Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-08-05
A NIGHT WITH A MANIAC.


broken his heavy chains as Samson
broke the withes had torn open the
door Of his cell--torn the keeper, liter
ally, in pieces-burst the open door
killed the watchman with q heavy iron
bar he wrenched from the door-and es-
capped with his formidable weapon into
the city. The whole place was aghast at
the news and we students at the hos
pital and dissecting room, who were con
nected with the asylum, had to nerve
ourselves to help capture the escaped
wild beast.
| had gone to the dissecting room
alone, and wasabout to commence using
the knife on subject There was a
storm raging, and with low sob the
wind swelled through the long aisle Of
forest trees, and flashed with the gath
cred force of an ocean wave against the
dead-house. Simultaneously a hand
struck the light door, and the yell of a
maniac rang through and through my
brain, tl =,
Above the door, through the small
ventilator, the face of the madman and
the murderer peered down at me.
"Ah, hal | have caught you at last
here--and alone. j have been waiting
for you. You took me once, didn't
you? Hal hal Let me in.
The GOODNESS ofimminentpe peril brought
my powers to action. j held his eye an
instant; but it was evident he was too
wild for that; his blood was up, and 1t
roved with eager ferocity through the
room and over the frail walls. With the
light bound of leopard gained the
door and shot the double bolt. A CLEAN
Of rage darted from his eye; but he
laughed, Hal hal You think that will
keep me out?
He leaped to the ground. In an in
slant the light was out.
"Wait," / cried. aFI have a weapon
in my hand keen as a razor. 1t is pois-
oned by the dead body | have been work
ing on. Burst the door, and III plunge
it in your heart. If it but touch you,
you are dead man. You may kill me,
but I'll kill you also, as certain as there
is q God" 2tsg.ll3 i Ht,U
The swarthy giant shook the door un-
til its hinges creaked and groaned be-
meath his hand. Then, laughing again
low to himself, muttered, FOOL I'll
outwit you yet. h
And stole off in the darkness. lheard
him, for an instant, pressing against the
wall of the building, and it swayed and
bent inward with the weight Then
silence. The din on my pulses made
thunder in my ears, as | tried to hear
his stealing tread, and the sobbing wind
rose anew with weird shrek, made my
efforts fruitless
A thousand times heard his low, dew
ilsh, murderous laugh. A thousand times
| felt his brawny strength against the
door, and saw his wild face look down
at me through the gloom but stlll he
did not come. | tried to think he had
abadoned the design, and skunk off dis
couraged !; but knew it was not so-L
knew he was crouching in some corner,
on the watch to spring on me when l
passed. foi ..le f.y
Could stay there all night2 No, GER
tainly not. An hour more, and Harry
Leigh (my young wife's brother), would
come to seek me-come unconscious OF
the danger, until bloodhound at his
throat would choke the brave young life
down there forever. =.
listened in the interval, Of the now
ftful storm, to hear If he was breathing
near me; / waited for the next lull. 1t
came-that deep hush that follows gusty
wind. l put my soul in the sense OF
hearing, but no human shadow of sound
greeted it, a
When the storm swelled again drew
the bolt and looked into the night; a
black pail hung over the earth and sky.
| had as good chance to pass him in
the obscurity as he to catch me. With
my knife in my teeth, and the massive
thigh-bone Of negro to fell him with, II
| must, | drew off my shoes and stepped
out into the darkness A sudden whirl
of the tempest almost took me off my
feet, and brick, dislodged from one OF
the chimneys, grazed my head in its
passage, and broke in half on the pave
ment.
With bated breath, and step like the
tread of a panther scenting his prey, |
parted the thick darkness, and turned
my face toward the hospital. He might
be either here, at any point along the
passage, or hid in the angle of the wall
at the door through which ! must enter.
This seemed most probable; but there
was another door known only to the
doctors.
thought l would elude him. With
infinite caution began to scale the
high wall, dreading horribly lest some
sudden break in the sky might reveal
me to the wild eyes that watched for
me-but no.
Safely passing the summit, / threw my
leg over for the descent, and felt my
foot seized. 1t was but the climbing
tendril of wild vine, skirting the wall.
Grasping my knife in my right hand, /
crept along the bushes for fifty yards,
then struck along the lawn for the side
entrance. The darkness perplexed me,
but / thought l was steering straight.
Suddenly my foot struck bricks. What
was this2 / tried to recollect. There
was no pavement round that part of the
hospital.
moved with uncertainty, and feeling
a weight in the air put out my hand to
grope for some clue to my whereabouts.
was in an alley hanked with stone
walls far above my head. gave sud
den turn. In an instant i knew was
in the subterranean passage of the asY-
lum Turning to retraee my steps the
Opaque density of some heavy body
crouched between me and the outer air.
heard its.stiaed breathing-its stealthy
tread approaching me. just heavens