The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1838-12-20
THE CUNNING LUNATIc.

In many cases. lunailcs are exceeding.
inely cunning. aud display remarkable
readiness at resources in unexpected
energcnciss. could menlinn many ia-
stances af this. but Will content myself
with one. There was lately. and | am
one ii ar asglnms, a luaauc. Who. on
the loss ID las reason. IN the lirsI Inslsncr
far lac s.s F~pea,rt!iy cured though he
alway. relapsed agaia-llsed ~ a neigh
boring cnan,y. Belonging as he dld 10
q family Of wealth and rrsprc,ablIay. he
wts provided with keeper a. snoa a.
the ir-l symptoms II tile disease appear.
ell. Il vas hoped ihal the unfortunate
msn's lunacy woald be- Of but tenparary
dnraiion, and that. by committing him o.
Tie care Of a keeper. his friend. would be
spared The pain ii sending him 10 an
ssylum. lis insanity. houeser, lastel
much longer than his friends had inndly
hoped il would; and Il was therefore even.
taally determined TO send him to an in.
sIilnIion for the reception Of persons Ia.
boring under mental abberrstiun. in the
hope Inst through the superior treatment
he would receive, an additional chance of
recovery might be afforded him. On the
day previous 10 that appointed for his be-
ing sent TO the asylum. he overhead hts
brother giving instructions 10 his keeper
on the subject. lie took no notice Of the
circumstance that night nor next morning,
but when told that he, accompanied by
his companion-Ihe name by which his
keeper vas always called-wss To have
long drive ,ba, day. he expressed him
self as quite delighted with the idea. and
displayed a Willingness II take an airing.
which strongly cohtras'ed with The rcluC-
lance he had before shown 10 leave the
house. After breakfast, the gig was rra-
dy, anil both started fnr the country town
shout twelve miles dis,aul-in the sub
urhs os which the asy lu'n was situated
The luna,ic was unusually cheerful and
docle all the way. And here | would
remark, that his manner was sometimes
SO collected and rational. that i, would
have been difficult n convince a stranger.
'ha, his intelIrcIs were in the sIigh,es, DC
gree affected.
On reaching the principal hotel, both
parties came out Of the gig with view 10
get some felreshmenl. and 10 enable the
keeper to make some necessary prelimi.
nary arrangements Tor the reception OF his
charge in,o the asylum. The former. az
Ter being some time Ia the house, Quilted
The apartment, into which they were
shown. for few seconds. not deeming
1t necessary either t. take the lunalic with
INN, or To turn The key Of the door. The
latter. watching The opportunity, agreea-
MY To previous determination TO that ef
iee', stole ont Of the house the moment
,he "'her had Quilted the apartment.
Ihs keeper missing the mnaiic on his re-
,urn, an alarm was given. aud in less than
i've minutes, al least a dozen persons
were engaged IN active search Tor the I'M
fortunate man. the suddenness Of whose
disappearance was quile unaccouniable
!" his Keeper No trace nr him was 10
We lonnd Tor two hours. aud the impress
sion began 10 become general among all
acquainted with the circumstances. that
w had by some means or other destroyed
"'mseIi' Jus, as all hopes of ever see-
ns HIN alive again were On the eve Of
eAp'ral'"n, the lunatic appeared, TO the
'"h"'e as,"nishmeut and Joy Of the per-
~" entrusted with his sale-krepIng. But
where he had been during his absence,
was point, notwithstanding all the ef-