The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-05-24
In Chains Awaiting Madness.

There is farm house about two miles
from Arnold Station, over which sadness
and sorrow and terror are brooding, for
in one of the rooms of the house are two
strong men heavily ironed and chained
to the floor. They are waiting there for
most terrible malady to take possession
of them, and after putting them to tor
ture thousand times worse than that of
the InquisitiOn, to destroy their lives.
When q mad dog, killed by Campbell, at
Liberty, was on its destroying mission
throughout the country, several days
ago, these two men crossed its path, and
received its terrible bite. The mad
stone was applied, but fearing and doubt
ing its efficacy, they are prepared for the
fearful ordeal of an attack of hydropho-
bia. Not knowing at what hour the fell
destroyer might make its appearance,
and fearing for the safety of their wives,
little ones and friends, they had heavy
irons made for the purpose, and bound
themselves so securely that it would re-
quire almost the strength of Samson to
break their fastenings. Their hands are
securely manacled, strong iron band is
locked around their waist, and TO this
band is welded a heavy chain, one end of
which is fastened to a heavy ring bolt in
the floor-and there they stand waiting;
waiting for the dread approach of the
awful maddening stupOr that announces
the flow of poison through the blood and
the brain; waiting for the stupor from
which they will revive by the quick and
sudden twitching of the muscles, deadly
pains in the head and through the body.
and burning eye-balls, while poisonous
froth will gather at the mouth. They
will be seized by an uncomfortable long
fVnTr 70 Ia 20 % Il
stupor gone they will be writhing, snap-
ping, snaTling, growing, bowling, tor
tured demons-pressing hard upon their
! fastenings, savagely upon all around
them, the ties of love, of blood, of hu-
manity Obliterated from their under
standing-gOing on in horrible convul-
sions Of pain, clanking and rattling their
chains in order to free themselves from
restraint, and with one thought, one
desire-tO kill and destrOy-to rend
with teeth and nails every living thing,
and after this, with hot scorching ewes
strained and twisted back in their
sockets, and blood and foam streaming
from their parched and burning lips, to
die-to die amid the convulsive agonies
and tOrtures of hydrophObia, worse,
even, il is said, than the pains of hell
itself. This is what these unfortunate
men are waiting lot anu Inefe Is terror
| i'm every breath they draw. Little chill
dren, with saddened faces, fondle and
caress them with increased love, for
the dreaded fate of their dear fathers has
been whispered i'm their ears. Fond
wives and mothers, with fearful ewes
and faltering hearts, tenderly care for
them, and see that every want is sup
piled, and the bondage made as light as
love and sympathy can render it. These
| loved ones are also waiting, watching. moi
knowing the hour when they will be
drawn out of the reach of two men whose
very touch may soon be instant death.
| To this time no indication of madness
has been manifested, and as the time has
already passed in which the disorder at
tacks the victims after the poison has
been infused into the blood the friends
are very hopeful that the maidstone has
proved effective, but the men declare
that they will wear their irons several
days yet, so fearful are they that the
poison is still lurking within them.-
Kansas city NO. Times.