The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-05-03
A Fatal jump,

Patrick Collins was not II drinking man, and
why on Monday and Tuesday he should be la
boring under a temporary tit of insanity is past
accounting for; and yet he was insane, though |
no one seriously suspected it perhaps. For
good many years he had been working for David
Strawn or his widow doing his work faithfully
and so we'll that he gained their highest
confidence and was paid S25 per month when 9TH
or men on the place got SIG to SIS Some time
ago he purchased horse and sold it to Samuel
Hughes There was nothing strange about that
except the fact that during the last IS hours
of his life that transaction formed the basis of his
fancies during his demcncy and through his in
sanity caused his death. 1t seems, us he told Mr..
Mat White, of Whites Hotel, that at Mrs.
Strawn's he thought the folks in the house sus
pected he was horse thief He had been taking
pills and quininc for aguc, and when he went TO
bed Monday night he couldn't sleep, and heard
$50 his mad fancy told him) the family concoct
ing plan to mob him between II or o'clock
that night he heard Walter Strawn say nothing
would be done If they killed him and he heard
Walter go after Mike Ryan, ncighbor, to assist
in the Job. When Walter had been gone some
time, rs he tancicd he got up and left the house,
sleepinr under tree between Strawn's and John
Bragg's. In the morning he appeared at Braggs
about half after four, when his brother Michael
saw him and asked the cause OF his being out so
early. Patrick told him the same story, and Mike
told him he must be out of his head, and wanted
him to 20 back after breakfast to Strawns, but he
would not agree to it. However, after breakfast
they met Walter, and after some explanations,
which did not, however, assure Patrick OF his
safety at Strawn's, there he consented 10 go to
and settle up. All three thereafter came to town,
where with his brother he acted scnsibly enough
ana made an engagement with Mike to meet him
on Sunday if he stayed here or to learn of White
Z where he was in case he left town. About II
o'clock in the morning he met Mr.. White relat-
ing to him all the story rs above He then
seemed nervous and excited and trembled. After
White heard his story they went to see Walter
Strawn who poo-poohcd Collins's notions, and
called to his mind several occasions when they
had entrusted him with important commissions.
Walter thought it was all ''put up job to quit
work but Collins said it wasn't-hc was afraid
to STAY After tea he went into the house and
told White he lad heard people on the street call
him a horse thief and threaten to mob him, and
wanted to stay thcrc--hc'd feel safe then He
went to bed about half after nine O'Clock. As he
went into his room he told Thomas White, the
night clerk, not to let any policeman into the
room and locked himself in. All night long, as
Mr. Samuel l.. Cody, who r0omcd under him ana
who was kept awake all night by him, testified,
he alternately cried and sang and called lor
Father Terry" In the morning about 5oclock
Thos. White went up stairs and heard him num-
! bling and talking to himself. About o'clock,
,nd dealers
j. told Thomas Collins was yelling out the window.
Thomas went up stairs again to Colllns's room
lin the third story above the basement) ana
knocking asked to be tnto the room. Not sue
cecding III getting in he got ladder ana look
L ing over the transom saw him sitting ON the WIN
: dow-sl dressed. with his feet outside. The noise
Thomas White made brought l.. ID. ManniX, OF
ID. Hecnan " Co.'s, to the door, and when White
could not get into the room, MannlX climbed
into the room by the transom. Collins was then
out of the window. After r. White first saw him,
he had tied the sheets together and fastening one
end to the bed post and thrown the other end out
of the window to make rope MannlX when
he got into the room, saw him hanging out Oh
the window with one hand on the Sill ana the
other on the improviscd rope, and calling to him
to ''hold on, watt" ran to grab him. just as he
touched the hand on the sill Collins let go his
hold, the hand slipping through ManniN's. AS
both Mcssrs. ManniX and 5. i. Cody, who saw
what followed, testified, he slid rapidly down the
side of the building till his foot struck the sill
below, which half turned him and he fell out
from the building TO the ground (some thirty
feet, striking on the head and shoulder Dr.
+ Hard who was instantly called, found him in
sensible and apparently dead. Under the nfu-
, ence of rcstoratlves, he brcathed about ~ min
utcs and then died. The check bones were sep.
arated, one entering the BRAIN and the right wrist
. sustained coInminuted fracture.
The body was taken back to the room from
whence it came. When acting-coroncr Lock
wood arrived, the body was searched. On itwerc
found box Of Wrights pills, trinkets and 1926
in money In addition to $50 he had left with
; White lie WAS Il single man, his only relative
being his brother Michael; was about 30 years
, old Mr.. White, who had known him Is or 20
, years never saw him under the influence OF Ii
quor nor exhibit any symptoms ofinsanty, though
, at times he had acted disconnected and looked
worn out and dull. He was always hard work
er He was born in Ireland. His brother re-
members nothing Of his father or mother, but
never had heard of insanity In the family. The
body was taken in charge by his brother, and on
, Thursday morning was buried from st. Columbia
i, Catholic Church.
TRUNKS, TRUNKs!-Look at them at VI. Stcfel
& Co.'S.