San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-18


that ever was perpetrated on their sex.
During the daytime, while all the men,
folk were away man pretending to be
from the Board of Health has been calling
on the ladies of Leeds and telling them
that they must submit to a physical ex-
animation at his hands. Because he said
he was doctor and looked like doctor,
seemed to have an air of authority and
carried little black bag full of instru-
ments, nine women out of ten let him have
his way. How could they know that he
was not physician at all but just plain
Alexander Murray McGregor, a house
painter with morbid curiosity to know
more than the law allows?
McGregor, as self-appointed inspector
of women, was a thorough one. He ex-
amined all kinds, married, single, widows,
flappers and old maids, and had various
methods of persuasion. In no case did he
offer any violence and sometimes he
adroitly induced the women to ask for an
examination thinking that they were get
ting something for nothing.
Hanging from scaffolds and ladders on
buildings, as painters do, McGregor got
many birds eye view, through windows,
and saw and overheard strictly private
scenes, as painters do. The little inside
knowledge gained by these peeps proved
dangerous thing, for it aroused an uncon-
trolable desire to know more about women.
With this in mind, he tried to strike up an
acquaintance with the ladies he looked in
upon but always they slammed the window
and pulled down the shade in his face.
He soon learned the discouraging fact
that painter in his working clothes has
no chance with women. Paint on the fe.
male may attract the male but it never
works the other way around. McGregor OBJ
served jealousy that there were two priv
ileged classes of men who were free to call
at all hours and converse intimately with
women-ministers and doctors.
The painter deeply regretted that in his
youth he had not fitted himself for either
of these learned professions. This seemed
the more regrettable because Nature and
accident had done their best to make him
look like physician. He wore glasses,
pointed beard and a deep, scientific ex-
preston which had given him the nick
name of "Doc." Besides this, ledger at
McGregor's modest home in Dobson
Street disappeared owing him several
weeks room-rent but leaving'a few medi-
cal books and black bag containing in
struments used by gynecologists
For long time the temptation had been
growing on him to impersonate physician
and this windfall settled it-"Doc" Nc
Gregor would be the real thing. Instead
of pawning the stuff, he read the books
and practiced manipulating the instru-
ments until he was confident he could
work them. From the books he picked
up considerable medical vocabulary and so
many interesting symptoms that he was
sure he could do lot of good in the world.
All this good was to be done free and,
since charity begins at home, he tried to
give his wife the first benefit of his newly
acquired knowledge, but Mrs. McGregor
scorned it. As he afterward lamented in
iail, he learned little about woman from
her, nor was he able to tell her anything,
either.
"a prophet is not without honor except
in his own home town." he informed her
darkly one day when there was no paint
ing work and then. putting on his best
Sunday suit and taking the little black
bag, he set forth. AS the chauffeur hus-
band of one of his victims put it, che was
going to look under the hood of woman
hood"
Going to the opposite side of the city,
he confidently rang the bell of Mrs. Wal
ter Mcclure, a very proper and pretty
young widow who, like her late husband
and himself, was Scotch. She did not
recognize him as the painter who had
worked next door some months before and
peered in her windows. She had improved
that occasion by borrowing one of his
brushes and nearly a pint of his employ
er's paint without offering any pay but
"thank you" Mr.. McGregor believed that
this thrifty habit of getting something for
nothing was common to all women, but
particularly those of Scottish blood. He
thought he could take advantage of this
trait.
81 am DIR. Mckenzie, Assistant Health
Officer of Leeds" he told the young
woman gravely. eve have report that
YOUR cellar is damp"
Mrs. Mcclure had made no complaint,
but it was a rented house and If anything
was to be done, the expense would be on
the landlord, so she took him downstairs
willingly enough.