Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-07-17
Cunning of a Crazy Mantle Wrong
Man Gagged.

THIS morning I noticed two OF your cit
izens rot off the cars at this place-Abra-
ham ]. Miller and Samuel Berry. Glad to
see ANYBODY from home, l fastened to
give them a cordial greeting, after which
Mr.. Miller took me aside and said he was
taking Berry to the asylum. Imagine
nv astonishment when Berry also took
me aside and informed me in very con-
fidential manner that he was.taking Miller
to the asylum. Perceiving no marked
traces of insanity in either, was perplex-
ed which to believe, or whether to believe
either After turning the subject over in
my mind once or twice, resolved TO stay
with them and see the thing out. We first
went to the hotel, procured some re-
freshments, and while there Berry called
for pen and ink, saying that he wanted TO
write home to his wife. Having prepared
letter, he called porter, and dispatched
him to the Post-office / then supposed, but
as subsequently appeared, he was sent 10
the asylum with letter of which the fol-
lowing is verbatim copy:
THURSDAY. June s. 1873
Superintendent Of Insane Asylum:
DEAR SIR: In about one or two hours from this
time shall bring to your institution Tor treatment
a Young man from Putnam County. His insanity
has peculiar modes OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., ohu uuiAh6
lucid intervals is not perceptible at all. While on
the cars last evening he abstracted from my coat
pocket the papers given me by the authoIlues upon
which to enter him into the asylum, ana now as
serts that he is going to lodge me In the asylum
thought would write you in advance, in order that
you may be able to properly estimate his taik when
we arrive. Yours truly, SAMUEL DERRY
After dinner accompanied the boys to
the Asylum, where we were met by the
polite physician in charge, and conducted
to the reception room. Almost as soon as
we were seated Miller rose to his feet, with
quite as much dignity as any Envoy Elk
traordinary ever presented credentials TO
the court OF reigning potentate. Draw
ing from his pocket Judge Wrights order
and accompanying papers, he hand
ed them to the Superintendent upon
whose face gathered pleasant but
rather incredulous smile. After plac.
ing them on the desk he glanced
at Berry, who returned it with a
significant wink of the left eye. That
silent but expressive language soon "set-
tied the hash" of poor Ably" who was
soon conducted to the apartment for new
patients. In vain did he attempt to ex-
postulate and explain. The doctors only
answer was that he understood his case,
and advised him to remain quict-that
excitement was injurious, and would only
delay his recovery.
Having attended to our business, Berry
and / started for the depot On the
way down he explained to me the
facts of the case, and said he would
have big thing on the Brewster boys
when he returned. Deploring the uncom-
Portable position of poor "Aby," and de
string to right matters as far as / could, |
induced Berry to return to the institution
with me under pretence of saying some
thing to "Aby' before leaving. When
we again reached the asylum, l explained
the true state of affairs TO the Superinten-
d ent who seemed to disbelieve all of us.
To extricate himself from the dilemma he
telegraphed to Brewsters, and upon the
receipt of the reply, Immediately ex-
changed the positions of the parties. AS
"Aby" emerged from his gloomy abode
he looked very much like some individual
returning from the funeral of his last
earthly friend. He said the next time
they want to send lunatics to the asylum
they must get Fred Knox to take them.
He also informed me that he would not
have undertaken the job only for the ex-
pectation that he was going to have a
pleasure trip without costing him any
thing Cor. Putnam Go. (N. ~
Io,,9.sny.