The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-03
a Wonderful JOurney-A Seven-year-
old Boy Walks Two Thousand Miles
with n Crazy Father.
From the Cairo Ill.l Bulletin, November ii.

From the Cairo tIll.l Bulletin. November u.
| Many of our local readers will be able to
recall n memory Of one Samuel Fl. Johnson,
an individual who wore q perfect shock OF
red hair, and delighted in the sobriquet of
"Professor." Although not resident OF
the immediate city, he was daily in our
streets, and by his quaint ways, strange and
sometimes incoherent expressions, attracted
considerable attention. Those who knew
him well knew his mind to he bordering on
| insanity, while others probably ascribed his
irregular demeanor and rambling speech to
| an eccentric nature. He sometimes ap-
| peared in our streets barcheaded, and fire.
| quently barefooted, treating all who ap-
| preached him with due courtesy, but per-
mitting familiarity on the part of none.
Early last summer the Professor"
| without any preparation, and even without
announcing his purpose to his wife, left
home, taking with him 4 little son aged
about seven years. A day or two was per-
ticipating an early return Of the husband
| and child but as they came not, she insti-
tlltcd inquiry as to their whereabouts. AL
| though understanding the unsettled condi-
! ton Of the husbands mind. she never be-
| liered for moment that he had summarily
| disposed of himself, and she was equally as
| sured of the safety of the child. Weeks
| and months passed, yet no tidings came of
the absent ones. It could not even be asccr-
tanned by what conveyance they left the
| city. They had departed with such cloth
ing as they had on tEeiT persons, and if the
"Professor" had any money his wife was
not aware of the fact.
| 4 few weeks ago Mrs. j. T.rccciyed Il letter
| from DR.. Taggart, at Salt Lake City, en-
| closing to hcra paragraph clipped from a
California paper. This paragraph announced
| that a man answering the description of her
husband, accompanied by Il seven-year-old
| boy, had been arrested as an insane person
near Sacramento, Cal. He was ragged and
travelworn, and the little boy was in a con-
diton equally pitiable. The whole distance
from Cairo to California had been made by
them on foot. They had travelled steadily,
begging food Gil the way, sometimes fast
ing and thirsting for days, but continuing
their journey the while, as if the route
abounded in cXtravagant plenty. The
'' Professor" inspired by the idea that Cali
fornia was indeed a land Of gold, cXerted a
Superhuman strength, carrying the boy in
his arms for hours after the lads Wearied
legs had refused to support him further.
| Night and day, week after week, the jour
ney was pursued, until the gap between
them and home had been widened out to a
distance Of more than two thousand miles,
| closing the last day with walk OF over
thirty miles. Stopping for food and rest at
i residence few miles distant from Sacra'
mento, the "Professor betrayed such un.
mistakable evidences of insanity that the
"man of the house" felt called upon, in the
interest of humanity, to have him properly
provided for. The following day a jury oI
inquest was empannelled and upon theil
verdict the professor was admitted into
the Stockton Insane Asylum, where he now
is,
These facts being communicated by the
newspaper paragraph spoken of, the rcla
tives OF the unfortunate man placed them
selves in correspondence with the keeper o.
the asylum, and by i recent mail received /
photograph OF the Professor" which any
one who knew him will recognize ut sight
The little boy speaks Of atfectionate and pa
rental treatment during the long and labo
riouS journey. and Of the fathers frequent
and remarkable sclf-dcninl for his comfort