Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-01-26
From The Boston Post.
A TALE OF INSANITY.


through the window of jewellers store.
seized a watch and fled to the woods
Search was made and he was found. with
the case of the watch only in his possession,
having thrown the inside Of it away. He
gave his nanie-not his true name-Rich-
ard Roe. He was tried, convicted, and sem
fenced to one day solitary confinement and
two years hard labor in the Massachusetts
State prison.
Richard Roe, alias -, entered this
institution March 20, 1910. After his sol
itary" he was required to do "hard labor"
But this he could not understand. In vain
was he ordered and expostulated with he
refused TO work, and seemed logged
in his obstinacy. Discipline Of another sort
was administered: on the 10 Of April he
was whipped. Who does no, know that OF
all the ways to make whole man out of a
part oil man, the lash is most miserable +?
AS the officers were applying the stripes TO
this poor maniac unknown TO them al the
time, howeyer,) at the whipping post, how
like devils they must have appeared 10 him!
Need we write that the convict still refused
TO work Four days later heavier punisl-
nent for the offence,-refusng 70 work. was
ordered four days solitary confinement. The
reflections in his gloomy cell only served 10
make the case more hopeless at the sane
time more apparent. His actions then con-
vnced the warden that his mind was not
right. After this he was humanely favored
and spent his time mostly in the cookery.
For six months previous to the expiration
OF his sentence, separate arch in the pris..
on was assigned TO him. When his time
was out, the late warden applied 10 the am
thorities Of the town Of Charlestown 10 have
him taken care Of, as he was evidently I'M
fit TO take care Of himself Up TO this time
he had given, in reply to repeated question:
ings, several aliases, but had never given.
his proper name.
On the day of his discharge the chairman
of the overseers Of the poor saw him in the
prison. 81
Where are YOUR ONT asked the officer.
| Vermont replied the poor imbecile. ~
Vermont! Oh know something a.
bout Vermont. have lived there replied
the officer, going on in praise Of the green
hilled state, while the blank face Of the id
lot seemed to brighten little with intelli-
gence.
what town were you born in p oa"'
! 'WalIingford' tHt 'aW
/
too. | have lived there, and am well ac-
quanted with many ofhs inhabitants. 'sDn.
you remember -, the fiddler |? ~
Yes, yes can fiddle too, and have fiddicd
with him many time.
! But it is unnecessary to sketch farther the
conversation. The enquirer was cheerful
in look, kind in speech, and manifested am
interest in his fate. Besides, scenes of ear
lier days were called up, and few there are,
however rudely ife's waves may have tossed
them, who do not go back to these with
pleasure. In this case even the imbecile
was not an exception. He was enabled to
carry back the shattered mind Of the con-
vict to the places where his childhood was
passed. Confidence begets confidence,
whether in the idiot or raving maniac. The
old reserve ofthe prisoner vanished, and he.
who for more than two years had strangely
given only aliases now gave his true name.
His friends some Of the most respectable of
the town of Wallinglord, were written to-
They soon called and made appropriate pro-
visions for him, stating that at the time he
wandered from his keepers in 1910, every
search was made for him, but not beini,
able TO find him, he was supposed, until the
reception Of the letter, 10 be dead.
FACTS IN BRrEF-Out Of every thousand
men twenty-eighl die annually efa
/ The number of inhabitants Of city or
country is renewed every thirty years. Biz
The number Of old men who die in cold
weather is to the number of those who die
in warm weather, seven to four. faa
The men able to bear arms form fourth
OF the inhabitants Of country.
The proportion between the deaths Of wo-
men aud that Of men, is as one hundred TO
one hundred and eight The propable du-
ration of female lives is sixty but after
that period, the calculation is more favoura-
BILE 10 them than men. 1ef
! One half Of those who are born, die be-
fore they attain the age of seventeen. Al
Among 3,l25 who die, it appears by the
registers that there is only one person Of
one hundred years of age. Rhesr
| More old men are to be found on elevated
situations than in vallies and plains.
In the country, the spring is the most IA
tai period in great cities it is in the winter.
DIFFERENT IDEAS OF HEAvEN.-ssMy
chief conception of Heaven" said Robert
Hail. "is rest" "Mine," replied Wilber-
force, "is love; love to God, aud love TO ey-
cry bright and holy nhabitant of that glori-
Gus place" Hall was an almost constant
sufferer from acute bodily pain: Wilbes-
force enjoyed life, and was amiability and
sunshine so that it lie easy to account for
their respective conceptions of that subject
4 What mercy that both these conceptions
! are true Both are truel and the union of
! rest and love perhaps conveys, within a
: small compass, he most correct idea ofthe
heavenly state" 80