The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-06-10

sTRoUDsBURG. MONROE COUNTY, PA. JUNE 10, 1885.

be could recover himself, l sprang down
the ladder, few from story to story of
the asylum, and paused not in ny rapid
descent, until reached the entrance door.
Stopping there only long enough to inform
an attendant that had left lunatic up
on the summit of the tower, Hurried to
my lodgings, and overcome with fatigue
and mental exhaustion, retired early and
supperless to my room.
The next day returned to the asylum,
for the purpose of unraveling the myste-
lry of my adventure. This was easily
done. The gentleman whom had taken
for my cicerone the day before, had been
for many years an inmate of the asylum.
He was Intellectual, accomplished, and
possessed of most winning address,
Being mild and inofensiVe in disposition,
aud subject ouly, at long intervals, to an
access of bis mental disorder, he was per-
mtted to 90 at large aud unattended
through the buildings and grounds of the
institution. His great passion and chief
employment was to accompany and ex-
plain to visitors who came to the asylum,
the history and halIucination of its in-
mates. With all these be was minuteiy
and thoroughly conversant. He collected
his information from every available
source-bcing as indefatigable in the
search, as he was quick sighted in the de-
lection of facts aud statistics, bearing
upon the subject matter of bis inquiries.
To bin the arrival of new inmate for
the asylum, was an event full of both in
terest and excitement. He commenced
bis investigations at once, and ceased not
from bis inquiries, until be had learn
ed the name, the personal antecedents,
the mental malady, and the present con-
dition of the new conner. In this way he
kept himself thoroughly "posted' in the
personal statistics and characteristics OF
the inmates of the institution. He was,
iu a word, sort of tn0er repertofiun,, or
table of reference, for visitors, and bore
in his memory the unwritteD biographies
of all his associates in misfortune.
The peculiar characteristic of his in
sanity was propensity to seek high al
tltudes, which when attained, always
brought oD violent paryoxism of abera-
ton. in which he became combative, i'm
patient of control, and very dangerous, in
consequence Of his great agility and
strength. Hence it was the fixed rule Of
his keepers never to permit bim to ascend
the tower of the asylum-the trap-door of
which was always kept securely locked
down, and only opened by an officer OF
the institution, to admit visitors to the
the sum nit and closed i'm mediately y after
both their ascent aud descent from the
tower. On the day of my adventure
through some unexp! aimed oversight, the
door had been left open, aud the means
of egress to the top of the tower thus af-
forded, accidently discovered by my COM
companion, on our visit to that part of
the building. Tie alarm | had giveu on
my de>ent, had carried the superintend-
ent and several assistants to the tower
They met my quopdam guide, slowly de-
scepding the ladder A copous henor-
hase of blood from the nose, produced by
his fall had reduced his paroxyism and
left him rational enough to provide for
his safety by an immediate descent from
the tower
Since that adventure | have accepted
10 casual cicerones in lunatic asylums.
j. W. T.