The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-05-27

y LID oNLl1lAlAod vi OAO
was: "You see, he must ha' done it.
There wasn't anybody else. An if 1
didn't see the punch, 1 heard it plain
enough"
There was n other person present, a
lounger, who was knocking the balls
about at the billiard table, and he cor
roborated the views of the barkeeper.
Mr.. Surden then made q complaint of
assault and battery against Nj. Armitage;
the suit was brought in a Justices Court
at Yorkville, and on the evidence of the
two witnesses the defendant was prompt
ly fined and reprimanded. With this
official recognition of the nature of the
occurrence MI. Surden presented himself
before DR.. Morse. The interview was
an angry one. The Doctor assured his
patient that Mr.. Armitage had been I'M
Justly accused, and that the action of n
Police Justice could not be held to de-
termine the nature of sucha phenomena.
Mr.. Surden asserted his intention to
promptly prosecute every fresh assault.
The peculiar nature of the case, as now
developed, induced the Doctor to enter
upon an investigation of the recent cir
cumstances. His inquiries at Murcots
were, however, unsatisfactory. The bar
keeper saw no mystery about the affair.
A man had been struck while at the bar
and knocked over, and there was only
one person to do it" unless" said he,
"you think it was me that fetched him
the sockdologer from this side of the
counter that took the wind out of him."
Mr.. Armitage appeared to be COM
pletely bewildered by the affair. He
vehemently asserted that he had none
but the kndliest feelings for Mr.. Surden
up to the time of the prosecution /; that
he never struck a man in his life and
that when Mr.. Surden fell they were
laughing in the most amieable manner
and tipping their glasses.
DR.. Morse soon after transmitted to
the faculty of the College of Medicine an
"account of q case of hysteria accom-
panied with local inflammation" which
described Mr.. Surden's case exactly and
drew the attention to him of several
practitioners who had made nervous
complaints a specially. The man, how
ever, was not disposed to submit further
to medical examination or treatment. He
became careless in his habits and some
what dissipated, drinking freely and
keeping late hours.
The next incident in the chain comes
to us through an entirely new channel.
On the night of September IS Policeman
1852, while passing the house No. West
, Washington place, heard screams and
, cries of "Help," and ran up the steps
: to try the door. 1t was not fastened, and
!, he made his way into the hallway and
: and thence into a back parlor used as
a family room by the persons who
worked at fower-making in the front
. He found q man with a swollen face ant
d~isordered attire, in a great state of ex
citement, leaning against the sliding
doors, and a woman very much brighten
. ed crouching in the opposite corner. HI
T could make nothing of it. The mai
: accused the m of knocking hin
= down and trying to kill him, and tn
! woman asserted vehemently that he wa
! crazy /; that she had not struck him
!; Surprising the man to be suffering iron
= delirium tremens, the officer, as q matte
= of prudence, took him to the station
house. When he was arraigned til
woman promptly appeared, and neithe
the Judge nor the officers could max
:, anything out of the case. The man sal
the oma had struck him, but he wa
unable to show any reasonable motiv
for the act, and did not hesitate to sa
that he believed she regarded him wit
affection. The woman said confidentl
that he had fallen over in a fit and struc
his head, though she could not see no,
y he did it. The case was then dismissed
% DR.. Morse, hearing of this, induce
- MIR ST1r1an fn aOrnn fn hic hO11ca m
= undergo q course of treatment. His oil
ject was to keep him under close scrI
tiny. He went to live with DR.. Mors
!. as q patient on the Odd. Nothing fu
: ther occurred of special interest until I'll
2Sth. The patient was visited by a nun
,S Der of scientific men, who all concurre
Z that it was a case of convulsive hyster
= with monomaniacal symptoms. On Il
: 2Sth the O'Grady came to the house, an
|, in the presence of DR.. Morse and Il
= well-known psychologist, DIR. Eberhal
o Forsythe, made a statement which flu
nished her antecedents as already hintt
of.
The same evening, while in D
. Morse's study, Mr.. Surden was knockt
off the office chair, his head severe
h punched and both his eyes blackene,
70 DR.. Morse vas present. As usual IL
victim cried "Murderi" several tim,
y during the operation. He then got u
= very much d~isarranged, and appealed
y the witness if that was ga fit" D
+ Morse, after much hesitation, pronounce
it ga most remarkable paroxysm." !
this Mr.. Surden lost his temper, and a
cused the Doctor of striking him.
- singular alteration followed, which tie
;S minated by Surden's leaving the houi
in a passion, threatening to get a warral
out for DR.. Morse.
At The next day Mr.. Surden was visite
|" by DR.. Eberhard Forsythe at the Unic
10 Place Hotel. He succeeded in gaini1
rs the sympathy of the patient at once
;s telling him that he had no faith in D
n Morse's theory whatever. He made
70 patient examination of the mans faI
If and neck, questioned him closely al
" searchingly concerning the previous 8
~ tacks, and told him that he thought
is could solve the whole mystery, and til
he, Mr.. Surden, could, if he chose, NAL
n the matter of immense pecuniary bene
,e to himself and of incslculable advantaI
10 to his fellow creatures. 81 will undo
Of take" said he, "to demonstrate the e
nd act facts of the case to you. I belle
you to be prosecuted by a malign pow
in that is super. mundane, but which '
lis can use, if we wish, to u mutual q
vantage. Let me call your attention
the peculiarities of the attacks. TIL
MT have always followed your intervie
No. with the O'Grady. That, 1 believe,
n indisputable. They have all been
sr one charucter-in the nature of q biz
or blows delivered by a strong man, a
on several occasions when there was
at person present. One other fact. I
marks upon your neck and face are
actly those that would be made by t
he knuckles of a closed fist. To this mi
ar. be added the evidence of your sens
er- which are altogether unimpaired, as
are the contact, the propulsion and the n
ID. mentum of the blow, which evide1
ne. corresponds with the physical record,
he though there is a square indentation a
abrasion on your cheek which is as ,
unayn1ained so mich for the Dhysi