The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-06-28

4 quiet smoke and the consciousness o
a days labor well performed, the con
versation turned, among the little grou,
assembled, upon a melancholy case O
insanity which had recently been de
EAloped- In the vicinity of thA. town, tha
unfortAnate victim of which was ther
conined in the city PRISON resdy 10 b
rorFegea the following morning to th,
Nsylnp The man had been q resident
of the valley for a number of years
and was possessed Of comfortable prop
ferty. -s.i 81 g. .-.l. 10 4:,t' f..
The sympathy and kindly feeling
toward him expressed by all who knew
him Of the number of gentlemen pres
ent, aroused my curiosity to know the
cause of his present lamentable con
1 dition I; and Mr.. Tower, whose business
led him into contact with great many
people. and who, Ike all live men con
nected in any way with newspapers, had
the faculty OF knowing little about
everything of general interest that was
going on, related for my satisfaction all
that was known of the causes which led
to the insanity of George Beale, that
being the name of the unfortunate man.
=" About three years ago." said Mr..
Tower, :" Mr.. Samuel Beale, the father
4 of this poor fellow, died. leaving George,
his only child, in possession Of number
Of city, lots which have since become
| valuable, and which even at that time
yielded no inconsiderable revenue.
George was intensely selfish where per-
sonal indulgence was concerned. What
he wanted he would have, and it mat
tered very little to him whose rights
were trampled on to obtain it. At that
time there lived near town a family,
whose daughter Eva was one Of the
brightest, fairest, h ost winsome daugh-
tiers of the valley. George Beale became
acquainted with Eva Just after she had
finished her education at the convent,
and after a season of the most devoted
attention on his part, it became gen.
orally known that they were engaged to
be married. She had friends in San
Francisco to whom she would pay oc-
casional visits, and it was noticed with
quiet smile by his friends that George
generally had pressing business in the
CITY at -sucTn times. After one of these
visits to San Francisco, Eva had returned
home suddenly, and on the following
day, while seated at the window reading
a city paper which her father had just
brought in, she fell shrieking from her
lchair in fit, from the effects Of which
she never recovered, and died in few
days without having recovered con.
sciousness.
1.-THE effect of her death upon Beale
was fearful. From being hale, rosy
checked young man he rapidly became
a shattered, prematurely old one. He
would start when any one approached
him, and his bloodshot eyes .betokened
sleepless nights. From that time to the
present he has been gradually approach-
ing his present state. For the frst Eve
or six years his condition was simply
that of a man given over to morbid
melancholy. Latterly he has become
violent at intervals and needs constant
watching. In his paroxysms he will
break up and destroy the furniture Of
Whatever room hs may te in, and it has
become necessary to send him to the
asylum, where he will be properly cared
for"
The romantic interest which attached
to the history of this poor fellow who
had become crased through that love
for a woman which is, after all, the
mainspring in every mans action in all
the walks Of life, fingered in my memo
ry, and the next morning, upon taking
the train, ] saw the sheriff enter the
express car, having in his care bag
gard- Shocking man, whose wearied ex-
orcesion Of countenance and sad half
vacant look awoke sympathetic chord
|in my breast. knew that saw before
me the man Of whom we had been talk
ing the night before. Being pretty well
known on the road, and having slight
acquaintance with the sheriff, l took an
early opportunity of entering the car
where the insane man was, and calling the
officer aside, asked the privilege Of TAX.
| ing o seat beside the man for tame.
The official made some halfjocular
remark about "these reporters being
ready to interview anybody for an item,' "
and gave his willing consent. fE,E -
As | pat down the man looked at me
for a moment with queer look, and
his eye Frightening up and sad smile
stealing over his face as he caught sight
of my reporters badge, he said: care
YOU looking for something to put in
yo,ar paper?" Then without waiting
for a reply he said, (" 1 could tell you q
strange story" But, he added, with a
sigh, "You wouldn't believe it, and it
wouldn't do him or her any good"
told him Of my entire willingness
to listen to him, and suppose showed
an unusual degree Of curiosity or interest
for he continued:
"Do not think that am not fully
aware of why am here, and where
am going know both, and am entirely
satisfied, and as the doctors and the
Judges have agreed that l am insane,
am willing that they should think so
| They don't punish insane men for muir
der; do they?" and he turned his eyes
full upon me with look that made me
quail. .,. :.
told him, certainly not, and tried u
! tun the current of his thoughts, but in
vain. The thought of murder was up
permost in his mind, and would moi
down. At last l thougt it better TO lei
him talk as he would, expecting some
fapciful theory. Imagine then my sur
prise when he suddenly asked me, Dt
you remember the murder of Billy the
tcabman?" ..
Of course, answered in the afiirma,
tive. When he continued: "Yes, al
/ your fine policemen and your smart re
pcrters never found out who did 1t.
Then seizing me by the arm with a wise
like grip, he hissed in my ear: :" die
:, it." es..lE
1 began to be alarmed, but thinking
it wiser to let him go on than 10 checl
him, sat still, more like one in dream
than wide awake and listening, while