, 1865-09-24

A Roman Catholic Priest Cutting hi
Throat Twice "A Chase Drendfu
scenes In d RAILWAY Car. ~.

4 MANIAC II THE CARS.
A Roman Catholic Priest Cuttang his
Throat Twicc "A Chase
Acenes In d Railway Car. ~
4 Roman Catholic Priest named Peter Ha-
mill, :of Nswburyport, Mass, made two ut
tenpts on thc Boston mail ttnIn Wednesday !
morning to commit suicide by cutting his
First, H,mlll used a .azor. with which he
made gtsnt cash; and when the razor was
taken from him, he took, from his pocket
knife, VIII which he repeated his attempts to
Hn himssat he frightened the passengers
from the cir, and viii his knife drove cut the,
eondnctor and afterwards jumped ont Of the
!eral brskemen and other persons who en-
,dcarorct to secure him. Escaping into the
streets d Norwalk, Ct, be deaed bis pnssuers
for considerable time, but waa Afterwards
caught and carried to the depot It was
Thought best to bring him to this city, and he
lwns tied and held by four men until fhe azri-
val Of the train here. The man Is now at
Bellevue Hospital, where he hes almost In
sensible from the loss Of blood. His wind
pipe ia severed, and the cuts IN his throat are
so dep "a 20 numerous that bis recovery is
After his arrival at Bellevue he took pencil /
and wrote that he bad endcayored to kill him
self iu pursuance Of lbs ssphilosophy,", and |
for the purpose of avoiding q more horrible |
death He also gave his attendants to under |
stand that he had been maIigned and slande1- !
ed to such an extent that uic was unendn.a- |
bic. He Is quiet at present, md II Is impos-
.slblc Tor The phTsiclans to decldp whether he |
u now insane.
The particulars of this most singular case |
nre given below:
TAMIL GETTING OF BOARD TIN 1Rim-
! FIRST ATIEPTAT SUICIDE.
Hamill took passage onthe train at Bos-
ton, and had with him four trunks, which were |
checked through to this city. It was OBJ |
served that he acted oddly, hut no special
notica waa taken OF him. He went into the
forward car and sat In the scat next to the
front one; and during much Of the time sup
ported his head with one Of his hands. It
docs not appear that he spoke to any person
on the way and when he cut his throat, he
made no noise intended to cause any disturb
ance. There were fourteen or fifteen passen-,
gers in the car $ ;
Hamll made his first attempt to kill him.
self at about four o'clock In the mosing,
! while the cars were on their way from Bridge
port, Connecticut, to NorEnlk. He took out
Ills razor, and While he sat In his seat, With
his head bent forward on the back Of the seat
next to him, gashed his throat with the blade.
His movements aud the flowing Of the blood
alarmed one Of the passengers, who went im-
mediately to the conductor, Mr.. Joseph =.
throat. Mr. Franklin was sitting in the rear
| end Of the chr, aud at once came forward.
TEE MANIAC CONFRONTING TEE CoEDucToR.
Nj. Franklin took his lantern with him, as
+; there was only dim light IN the car and, as
he approached the front seats, where Hamlu
was sitting, the latter advanced to meet him.
The razor be laid down - be started. The
two men met, but neither spoke, and the con-
ductor mottoned the maniac to the scat nc
| had Just vacated
The seat was covered with blood, and blood
was streaming from Hamill's throat over his
person.
The priest bacamc angry with the conduc-
tor, and, was unwilling to 90 back to his scat;
but the conductor secured the razor, and tnk-
place. He then returned to the front of the
car to attend to the injured man.
| I1AN1LL BECoMEs DEsPERATE-sECoyD At
TEMPT AT sU1C1DR-F11Gu1 OF TuEPAssgS-
0ERs.
At the approach of the conductor second
| time Hamil bccame furious. He rushed at
the conductor, but checking himself, took
plunged It into lis THROAT He then jumped
wildly about the cur, swinging his arms and
bYandishfng the knife.
The greatest. excitement and alarm prevail.
ed. There Wns only one woman In the cal,
and some OF the men were unwilling to re-
| AEok, Uuk eAEy HNAk VUk VI AuE E&i VAC OE
one, until only the conductor and another
person beside the maniac remained. These
two kept their places for some time, but they
did not moleat the Inadmau, who WIS 50. wild
and so enraged that he bounded from ono side
Of the car to the other, dashing his hand
windows and endearoring to break the seats.
At last the conductor and his companion con-
cluded that due regard for their personal
safety should induce them to Withdraw, which
thoy did; and the conductor stood on the
platform Of the car, Of which the mailman
had full and undisturbed possession, until the
train reached Norwalk.
HAArIL PLUSGING OUT OF w1EDow.
When the train stopped HamM broke ono
Of the ear windowa and threw. himself out
upon the ground. It required q great effort
and much skill for the mailman took ont
The iron sash Of the window and came to the
ground on his fcct- It did not appear that
the fall stunned him he started off briskly,
and ran away in the dark, aud hid himself
an ong some freight cars which stood nea1 the
railroad trn ck.
The conductor, with four or five brnkemeu
and some passengers, started In pursuit, and
Hamill gave battle. Hiswcapons were bricks
and stones, which he threw from his hiding
place among his assailants, and rs thoy could
not see him, he had them ut disadvantage.
One passenger was struck, a stone hitting him
In the back. Alter short time the assailing
party retreated : but they kept lookout
upon Hamill, and observed his movements.
They, however, confess that they were
Wors1cd.
4 CHASE IN SoRWALK.
The maniac soon started OF through ono o
the streets Of Norwnlk, and his assallants
with diminished numbers, chased him. They
ran, they estimate, the distance ofr qunrte,
to hnif a mile ; aud two or three Of them
alter he was exhausted It is supposed BY los
of blood, seized him, and conveyed him bacl
10 tho railroad station. 1t was not yet day
light.
HAMnI's woUSps-rERsoSAL APPEARANCE
The cuts in,Hnmi11's throat are nearly al
in the thyroid cartilage. or Adams apple
they extend above and below, but do NO
touch the jugu1ar vein. He breathes some
times through the gashes.
Hamfll Is about five feet sir inches /,
height, thirty five years Of age, Of full habit
1t doubted II he can recover. A snlal
amount Of Inflammation would kill him
Under favorable circumstances he may b
partially restored to hea1th In six weeks o
two months.
BEN BUTLER IN 4 NEW Role.