The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1914-05-08

DdytOui OhlO +. -. BOX lOl
10y ii Telephone 5an. An unfamiliar
voice asked me II could attend a
man who had been injured. 1 answer
ed that l could If the case was ur-
gent but before / could ask who was
calling the speaker answered:
All right, sector; I'll call at your
house in ten minutes with a carriage
Almost before I had time to dress
the doorbell rang. l unlocked the
door, and man wearing a long ulster,
dark hat and pair OF cOlored glass
es entered
Doctor he said, before we start
/ want to make request This case,
as I told you, is urgent. But before
we start ] must have your assurance
that you will treat this visit as a
confidential mission. / can't say any
more, except to add that you're run
ming no risk OF any kind in help
Ing me-
There was nothing about the mans
appearance that seemed suspicious.
He was quiet and self possessed.
There wasn't trace Of nervousness
about him, and he was well dressed.
l thought there was no reason for re-
tusing to make the agreement.
Il took my hat. and we started. The
carriage was closed one. We got in:
the man turned on a small electric
light and then drew the blinds over
the windows.
Doctor he said. Pm going to ask
you to take this trip without knowing
where you're going. III assure you
It's all right | want you to blindfold
yourself before we leave the carriage
until we get inside the house
well, l didn't like the look OF this
but was in and didn't like to back
out BY the time the carriage stop
ped l didn't have the least idea what
part Of the town we were in, he had
made so many turns. / put on the
blindfold, as my visitor requested. and
we went into a house.
Upstairs l found my patient. He
had been shot twice. Revolver bullets
they were. The wounds weren't dan
gerous, but they We're painful because
they had not been treated earlier
Il dressed them, told the woman
who was there what sort Of care the
patient ought to have and then told
them that I'd have to see the man at
least two or three times more before
l could answer for his safe recovery.
"The man with the dark glasses
quietly assented to this, but Insisted
that he should bring me at night, as
he had that time l agreed.
'The next morning the papers told OF
a robbery In which householder had
been wounded after shooting one OF
the burglars, who succeeded in escap-
ing. All the facts Of the case indi-
Gated that my patient Of the night be-
fore was the burglar who had been
shot. The householder recovered
quickly.
''The question stared at me: Did the
ethics Of the medical profession allow
me to go to the police and tell them
what l knew, or did my promise bind
me to secrecy? / thought It over all
day and finally decided that / had no
right to say anything about the mat
ter. l made three more trips in the
same manner. All this time I watch
ed the papers, but no trace was found
Of the burglars. When / made my
last visit 1 told the man who had first
called me that my fee would be $50
He took from a large roll some bills
and handed them to me without
word. He drove me home. and that
was the last ever saw OF either Of
them.
'"rhat was a good many years ago,
but I've often wondered whether did
right in not violating that mans con.
ndence."
Il don't think you did, said a mem
Der Of the group. "The medical pro
fesslon has no right to shield a Grim.
inal. Women and children should be
given the greatest protection we can
give them. but no word given a Grim
inal Is binding"
But suppose it had turned out that
the man was not the burglar In Ques-
ton? / believe he was. but It might
have been otherwise"
That's true" said third. 1T was
all right to keep your promise so long
as you had no actual knowledge that
the man was a criminal Where you
made your mistake was In making
such a ridiculous agreement in the first
place"
"And let a man, dangerously injur
ed. suffer-" asked the first speaker
Remember, when I first agreed to Sc
crecy the case had no particularly sus
picious appearance. could cite
dozen different circumstances In which
serious accident might happen and
which the persons connected with
would with a perfect right, go &c
great lengths to keep secret. So could
either Of you"
Which Of the three was right2-New
York Telegraph.