Dr. Jesse Locke whips man playing possum at tavern, article (Boston Cultivator, 1843-03-04).jpg
Dublin Core
Title
Dr. Jesse Locke whips man playing possum at tavern, article (Boston Cultivator, 1843-03-04).jpg
Description
A Singular Case.
Boston Cultivator (1839-1850); Mar 4, 1843; 5, 9; ProQuest
pg. 68
A Singular Case.
At the Court of Common Pleas and Sessions recently held at Buffalo, N. Y., Dr. J. F. Locke, of Tonawanda, pleaded guilty to an assault and battery upon a man named Harriott, under the following singular circumstances:
“One night in December,” said the doctor, “about 11 o’clock, I was called from my comfortable bed to go and visit a patient who was said to be dying of spasmodic convulsions. On reaching the tavern I found the patient, who had been arrested for some offence, floundering upon the floor, beating his head against the walls and exhibiting all the symptoms usual in such cases. I tried to approach the man and received as a salutation a violent kick, but still attributed it to the effect of accident. Persevering, however, in my attentions, and finding the pulse of the patient regular, I at once discovered that he was “playing possum,” and immediately thereupon I desired him to get up, and by way of auxiliary to this wish, administered a few cuts with my riding whip.—The efficacy of this medicine was most wonderful; the patient jumped up instantly and said, “Doctor, I feel much better.”
“It was the first time,” said the doctor, addressing the court, “that I ever prescribed such medicine, and though not strictly within the school of pharmacy, I trust your Honor will attribute the offence to a desire to promote the advancement of the science.”
The doctor was adjudged to pay a fine of six cents, which the District Attorney readily volunteered to pay.
The man Harriott is in jail awaiting his trial for grand larceny.
Boston Cultivator (1839-1850); Mar 4, 1843; 5, 9; ProQuest
pg. 68
A Singular Case.
At the Court of Common Pleas and Sessions recently held at Buffalo, N. Y., Dr. J. F. Locke, of Tonawanda, pleaded guilty to an assault and battery upon a man named Harriott, under the following singular circumstances:
“One night in December,” said the doctor, “about 11 o’clock, I was called from my comfortable bed to go and visit a patient who was said to be dying of spasmodic convulsions. On reaching the tavern I found the patient, who had been arrested for some offence, floundering upon the floor, beating his head against the walls and exhibiting all the symptoms usual in such cases. I tried to approach the man and received as a salutation a violent kick, but still attributed it to the effect of accident. Persevering, however, in my attentions, and finding the pulse of the patient regular, I at once discovered that he was “playing possum,” and immediately thereupon I desired him to get up, and by way of auxiliary to this wish, administered a few cuts with my riding whip.—The efficacy of this medicine was most wonderful; the patient jumped up instantly and said, “Doctor, I feel much better.”
“It was the first time,” said the doctor, addressing the court, “that I ever prescribed such medicine, and though not strictly within the school of pharmacy, I trust your Honor will attribute the offence to a desire to promote the advancement of the science.”
The doctor was adjudged to pay a fine of six cents, which the District Attorney readily volunteered to pay.
The man Harriott is in jail awaiting his trial for grand larceny.
Date
1843-03-04
Collection
Citation
“Dr. Jesse Locke whips man playing possum at tavern, article (Boston Cultivator, 1843-03-04).jpg,” North Tonawanda History, accessed August 17, 2026, https://www.nthistory.com/items/show/4045.