The hydraulic press., 1861-02-23

Look away. etc.
LINAH THE LUNATIC.-Whoever has re-
Gently visited the State Lunatic Asylum, says
q writer in the True Pacific Messenger, will
remember with grief and horror that hid
eous spectre, in the form Of a woman, with
disheyeled hair, distracted features, glaring
eyes, and constantly bleeding lips bitten
thus by wrath and madness. She could not
be subdued, and even the straight jacket was
of no avail. They had to chain her in order
to secure the attending physician and SER
wants from danger; and thus she was kept
in solitary cell, for all the world more like
hungry beast of prey than human being.
Now, she would crouch on the floor, in wild
laughter and furious screams, working away
with hands and feet as if reptiles and SER
pents were approaching, and against the
stings of which she sought protection; then,
she would become moment silent, lifeless,
inanimated in limbs and body, when all at
once she again would start up to her feet,
clutching the iron bars of her cage with
hands and teeth, and shake them with such
muscular force as is not often exhibited by
the tender frame of woman. 1t was always
dangerous to approrch her. One afternoon
a strange physician visited the Asylum.
He was conducted by the chief official of
the medical departments. His broken
accents revealed the foreigner, and the
peculiar pronunciation indicated the German.
AT the cell of the unhappy woman the stran-
ger paused, and listened to the account
given of that patient. The already hoary
visitor seemed strangely affected and moved.
His whole body trembled; the dim eyes
became filled with tears. Notwithstanding
the attendant danger pointed out to him, he
entreated to be permitted to enter that ward
which was considered the most unsafe in the
institution. His urgent request was granted,
and then a scene ensued which baffled de-
scription. When the door was drawn open
and he entered, the crouching maniac jumped
up as if touched by a secret spring, caught
him with her teeth on the shoulder, and in
an instant tore both coat and flesh from the
cid man. Yet he never faltered. With his
withered hands he took hold of her. Both
seemed to rise up in hight and rival in
strength during the strange struggle. He
pronounced q name. "Linah," broke from
his lips and as the lightning flash upon the
unsuspecting from out clear horizon and
fixes him, statue-like, overcome with aston
ishment, so stood the woman, all changed,
transformed. Her nervous stretch of the
over-excited powers gave way; the wild fire
that flashed from the eyes was visibly ex-
tinguished, and flood of tears now broke
freely forth. Her fierce grasp upon the old
man ceased, and the hands that an instant
previous had pierced the nails into the con-
tending antagonist, now shook like the
leaves of tree in the rustling breeze.
Visibly their muscular force lesSens-now
they drop the woman shrinks for moment
from the stranger, who stretches forth his
arms, soiled with blood, towards her, and
again exclaims, "Einah!" She sinks upon
his breast her arms encircled around his
neck, then raises her head and presses count
less kisses upon the lips and cheeks and
forehead of the weeping man : and at length
the first distinct word that she has uttered
since her confinement here breaks from her
lips, and she cries, "Father, my dear, dear
father!" and, swooning, she sinks into his
arms, to awake after a longdeathlike stupor,
with restored senses-cured; and was soon
after entrusted to the tender care of her
once sorrowing but now consoled parent.
AN UNPLEASANT PREDIcAMENr-Tw mi
ners, going to Brandy Flat from Washington,
on last Saturday evening, the night being
quite dark, fell into an abandoned shaft, forty
five feet deep, the bottom being covered with
water to the depth of fifteen feet. Fortu-
nately the windlass, which was dilapidated,
had been thrown in the shaft, and enabled
them to maintain themselves above water.
They remained four hours in this disagreea-
BILE position, when their cries were heard by
a man going to Washington from Brandy
Flat, who procured assistance and hoisted
them out.-Transcript.
An OuTRAGE.-The Cincinnati CONNER
cial, of January 18th, says: 'sWhile the
salute of one hundred guns was being fired
in Newport yesterday, in honor of that gall
liant Kentuckian, Major Anderson, DR.. Fos-
ter, Postmaster of the town, cut the rope by
which the Union flag was about being run
up, and dragged the flag in the mud. 1t is
asserted by some that he trampled upon it
making the remark, That id flag could
notify over Southern soil.' Strange to relate,
he escaped without the chastisement he so
richly merited. The indignation of the Union
men of Newport is intense. No American
citizen can hear of this occurrence without
q sense of humiliation. 1t is strange,
indeed, if the stars and stripes canpot find
defenders upon American soil. The people
of Newport will undoubtedly, in some eff
cient manner, express their profound dis
appreciation of the wanton outrage of which
that city will be distinguished as the scene.
The first thing that should be done is TO
communicate the facts, in responsible GER
titled form, to the Postmaster General, him.
self a Kentuckian, that the misereant Foster
may no longer disgrace the postal service
and bring reproach upon the Government.
He will, Of course, be summarily removed
Personally, he should be severely admon-
ished to secede from the country"
uSir.n said a colporteur to hotel keeper,