Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-12-02

Sd"SSHS all enS roilanCe OUT OIL Cne
story anyway. So Pm going to de.
tail you to represent the hospital in
this affair. You've got clean record
here; l can trust you.
A batch of letters were signed in
silence; then the second-in-command
stopped to knock the ash from his ci-
gar.
"Now, Pm going to give you my
personal card" he went on to say.
"On it I'll write few words to the
third deputy commissioner of police
a chum of mine. He'll take care of
you if you need him. leave it to
you as an intelligent man to get to
the bottom of this affair. You've
made a poor start, but that isn't all
together your fault"
From card-case, the speaker pro-
duced an engraved slip Of pasteboard.
He scibbled something upon it, signed
it and then tossed it across to me.
"Here are all the facts" he resum-
ed-"the sifted testimony of various
employees as to what happened here
this evening"
The assistant superintendent cross
ed his legs, blew a spiral of smoke
toward the ceiling, and proceeded to
instruct me as well as satisfy part
of my curiosity.
"It was six o'clock this evening"
he began, "when a stout, pimply faced
foreigner was passed through the gate
on the plea that he could positively
identify the wounded patient whose
language no one has, so far, been able
to understand. He was directed to
Ward 13. 1t so happens that visit
ing hours were from six to eight this
evening, and that at least ten visitors
were in the ward when the fat-fellow
entered it. One of the probational
nurses pointed out John Doe to the
visitor, and then left him to attend to
other matters. ... .....
"The day nurse reports that she
heard the wounded man and the fat
visitor conversing together amicably
at various times when she was oblig-
ed to pass Cot IL. Busy at the time
with post-operatives, she says, she
paid little or no attention to the visit.
or. She remembers being glad that
at last somebody had been found who
could converse with, and possibly iden-
tify, the patient.
at must have been about twenty
minutes to seven, according to the
nurse, when she heard cry of pain
coming from Cot IL. She rushed to
the spot and found the visitor unbuck-
ling an artificial foot from the left
leg of John Doe. She asked the Wis.
itor what he was doing. He replied
that the wounded man complained of
pain in the left leg, and had asked
him to unstrap the foot. The pa
tient made such a fuss over the re-
moving of the foot that the nurse in
charge felt called upon to interfere.
"What does the visitor do but
calmly unbuckle the strap, pull off
the contrivance and pocket it. He
told the nurse that the patient wanted
him to take charge of the foot, and
get him new pair of shoes to match
it."
l pricked up my ears at the mention
of the wooden foot. Verify, 1 decid-
ed, calling to mind the actions of
John Doe upon the night of his ad-
the artificial foot had deal
to do with the mystery.
"The fat visitor started to leave
the ward," resumed the assistant su-
perintendent. "The foot was in his
overcoat pocket. John Doe screamed
and pointed at the departing man
as if he were robbing him of some
thing. The day attendant blocked
the pathway of the visitor, and got
bowled over for his pains. Both ele
vators were held; but it was too late
The visitor plunged down the stair
ways and made good his escape.
"Little remains to add to the story
John Doe went promptly into con-
vulsions, and in all probability Wont
live to see another sunrise. The Wis
itor who ran off with the artificial
foot is, without doubt, the man Szabo
Roth. He stung you about the con.
tents of that letter. It's now up to
you to take the trail and solve the
mystery"
The second-in-command indicated
the swinging ioors behind me.
"Now you get on the job" he
directed. "You're relieved from night
duty until further orders. When you
get that document read Alright let
me know. Don't call in the police un-
less you have to. If you get into
trouble or need money, let me hear
from you. Keep your own counsel,