The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-02-02
A MODERN sAMpsor.-The Cle.rfseia

A MODERN SAMPsor.--The ClesrHeld
Journal of last week furnishes the following
account Of several remarkable feats of
strength performed by an insane inmate of
the county prison over there. The Journal
says:
Douglas. Ho is abnut FIVE feet nine inches in
hight, and will weigh prsbabiy l70 pounds: is a
hneiy built and rat her gpCd iopking fellow. He
is the same man who, three years ago his win
ter, was accidentally shot in the head while deer
hunting. in Morris township. the balI having
! entered just back o: the eyes a fun account of
which we published at the time. He miracu-
lously escaped death by the ball. but in conse-
duence oil the wound is nov sad. sad object
to contemplate, for at times he is transformed
into veritable demon-a perfect Sampson in
strength.
He has shown symptoms OF insanity ever
etcsed by his father, and Whenever he would
begin to complain of his head hurting him he
was sent off To town, OF elsewhere. on
rand-anything to draw his attention from his
head-and in this way the worst was avoided.
: TO sail for petty offence. and being thus left
alone To brood over his troubles, his reason
unsetticd and he sent ..ne State Insane
Asylum After remaining there short time
but far was he from being Cured, for ,igain the
terrible disease rackeh his brain, and few
to Jail for confinement, and there he still re-
mains, sh object OF fear and ply.
beIler, but the County ocers Viii conrm so"q our
| statements AT first he was not confined in II
| which surrounds the balcony leading to the
| upper tier OF cells, aud tore 1t to pieces. The
threi-fourths of AN inch IN thickness and every
here aud there was rvete0 to iron posts. He
splinter of wood aud wbtind the heavy bar
about his artns aa he would bed cord. He
but right before the ewes of his jaiIors ne gave
the cuffs couple of turns and snapped the
airy man would piece of wrapping yarn
Finding il useless to attemptt TO fasten him. he
niture save a 5cd-tick filled with straw. This
he soon tore to shrecS, and next turned his at
tention to his boots, which he picked to pieces,
even the h, els being taken apart Iift by lift.
He Just demolished one cell, with his max ed
he It
yield TO his finger nails he would strike a terri
hle Ts blow with his fst, then resume m his picking
been sand-papered. He then turned his atten-
ton to the brick wa wall twenty-2ne one inches thick
was not long in making hole through il al
most large enough IT, admit his body before be
was interrupted With some of the bricks he
knocked the cell window out and the remainder
he broke up and piled in the center of bis cs II
using tn IN to shy at any living object. He
was finally removed to another cell aid is now
pdt sting the same systematic course in its de
struttion as he did with the first one.
Besides being sampson in strength, ne is as
agile as a cat. and cuts some strange antics
He has been seen to sit in the end of hi
CELL with his hack toward the door. apparently
; absorbed in thought and tnen suddenly tt
throw u back somersault from his sitting post
ure alighting on his feet close to the door. II,
at another time hung his hat upon a nail
which had been driven into the wall as higt
up as he could reach for that pur pose, an,
, stepping back, jumpcd and kicked the ha
with both feet, sending it up to the ceiling
he alighting once more on his feet after ha ling
turned back SOmersault in the air.
AT times he will stand pressing his forehead
| with his fingers MS though in terrible pain ant
then suddenly dart the length of the cell AM
: butt his Head against the wall with terrb.e
force. from the effects of which he drops To- tn
| | floor ms if dead.
| Thus he goes on from day to day, and tha
: | he has not killed himself this is indeed
| matter of wonder. If an operation were per
: ! formed and the fractured hone removed o
lifted so as to relieve the pressure on his brain
! 1t is likely he would recover his reason. Some
thing should be done. Ii the county mus
: | keep him il should also see that some effort
made to relieve him. If our own physician
/. can do hing he should either be shnt {
where such cases are speciality. or else physi
! clans should tie brought here. Under prcsen
), | circumstances he cannot be treated as hu
o man being should be, for everything mpvabl
, that comes within his reach is mashed {
= atoms. We hope to hear of some move in th
| matter.