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UNIDENTIFIED : 1912 - 1917 ORIGINAL, DETAILED MANUSCRIPT JOURNAL AND DIARY OF A RURAL NEW HAMPSHIRE DOCTOR AND FIRST-AT-THE-SCENE ACCOUNT OF A GRISLY MURDER

12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. On offer is an original 1912-1917 manuscript diary handwritten by a Doctor whose practice was in the surrounding areas of Tilton and Northfield New Hampshire including Winchester and other locations in Belknap County. While he is unidentified by name, local researchers and historians should assuredly have enough clues to ascertain his name. A medical journal the book has several printed pages of useful information for any doctor, such as; Table of Adult Doses, Thermometry, Facts Regarding Children, Digestion, Rarer Symptoms and Posology. After that his call lists start. Each page has a place to write the name of the patient, the day of the week they were seen, the amount charged and a memoranda section to list any specific notes about the case. Some of the pages just have brief names and notes but others are more detailed. For example he writes that with Averline Atkinson he saw her at least 32 times from February 6th, 1916 to May 20th, 1916 and sadly at the end of those visits he writes "Died. Called to visit body." About the same thing with a Mrs. Gould. Visits her 31 times from April 3rd to May 21st 1913 and she died on the 21st at 9:15 p.m. Other examples of notes were; "Injured at Canton Mills. Amputated forefinger……..To Shaker Bridge……28 Electrical Treatments (and that was to one patient)……Ralph Jones at R. R. crossing. His little girl died of diphtheria, age 3 years……colored person…….la grip…….Injury to left eye, glass removal…..died 4:50 p.m. very sudden….Been exposed to measles….fell down stairs. Fracture. Taken to hospital for operation…..baby delivery……." and much more. Then comes that rather shocking entry. Along with the more or less mundane and daily doings of a busy doctor there is a four [4] page account of a husband who shot his wife as the doctor was the first on the scene. It seemed to be, at the time, undecided if it was an accident or not. This particular entry about the shooting is four pages long and has to do with William Grant of Northfield. Here is a snippet from just two of the pages: "August 22nd 1912 William Grant woke me about 3:30 a.m. saying "Doctor, doctor, I have shot my wife. hurry, hurry. God knows I didn't mean to kill her". He seemed to be greatly disturbed in mind. Was bare foot and bare headed. I first went to the N. E. phone asked Central to call up officer Boswich. I dressed and went to the Grant home which was in total darkness. An object was on the floor off in the kitchen in a corner while I was asking Grant for a lamp. She tells me where that was also the kerosene oil. I found her after lighting the lamp lying in her pool of blood where she told me that he shot me. When Grant says God knows I didn't mean to kill you but I shot her. "Save her doctor, save her". Up and into the bed. Cleaned up her face from blood, found in left side of face, upper edge of _____ bone an opening about the size of a pea from which great amount of blood was oozing, also from nose and mouth. I traced the shelling to lower lobe of ear over or very near jugular vein. I couldn't locate the bullet. Asked Grant what he shot her with. He said "this" and held up a revolver. I asked him to let me see it. He handed it to me. I asked if it was loaded. He says there are 3 shots in it. I put it into my pocket. As yet no officer had arrived. I was with Grant and wife alone all of this time……." He goes on for two more pages talking about heading back to his office and putting the revolver in his desk. Then says he called up a Dr. Erskin for some help. They took her to the hospital and operated on her but could not find the bullet. Found her ear drum and veins badly shattered. Supposedly she lived through the operation. All this time Grant kept saying he didn't mean to shoot her. The revolver was a Smith and Wesson, Springfield maker. 5 shooter with 2 chambers empty. His story ends with: "I know the number if I should ever see it again. I made a cross + in left side of handle." Some of the names listed for Tilton and Northfield area are; Averline Atkinson, La Forge, Harry Lockwood, Herbert Lockwood, Caroline Blake, Caroline Bates, Randolph Barnaby, C. C. Bickford, Ed Ricker, Cecil Emery, Goodall, Daniel Dunnigan, Ralph Jones, Frank Dubia, Gould, Cornelius McGuire, Moses Weeks, Ladd, Frank Davis, Jerry Duval, Grace Osborn and John G. Osborn, Edward Moorehouse, Clarence Hunsell, Addie Brown, Charles Simpson, Ballou, Lawrence Brady, Hiram Allen, W. S. Gile, Frank LaClare, Amos Shaw, Vern Smith, Jas. Shipman and more. The journal measures about 3 ¾" x 6 ½" and the covers have fallen off of it and are not accounted for. Page 47-56 are wrinkled and bent but most of those are some of the printed pages. There is foxing and the front and back few pages are stained. In all about 100pp. G+.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Very Good

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