The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1864-01-14
Horrible story--An Idiot's sat.
rc,ing for Twenty Years.

wv 'li'NHlg HNlAiNti StVtl ulp'UIs lU
the London Times il is from the pen Of
Mr. Sydney Hodges, Secretary of the
Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society:
For some time past rumcrs have been
current that the brothcror mason nam.
ed Porter. living In comfortable circum-
stances, at Flushing, had been kept, for
many years, in close confinement, In a
small room, at the back cf the prom scs
in which Porter aud his family reside.
lGcurtrcudiug cries and howls have been
repeatedly heard by the uelghbnrs, cspc-
cially on cold wjutCr nights but, al.
though the sympathy Of many was nrous.
ed, no one deemed il his duty 10 inquire
into the circumstances of the case, not
dreaming, probably. of the horrors that
were to hc revealed.
Rather more thnna year auc, n.
Bryuc, a woll.knowu practitioner from
the county or Durham, now residing In
/ this town, was compelled to seek the
warm climate OF Flushing for his health.
and incidentally heard these rumnrs.-
Not satisfied to allow the matter to re-.
main uninvcstig0tcd, be collected all the
evidence he could, aud was so satisfied
that the case was one dCmgndirp strict
inquiry that he communicated the facts
90 the Home Secretary, who at once ap.
pointed him special commissioner, and
I sent down two other commissioners, who,
i in company with DR., Brvnc, went TO pur.
tcr's house on Thursday last, und dcman-
dcd admission tc his brother. Porter
himself WINS absent, but, after some little
4. ,,..g t,,H IN l..
/ had obtained some insight into the plnn
of the premises, led the way through the
house across n yarI and up a fight of
steps, where, concealed from yi,w, roupd
| a corner, they found a door, which admit
ted them to the den in which the lunutic
was confined.
l The sight which met their gaze was
! too revolving 10 be described with all i's
horrid details. The place consisted or
fcur bare, wet, plaster walls, with small
window on one side, aud the door hy
VIII ich they had entered, doorway up-
pos tc, formerly communicating with the
house, was plustcrcd up So us to cut of
all communication except by the flight of
steps at tie back. In one rncr Of the
room was wrctched trucklc bvdstcad,
with cross pieces OF wood, rottcd with
/ filth. about SIX inches wide aud the same
distance apart. On these bare boards
was crouchcd Il being moro resembling u
, bnboun than man, drawn and crainncd
from long exposure and suffering. cui of
/ form of humanity, stark naked, and with
only Two rotten hn,s for coycrIct,
have said like bahoon, from the pccu-
liar form into which thn limbs were
drawn; tie hno,s almost touched the
chin, aud were pressed close down upon
the chest, imagine Tor warmth the
feet close together and bent down one
over the other, also, | Imagine for
warmth the hands clinchcd aud brought
up close TO the chin, the arms closely
pressed against the sides. Tue knee and
hip joints were enehylosc; The elbow
joims, were also s'ifcning. The floor
ana the walls We're one mass ol Hcculnn-
lHtcu bltl, inc Moor was rollen with II,
The stencil horrible and th,rc or" ether
circumstances OF the case too dreadful
Tor publication
FOR upwards OF twenty years The ten
der mercles OF ms nearest relatives hnve
cohslencu MN 10 thls hVihg t"hO not a
rag 10 lie upon, not even awhisp OF strnwi
holhlhg out mat naked board ard the two
old bags to cover him. Would roviug
maniac be consigned to such doom /
God forbid. What, let us nsk, is tho
mental condition OF this poor wretch !
Simply imbeci!c. a most mild, benevo.
lent expression OF counlcnanee, child
IKE SUBMISSION To all ihut ID done 10 him,
no symptoms OF ViOlCDcc or even anger
OF any kind, and strong indications of
Intelligence in many things, even after
those weary years OF neglect aud cruel
~. On Sunday, in company with Dr.