New-York tribune., 1872-08-31

Quoted him 20 q large room at the extreme Westorn
end of the building aud assigned HIN one
of the four beds which the apartment con 'ained'
Removing his Shoes he laid down and tossed around
until the bell rang for tea. During the intervai
several of the patients had entered and surveyed
the new conner. The attendant came TO the door ana
conducted h.n to the dnng-room on the lower noor'
Imagine his chagrin. not having had square
meal" since the breakfast at the Grand central
Hotel, at about ESQ of the preceding day, when
he sot down TO a cup of tea and a small roll, to be
eaten without butter. The interior OF the sugar
bowl was crawling with ants. Although there was
AN abundance of cut bread the absence of butter
made il undesirable. Almost as hungry as when he
sat down. he left the supperroOm, and, returning to
his bed. fell into sound sleep, from which he was
awakened about o'clock at night He was then told
that he had been assigned in the other build
ing and that an attendant was ready to show him
TO it, he was conducted to the large iron door at
the rear of the building, where he a tall gaunt
mau. with waxed mustache, addressed as Town
send The door swung back upon its hinges, and he
stepped out into the walk closely followed by this
attendant.
THE EXCITED WARDS.
The brick pavement mentioned above soon brought
patient and attendant to the Lodge" or " Manac's
Building" and the keys of the attendant admitted
DOLD INTO a NesJDue, anOlucT ny duOtllCA ihto
long, narrow hall, down both sides of which were
numerous doorways. This hail. running down
through the center of the building, was dimly
lighted by single gasjet The patient was at once
conducted to the fourth door the left hand side
of the hall and told that his quarters for the night
were within.
The apartment was most unnvting. The cell
was not more than eight feet in width by ten in
length, and absolutely without furniture, save cot
of straw. 1t was only family illuminated by the
dull light from the hall. The bleak walls and the
grating on the window gave to the cherries quarters
the responsiveness of the dreariest of prisons
No means was ever resorted to by those vested
with the power of imprisonment which proved so
efectual in breaking the will, destroying
hope, or inspiring madness, as confinement in
room the walls or ceiling of which are
unbroken by any objects The prison cells Of revo-
lutionary France or Germany under feudal suprem-
acy could not have been better calculated for this
effect than was the "den" to which the reporter
was committed. Not picture, nor even nail from
which at some past time one might have depended,
adorned the walls. The door was devoid of knob,
and the reporter never fully realized be-
fore what an essential accompaniment the
latter was to the former. The win
dow was opposite the door aud directly above
the head of the bed that the night air blew in
the face of the sleeper The floor had been recently
scrubbed, and the patient discovered, when he re-
moved his shoes, that it was still slightly damp.
The Odor of chloride of lime-which had been
mingled with the water-was strong IN the cell as
to make the quarters almost untenable, and to give
the reporter violent headache. The attendant,
Townsend, stood by and listened with perfect in
difference to the appeal for room which did not
smell so frightfully. AS the patient undressed and
laid aside one article of clothing after another the
attendant picked up each piece preparatory TO carry
ing them outside the door and depositing them on
the floor of the hall.
ANOTHER SEARCH SUBMITTED TO.
He stood by until the reporter had removed every
thing, save his drawers and undershirt, and then
bidding him goodnight withdrew TO the hall to
perform another most thorough search. The re-
porter has every to believe that the services
of another were called in, as he heard two voices
Townsend, ON one occasion, opened the door, and,
with the patients shirt in his hand inquired regard
ing the absent spiral setting The reporter is thus
explicit in describing the final searching of his cloth
ing in order to show how utterly at the mercy of the
employees of the institution a person is without
money pencil, or paper. The reporter willingly af-
firms that it would have been next to impossible
even 20 have secreted pencil about his person,
which this search would not have revealed. dose
of medicine was brought by the attendant before
named and, when asked what it was replied that it
was only quinine." The reporter took the medi-
cine into his mouth but Immediately spit it out,
much against the advice of Mr.. Townsend.
NIGHT OF HORROR.
All the other occupants of the Hall had retired
prior to the entrance of the reporter. The heavy
door was shut and locked, leaving him alone in the
cell. The bed was hard and uncomfortable. The
odor of chloride of lime, has been remarked, was
almost sitting Though tired and sleepy, he found
it impossible to reconcile himself to the strange sur
roundings for some time. He had dropped Off into
doze, however, when he was suddenly awakened by
a demoniac veil which chilled and for the moment
thoroughly unnerved and frightened him, 60 unex-
pected and so piercing was the agOnized cry. In
the first few bewldered moments which followed, he
could not avoid the conviction that the scream pro-
ceeded from some one in the same apartment, and
that maniac had by some means gained admission
The light from the stars barely sufficient to
der the window discernible, and the portion
of the cell toward the door was in
shade. After very short interval, however, the
wild unearthly rang out in the night and the
reporter having by this time collected his scattered
senses discovered that it proceeded froma cell of the
basement below him. The maniac could then be
distinctly heard at the grating of his window hiss
ing and groaning.
Having settled these facts to his entire satisfaction
the patient again retired with the desperate resolve
to sleep in spite of the unnatural noises He was
not entirely successful for his rest several times
broken by the most dreadful of all earthly sounds
the scream of a raving maniac, and in each instance
he would awaken to find himself trembling i'll every
nerve.
Such was the quiet retreat to which patient who
had himself expressed desire for absolute rest was
conducted by the order of an expert making a
y. -