Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-06-24

oSANS Va hAC NOtoSh NOiAekS III
the matter of obtaining subjects for
dissection. They had been used to Sc
curing corpses in the old fashioned
way, commonly called body snatching.
which meant robbing new graves But
when a party was caught red handed
In one OF these dissertations so great
was the Indignation among the citizens
Of the place that they threatened to
hang without legal process any student
thereafter caught robbing a grave
One evening just before dusk Dick
Barlow, a medical student, looking out
OF the back window Of his room. saw
through an opposite window of build
ing backing up against his boarding
house the body OF man lying stiff
and stark on board, the ends of which
rested .on barrels. Considering the
fact that Barlow was about to be pre-
vented from following his anatomical
course for the want OF a subject It is
not remarkable that he was confronted
by a great temptation.
The roof of an addition to the house
he was in afforded an easy descent to
the back yard, and the room in which
the corpse lay was on the ground floor.
The removal would be easy, but If the
remover was detected the consequences
would be terrible.
Mr.. Barlow. about 10 O'Clock that
night, with blankets on his arm In
tended for wrapping the subject which
he intended to purloin and load in an
express wagon he had provided, got
out of his window on to the addition OF
this house and thence on to the ground
His great dread was a street lamp that
shone across a vacant lot and lighted
the scene Of his intended depreciation.
He had just dropped into the yard
when the light illuminated something
that made his blood curdle.
Out of the window he intended en-
tering came a man on whom the street
lamp shone, revealing the corpse Mr..
Barlow was going to steal. Man,
ghost or corpse. whatever 1t was. came
on, making straight for Barlow, who
collapsed, sinking in a heap
Whether his fright came from con-
science or a natural dread of the super
natural he didn't know himself. In
deed. he was not conscious long
enough after his first view Of the com
ing dead man to take account of the
matter, though he afterward said that
he had no doubt the thing was coming
to do him injury.
When the student came to himself
the corpse had vanished. Barlow got
up, staggered around to the front door
went up to his room. took a pull from
a bottle he had in his closet to steady
him and went to bed. But no sleeI
came to him, and the morning found
him entirely untitled for his daily
duties.
He determined to keep his own coun
sci with regard to his intended thief
and the result. And it was well ht
did. During the day there was a grea
hubbub in the town and especially IL
the college. 1t was stated that th'
body of a man in the service of al
electric company. who had been killet
by live wire and had been laid out IL
a vacant room awaiting the Offices o
an undertaken, had disappeared. and
was supposed that 1t had been stoleI
by the students. Barlow heard thi
and shuddered. He was not charged
with the theft. but he imagined tina
every person who looked at him hat
suspicion in his eye.
The college authorities ordered
thorough search for the body, but with
out success. For a few days ii wa
feared that the citizens would attacI
the buildings. and threats were reall
made to tear down the dissecting room
But after awhile the excitement die
out and the matter was forgotten
Arrangements were made by whic
, the students could buy subjects. an
there was no more trouble on this az
count. Barlow was graduated and bt
came a veritable sawbones.
He was at once appointed residen
physician to a hospital in the plac
where he had studied and entered upo
his duties One young woman who wa
studying TO be a trained nurse fOun
favor in the doctors sight Miss Mgr
Etheridge was an object OF interes
from the fact that she was known t
have had a grief. A shadow Of melar
choly hung over her; she seldom laugh
ed and never Joined the other nurses
D their sociables that were got up for the
: amusement and recreation. She wa
+ one Of the most efficient nurses in til
hospital and whenever there was nee
for careful attention upon a patier
s DR.. Barlow relied upon her for III
= work.
Having fallen in love with Miss Ell
eridge. the doctor set himself to wi
: her. AS soon as she discovered his il
u tentions she told him that she had ha
a lover. who had died. and she coul
never love any one else. Barlow We
r very much cast down at this Il
awhile, but 10 lover was ever yet d
}. tered from pushing a suit against
dead rival. and the doctor was no e
z ception to the rule. He argued that
& any struggle between live man an
a dead man the former, must win 10 u
end. and though be Irefrained fro
4 pressing his suit in the usual way.
y did so by little acts OF kindness III;
were bound to prejudice the lady
bis favor.
e DR.. Barlow spent me wear al the no
o pital, at the end Of which he wou
have resigned TO accept position vii