting fraud by this
means.
AS soon as DR.. Searle took charge of
his patient he made a careful examina-
ton of the different parts of his body
to determine their condition. He found
the kidneys diseased to an alarming
extent. Acting on his experience in the
= institute, he substituted new kid
neys.
The patient having suddenly be-
come afflicted with bronchitis, the doc
tor put In a new throat. These two
improvements made q marked change
/ In the patients condition, though 1t
was feared for time after each OPP
Grafton that the patient would sue
cumb. In order to give him strength
to bear up under the effects of the
second operation Miss Hinchelwood
gave him a pint of her blood, which
was transfused from her to him by DR..
Searle.
A fortnight after these operations
those watching the patient opposite
were alarmed to see Mr.. Ogilsby drive
out under the care of his nurse and
Mrs. Hinchelwood. Miss Hinchel-
wood had not yet regained the blood
she had lost.
/ 1t must be confessed that this patch
ing up an old man with new kidneys
and new windpipe did not make
new one of him. Besides. the opera
lions could not have been performed
successfully without the administer
ing of stimuants. DR.. Searle did not
expect to prolong Mr.. Ogilsby's life
for any great length of time. He sim
ply expected to tide him along until
after his rival in the race for life had
died. He was therefore not surprised
one morning when his patient collapsed
and life could not be expected to re-
main in his patched and stimulated
body for more than half a day at
most.
However. 1t was evident from mani
festatons opposite that Mr.. Baxter
was i'll the same condition. oxygen
tanks were seen being carried into the
house, and this was In itself bad
sign for the life of the patient. Final
y matters quieted down, and Or.
Searle. believing that Baxter was dead.
started one of the servants out into
the street with a report that Mr.. Ogils-
by had died early in the morning. The
announcement was Immediately made
that Mr.. Baxter had just breathed his
last. and the Ogilsby representative
was admitted to the room where he
lay, finding him stiff and stark.
As soon as DR.. Searle knew that
Baxter had passed away he summoned
the representative in the Baxter inter
ests into the room where Ogilsby lay.
Now, the deaths Of the two men,
though DR.. Searle did not know 1t.
occurred within half an hour of each
other. But there was no reliable evil
dence which had died first. When the
Baxter representative was called into
the sick chamber, or, rather, the death
chamber, Mr.. Ogilsby had expired for
ty minutes before. Just before he en-
tered the room Dr. Searle made an in
cision over the dead mans heart, in-
serted his hand aud clasped the organ.
Then he. began to squeeze it gently at
intervals. representing the heartbeats,
at first some twenty, then thirty, then
sixty to the minute. Presently color
began to come in the cheeks, and the
eyes opened.
Withdraw wing his hand and covering
the body to the chin, the doctor direct
ed that the Baxter representative be
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