The Mystery of St. Agnes Hospital

The Mystery of St. Agnes'
Hospital

Nick Carter
1893

Chapter I
Lawrence Deever Demands Justice
"I call it a perfectly plain case, Mr. Colton."
"A case of what?"
"Why, murder, of course."
"Who has been murdered?"
As "Mr. Colton"--who was no other than Nick Carter--asked this
question, his face looked as innocent as a babe's. He seemed surprised
to hear that there had been a murder, though his companion, Lawrence
Deever, had been saying so repeatedly during the last half hour.
Deever now looked at Nick with eyes and mouth wide open.
"Who has been murdered?" he repeated. "My brother has been
murdered."
"What makes you think so?" asked Nick, calmly.

"What, indeed!" exclaimed Deever. "I have told you already."
"No, you haven't. You have told me that your brother has been missing
since night before last."
"I told you more than that," cried Deever. "He is known to have
quarreled with that man Jarvis."
"Dr. Jarvis, of St. Agnes' Hospital?"
"Of course. And I have proved--"
"You have proved nothing," said Nick. "Let me repeat your statements:
"Your brother Patrick worked for Dr. Jarvis, or under his direction, in
the garden of St. Agnes' Hospital. The doctor frequently remonstrated
with Patrick for drinking too much whisky, and--"
"Remonstrated!" exclaimed Deever. "That's hardly the word for it. He
abused the lad. He struck him half a dozen times during the last week."
"With the flat of his hand," said Nick, smiling. "That is hardly the
foundation for a charge of murder."
"It shows that Jarvis is a violent man," said Deever, "and everybody
knows that he is."
"He has a bad temper, I will admit."
"He's a dangerous old crank."
"Well, to continue your statement of the case, late on Monday
afternoon they were heard quarreling in the garden. They were seen
there about half-past six o'clock.
"A little after half-past seven the doctor was seen coming toward the
hospital. He was greatly excited. He passed Martin Burns, who drives
the hospital ambulance.

"Martin went into the garden and failed to find Patrick. Nobody can tell
what became of your brother or how he got out of the garden."
"Yes; that's the point," Deever cried. "How did he get out?"
"He may have climbed over the wall."
"You've forgotten that his coat, with a little money in the pocket, was
found hanging on the limb of a tree."
"No, I did not forget that."
"Well, why did he leave it?"
"I don't pretend to know."
"And what has become of him?"
"There, again, I shall have to find out the facts before I answer."
"I tell you he was murdered."
"Now," said Nick, smiling again, "I shall have to turn your own
question against yourself: If he was murdered, what's become of him?"
"You mean where's his body?"
"Exactly."
"But do you mean to tell me," cried Deever, indignantly, "that if this
man has hidden my brother's body so that nobody can find it he will
escape punishment for his crime?"
"Nothing of the sort," Nick replied. "I only wish to curb your
impatience."
"I'm not more impatient than any man in my situation ought to be. I
simply demand justice."

"Or, in other words--"
"I want you to arrest Dr. Jarvis."
"I can't do it."
"Why not?"
"We must have some sort of proof that your brother is dead. We can't
try a man for the murder of somebody who may be alive for all we
know."
"You seem to be working in Jarvis' interest," said Deever, with a sneer.
"Not a bit of it. You know why I am here in your house."
"Because Superintendent Byrnes sent you; and I supposed that he had
sent a good man. He promised the best."
"Well, that ought to satisfy you."
"There was no need of sending anybody. We might have arrested Jarvis
at once. Any ordinary policeman could have got evidence enough to
convict."
"But the superintendent did not think so."
"No; and I'm willing he should work in his own way, so long as I get
justice in the end. Now, what do you want?"
"Well," said Nick, appearing to consider the subject deeply, "I would
like some evidence of a motive."
"I don't believe there was any motive. The thing was done in anger."
"Then I want evidence of a really serious quarrel."
"Very well; you wait right here, and I'll bring a man who knows
something about it. I heard of him this morning, and had time to ask

him a few questions, but I don't know all he has to tell."
Deever hastily left the room. From the window Nick saw Deever pass
up West One Hundred and Forty-third street, on which the house stood.
He was going in the direction of St. Nicholas avenue.
In less than