Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-21
A THRILLING SPECTACLE.
Narrow Escape of a BOY From an
Armed Mailman.

Narrow Escape of a BOY From an
Armed Madman.
From the New Orleans Bulletin.
On Thursday evening about z O'Clock,
young man about 25 years old, appa-
rently in robust health and calling himself
Patrick Finnegan, applied at the First
Precinct station for lodging for the night,
which, as is customary, was granted him,
and he was locked up in the cell set apart
for dodgers, as they are called at the Dc
lice station. About three hours afterward
a couple of his friends called at the sta
ton to ascertain his whereabouts.
saying that Finnegan was afflicted
with the horrors, and had left home early
in the evening for the purpose of, he
said, having good nights rest Upon
being satisfied that he was quietly slum-
bering in one of the hunks, they left. At
O'Clock IN the morning, about relief
time, while the station was crowded with
policemen, cry of alarm coming from
the cells attracted Sergeant Wynne and
other officers 10 the dodgers cell, where,
through the iron bar, they witnessed a
most thrilling spectacle. About dozen
of men were climbing hurriedly to the
upper hunks, in the widest confusion,
and calling for assistance, while on the
ground floor Finnegan had his left arm
encircling boy about ten years old, while
his right hand, uplifted, threateningly
held knife over his wOuld-be victim.
1t took less time to open the door of |
the cell and allow the inmates to escape
than we have taken to pen one of these |
lines. But the maniac and the poor child, |
half dead with fright, remained in the |
same terrible situation. Various sugges-
tons were made by the persons present to |
save the boy from the clutches of Finne- /
gan, who the while had struck tragic /
attitude and looked fierce as a lioness de-
Tending her cubs. Then he would swing
his arm to and fro several times, bringing
the knife's point in contact with the child's
breast. Finally, the turnkey of the lock-
up, in fit of desperation, made a bluff
movement at the maniac by drawing a re-
vOlver, which he aimed at Finnegan's head,
summoning him to release his hold on the
boy. In hideous tones, Finnegan, shielding
his own body with that of the boy, cried out,
eff l have to die l must not die alone!n
Some time having elapsed since the on
slaught began without resulting in any in
jury to the boy, Wynne concluded that it
would be prudent to leave the door open,
so that as soon as the boy could have an
opportunity, he might escape, and every
body apparently retired. Ten minutes
had scarcely elapsed when clamor arose
from the interior of the lookup. Like a
flash of lightning the boy was seen 10
strike for the street, Finnegan after him
with uplifted arm, the knife still firmly
grasped in his hand, cleaving his way
through a hedge of policemen, whose sur
prise had figuratively nailed them to the
floor. Then commenced chase for lite
down st. Charles street. Two or three
shots, fired in the air by the po-
lice for the purpose of arresting
Finnegan in his mad career, had as much
effect as an attempt to fill up a crawfish
hole with water. The police, however,
had gained so much ground on Finnegap
by the time the latter reached Poydras
that he sought refuge in a coffee-house,
where he was cornered. The fight now
commenced in good earnest between the
and his pursuers. The latter, it
must be said, aware of the condition of !
his mind, using all necessary precautions
not to injure him, or allow him to injure
them. Finally plucky Sergeant Wynne
wrested the knife from Finnegan's hand
not, however, until he had received a ,
painful cut in his own. A few gently adj
ministered Taps over Finnegan's hands
his subjugation, and he was
aiken back to the station, a prisoner this
lime. Yesterday morning Recorder
Houghton sent the unfortunate individual
10 the Lunatic Asylum. {