The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-03-29
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Two Broken Appointments That
Gave Country a Sensation.
Strange Way In Which Public Came
to Learn Of Operation on Prsst
dent CleveIand's Jaw While
Aboard eenedict's Yacht.
BY e. J. EDWARDS.

newspaper report that told in de
tall Of a serious operation performed
upon the upper left jaw of President
Grover. Cleveland while he was at ses
on the yacht of his friend, f. C. Bene
dict of New York. The report was II
the best sense Of the word sensation
al; the operation was the sole topit
OF national discussion.
For some time thereafter the truth
OF the report was disputed by several
newspapers. and 1t was thought ad.
visab'e by those who were near Presi.
dent Cleve' and at his summer home at
Buzzard's Eay to give out a qualified
denial Of it's accuracy. But later. the
late Daniel 8. Lamont. then Cleve.
lands private secretary, who was with
Cleveland at the time the operation
was performed. confessed to me that
my account of the operation on the
president was so amazingly accurate
that 1t was Impossible not to believe
that II had heen described to me by
some n who was in the presidential
party at the time Of the operation.
The president had been taken to sea
upon Mr.. Penedict's yacht chiefly for
the purrose of surrounding the opera
ton with secrecy.
| have been asked many times how
II obtained my information Of the
operation. This Is the story. which
J am. now ut liberty to tell:
Upon my return to my home from a
brief vacation in August, 1899, I found
my family physician, the late DR.. Le-
ander P, Jones of Greenwich, Conn.
waiting TO see me. DIR. Jones was the
physician OF e.. C. Benedict. of Henry
0. Havemeyer. president Of the Sugar
trust: Of Andrew Carnegie. when he
lived in Greenwich. and OF the Rookie
fellers when their home was in that
town. He said to me as we met: I'm
the most extraordinary a have
learned that a very hiHicul. operation
has just been performed upon Presi-
dent Cleveland. I can tell you the
story in detail without any violation
Of professional confidence.
ut SO happened that I had a pa
cfent on whom an important. almost
heroic. surgical operation was to be
performed. engaged the services OF
n Of the ablest surgeons ia New
York and the day and hour were fixed
for the operation. was greatly
alarmed when this surgeon did not
appear at the time set. nor did he APP,
pear until two days later. when the
condition Of my patient was desperate
indeed. I asked him for an explana-
ton Of his delay and he gave 1t to me
in these words:
81 went by appointment to New
london. Conn.,. five days ago to per.
form a last resort operation. had
engaged DR.. Hasbrouck OF New York
city to meet me at New London and
administer nitrous oxide gas to the
patient. DR.. Hasbrouck assured me
that he would be In New London on
. certain train. but he did nat come. I
nlegraphed to his once In New York
and In reply was Informed that his
assistants did not know where he was.
All they knew was that he had gone
away q few days earlicr to administer
gas In q surgical operation. that he
had gone with the expectation Of re-
turning in the evening. but he had not
come.
1.-THE next day Dr. Hasbrouck ap-
peared In New London. He found me
In a very angry frame of mind: but
he asked me not to criticise him until
he had told his story. He then said
he had been engaged to so upon Mr..
T]enedict's yatch to administer laugh
ing gas to a patient who was to be
operated upon there for some trouble.
When the yacht was out at sea, he
found that the patient was President
Cleveland himself. He administered
the gas and kept the president under
The influence OF 1t for several hours. !
Then he wished to 60 ashore. but no
pleading Of his that they land him was
listened to. since it was thought Jos.
sible that another operation on the
president might be necessary
"Dr. Hasbrouck then described the
operation in detail, and why it was
made, to the surgeon who had en-
ployed him and whom ] had employ
ed" continued Dr. Jones. and this
surgeon. In turn, described the opera.
ton to me. Now.l will ten you exact |
ly what l have been told, and you are
at liberty to $ it publicly or not az
you see fl. I would advise you. how.
ever. to see Dr. Hasbrouck, at his
Office in New York before you write !
your story"
The next day I called upon DR.. Has.
arouck and told him the story Of the
operation Is 1 had heard 1t from Or.
Jones. He listened to me in amaze
ment and the he said: "Some OF the
shysiciane who were aboard the yacht
must have told you that story. You
could not have obtained it in any 9TH
or way.
Copyright. 1911. by f. j.. Edwards. Al
Flights Reservsd.1
pig "catch"5 Of Whales.