Year: 1878


and as yet was as far as ever from arriv-
ing at any solution of the mystery. 1
could but wonder, why they should
pay me so large price for a secret visit,
when ten dollars would pay for the visit
in the regular manner of the best sur
geon in New York unless there was
some crime connected with case. What
/ saw of the premises showed every evil
dence of wealth and refinement, and I
was unable to think in what way to con-
meet any crime with the parties.


1.-The morning after my fourth visit,
in looking over paper, read para
graph which at once explained, as l
thought, the whole affair. This you re-
member was before the days of telegraph
and often quite important events would
not be extensively known by the public
for some days after they happened. The
article read as follows:


"On last Monday night, Charles Cor
don, who was confined in Hacken-
sack jail, awaiting his trial upon the
charge of killing Abner Henderson,
made his escape. BY the aid of some
friends he had procured tools with
which he had cut the bars to his cell,
and by tearing his bed clothes into strips
had made rope long enough to reach
the ground. The rope was found to be
broken near the top, and from appear
ance of the blood on the pavement he
must have been badly hurt by the fall.
1t is probable that some of his friends
were there to help him, as he could hard
ly have escaped after reaching the street
without their aid. No clue to his where
abouts has as yet been discovered. He
will probably have to apply for medical
attention, and this may lead to his de-
tection."


"Charles Gordon, to whom the above
referred, was the son of o wealthy broker
in the lower part of the city. He had
been exceedingly dissipated, going on
from bad to worse, until in a drunken
fight, a companion was killed, and he
was arrested on the charge of murder.


"All was now clear to me. Mr.. Cor
don to save his son the risk, and his
family the disgrace of his trial for muir
der, had aided Charles to escape The
injuries received by the fall had made it
necessary to bring him home and care
for him in this secret manner.


&c was undecided, whether when ask
ed again to visit my patient to state my
suspicious, demand an explanation or
else decline TO visit him again, or to say
nothing and continue my visits as be-
fore. finally decided, that as l might
be wrong in my conclusions, and was so
well paid for my services, that 1 would
not relinquish so profitable a case, on
mere suspicion.


ever required, and it was not until /
had made eleven visits that l thought
my patient sufficiently recovered to dis
pense with my services.


cit was about year after these visits
ceased that young man, formerly an
associate of Charles Gordon's was taken
sick and died. Shortly before his death,
however, he had duly drawn up and
attested a confession,' which Mr.. Cor
don had published, stating that it was
him who had killed Abner Henderson,
and that Charles was perfectly innocent
of that crime. Since his escape from pris-
on no person seemed to know anything
regarding the whereabouts of the young
men ; but it was only few months
after the publication of this confession,
however, that a gentleman called at my
office and introduced himself as Charles
Gordon, and l at once recognized him as
my former patient. He had been living
in Europe until he found that he could
return without danger of being arrested
on the charge of murder. During the
time he was suffering from the injuries,
occasioned by his fall, he had thought
over the evil of his ways and determined
that in the future he would lead differ
ent life. He carried out his good inten-
tions, making an enterprising and use.
full citizen, and until his death which
happened only about year ago, he was
one of my best friends.


@ have always considered, that one
of the most fortunate events of my life
was being called to visit this " mysteri-
Gus patient"