code: public function request($path, $method = 'GET', $payload = false, $verbose=false) {
          $response = $this->transport->request($this->expandPath($path), $method, $payload);
          return ($verbose || !isset($response['_source']))
              ? $response
              : $response['_source'];
      }
docs: Perform a raw request
  
  Usage example
  
  $response = $client->request('_status', 'GET');
  
  @return array
  @param mixed $path Request path to use.
  `type` is prepended to this path inside request
  @param string $method HTTP verb to use
  @param mixed $payload Array of data to be json-encoded
  @param bool $verbose Controls response data, if `false`
  only `_source` of response is returned