The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1912-11-28
STRANGE ase
Of DR.. X

it.
Il was reused one night. he sal
by a telephone call An uniamilis
voice asked me if could attend
man who had been injured al
swered that | could if the case wa
urgent, hut before l could ask who wa
calling, the speaker answered: "A
right, doctor, I'll call at your house
ten minutes with a carriage.
Almost before | had time to dres:
the doorbeIl rang. | unlocked th
door, and man, wearing long u
ster, dark hat and a pair of colore
glasses, entered.
Doctor, he said, before we star
| want to make a request. This case
as | told you. is urgent. But beior
we start, | must have your assuranc,
that you will treat this visit as a con
fidential mission. | can't say an.
more, except to add that you're run
ming no risk of any kind in helping
me. And you can name your OWL
fee
There was nothing about the man.
appearance that appeared suspicious
He was quiet and self-possessed-
there wasn't a trace Of nervousness
about him, and he was well dressed
The request was somewhat unusual
but, after all, nearly everything that
we learn professionally is held in the
strictest confidence without any def
mite understanding to that effect, sc
| thought there was no reason for re-
fusing to make the agreement.
Il took my hat and we started The
carriage. | noticed, was a closed one
We got in, the man turned On small
electric light and then drew the blinds
over the windows.
Doctor, he said. I'm going to ask
you to take this trip without knowing
where you're going. III assure you it's
all right. l want you tc blindfold
yourself before we leave the carriage.
until we get inside the house..
We'll, | didn't like the looks of this.
but I was in and l didn't like to back
out. OF course | wasn't at all afraid
for my own safety. By the time the
carriage stopped l didn't have the least
idea what part of town we were in
we had made SO many turns. l put on
he b.indfold as my visitor requested,
md we went up some steps and into a
house.
Upstairs, | found my patient He
aad been shot twice. Revolver bullets,
were. The wounds weren't dan
e Gus, but they were painful because
they had not been treated earlier.
Il dressed them. tod the woman
who WAS there what sort OF care the
patient ought to have, and then told
hem that I'd have to see the man at
east two or three times more before
I could answer for his safe recovery.
The man with the dark glasses
quietly assented to this, but insisted
hal ne should bring me at night, as
ne had that time. I agreed.
The next morning The papers told
Of a robbery, in which householder
had been wounded, alter shooting one
d the bun g.ars, who succeeded in es-
5aping. Ali the facts indicated that
my patient OF the night before was
he burglar who had teen shot. I felt
sure | could locate the house. The
4OASCAlO-Q 1OOO4Gl0Q
The question stared at me Did the
ethics Of the medical profession allow
ne to go to the police and tel them
hat | knew, or aid my promise bind
ne to secrecy? l thought it over ali
lay and finally decided that had no
light to say anything about the mat
er. / made three more trips in the 7
ana r7oupor and 6pol1v doo;rod ttot
he man would get along. without any
nore calls. All this time | watched (
he papers, but no trace was found of 1
he burglars. When | made my last
isit told the man who had first
allied on me that my fee would be
20. He took from a large roll two
100 bills and handed them to me
'ithout word. He drove me home
nd that was the last 1 ever saw of
ither Of them.
THAT was a good many years ago,
ut I've often wondered whether did
ght in not violating that mans con-
dence."
Il don't think you did, said a men,
er of the group. The medical pro
,ssion has no right to shield a crimi-
al. Women and children should be
ven the greatest protection we can
We them-the same as on vessel
sea-but no word given criminal
binding
But suppose 1t had. turned out that
e man was not the burglar in ques-
on. l believe he was, but it might
i've been otherwise"
That's true" said a third. ct was
right to keep your promise SO long
you had no actual knowledge that
e man WAS a criminal Where you
ade your mistake was In making
oh ridiculous agreement in the
st place
"And let man, dangerously in
red, suffer-" asked the first speaker
remember, when | first agreed to
crecy the case had no particularly
spicious appearance. | could cite
dozen different circumstances under
itch serious accident might happen