The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-29
SANE OR INSANE2
The Curious HalluclnatiOn Of William
L. Palmer.
POISON IN EVERYTHING.
His Relation OF the Shooting Of
Officer Furniss.

Among the cases of crime on the records of the
city there is. perhaps. none more interesting than
that Of William L. Palmer. who is now in confinement
for the killing of Police Officer John II. Furnss at
the metropolitan Hotel the 28th of December last.
During the scufe between him and the police officers
Mr.. Palmer received q wound in the hand which
made 1t necessary to transfer him from the City
Prison to Bellevue Hospital At the latter institution
he is confined in the male ward of the insane cells.
and is never ont of the sight OF police
officer. four of whom have in addition to the resu
lar hospital attendants. been detailed to watch him.
The stories told of his mania and the untirng watch
he keeps upon his food and those about his person.
exceedingly amusing. His constant fear is that
some is going to poison him. Nothing can
make him believe anything else. Consequently. he
will eat no food but what he has pur
chased himself and keeps under his eye
in his cell. When he first entered the
hospital absolutely declined to eat any food given
him by the attendants, but said if the authorities
would permit him to go out with an officer he would
purchase what food he needed. This permission
given him after no had starved himself for time
and accordingly he entered carriage and drove to
number of places. buying portion of his stock of
edibles EACH He is literally supplied with money
by his friends and is exceedingly generous with 1t.
GENEROSITY OTHER PATIENTS.
The hospital attendants relate many incidents Of
his kindness to patients who too to buy the
little luxuries they would like and which not in
cuded in the bill of fare at Bellevue. At time he
drove down to the river and purchased lot of
oranges direct from the vessel at the dock.
These he distributed freely about the hospi-
tai and ate rather freely OF them himself,
much to the surprise of the attendants.
He explained this himself. however. on the ground
that, as he had just purchased the oranges from
that
had been put into them. Eggs he will eat. because
he easily tell whether the shell is cracked
pered with in any way. Should the outside not be
perfectly smooth the egg is rejected Lately.
however. he has conceived the idea that it
was possible to give poison to the chickens,
particularly careful Of and amusing story is told
OF the efforts OF orderly to get him to take drink
occasion. He had expressed desire for
drink Of water and it was brought fresh into the
cell. The following dialogue ensued:-
ATrEspAST-Here is your water. Mr.. Palmer:
PALMER Blowing politely)-Thank you won't you
ATrENDANr--No sir. thank you. am not. Thirsty.
PALMER-Ah! but insist, my dear sir, that you
drink first.
Tho water was not touched by Palmer until fully
half Of it had been drunk by the attendant
PALMER'S APPEARANCE.
Mr.. Palmer is young man Of prepossessing ap-
pearance He has black hair. closely cropped and
and good features. His face possesses in an eminent
degree appearance of refinement and education.
humor. THERE'S absolutely nothing about his appear
to denote the presence of mania, and his
he 81 saS n %
large cells of the insane wards. 1t is room about
fifteen feet by ten and nothing but the grated win
dows indicate that 1t is anything but ordinary
The bed. which is small iron one, rests on
the right hand side of the you enter. There
are two windows, shelves q table and two or three
chairs.
When the writer entered Mr.. palmers cell he was
lying in bed. having yet recovered from the
d wound
Furnss. He was pale and evidently weak, but po-
hana AZ the same time sreens him WITH smile Hs
to his personal affairs. but after while the
freely. In the two hours conversation which followed
Mr.. Palmer uniformly courteous. calm and
OF words far above the average. There nothing
whatever about his manner speech that went to
% ana a s
would be poisoned or immured in On insane asylum.
He referred first to his being put in the insane ward
OF Bellevue, and he spoke very indignantly Of the
mater. He did not know why they should
put him there among the most awful cases in the
and hear rawlings and mutterngs all around you.
''Once in awhile they die" he continued, land that,
poor gets unruly. and God knows why they
shouldn't in such place and 1t is necessary to put
You think it isy he continued; turning to
the inv writer r, ns and ,o.ns smiling Ing How would
here the other night had the dclirium tremens and
the way he howled was awful They say / am crazy.
and If l not, it is very likely to help it on.
Laughing heartily Do you suppose for
institution had that he thought little crazy,
they think am. he would allow him TO be placed
THE SHOOTING OF FURSIss.
But then, Mr.. Palmer, you are under arrest you
know"
Yes he continued. his face saddening as he pro-
cceded, "that unfortunate affair. was sorry
to shoot that man, but not to blame under the
circumstances. I'll tell you all about It, had been
stopping at the Metropolitan Hotel for several days.
and on that morning went into the lales' parlor
and sat down. While was there number of ladies
and children passed in and out, but did not take
much notice of any of Thorn. After awhile. Mr..
Clair. the proprietor. came up accompanied by de-
tective The latter asked the number OF my rooni
and after had told him Mr.. Clair turned TO him
aud said This gentleman has been guest of the
they both turned and left me. sat there and read
the papers for "a short time and then went to my
clamber maid in and ntmated that she wanted
possession of the to arrange it. told her
that would go down shortly, Before was quite
ready to 20 some one knocked at the door and I
asked, who is therey The reply
'.Some who wants to talk to your
I can hear distinctly
''I want to come in the rcply Il arm an
officer and want to come In
'Yon have no right in my ROOM. answered; 4
have paid for IL and 1t is NINE. Then he said that II
did not open the door they would break il down
who came in would get shot. That seemed to settle
It. for they went away. After awhile 1 won't
out to 20 down stairs. and had not gone
fur before saw four coming toward me.
sprang back against the wall and drew my pistol
they drew theirs. One of them Furnss, think IL
was sprang forward and caught me about the body.
pushed him away with the left hand because did
not want to shoot. had pushed him some little
distance when his pistol went of and the ball went
through my hand then fired, and ~ he did not lot
CO. repeated my shot. He fell back on tho Hour
and said. i am shot; II am dying The others ran
like sheep and walked down stairs. On the way
met colorcd waiter and asked where Mr.. Clair was
lie did not know aud so passed on down. through
the office to the Broadway entrance After going
out asked boy tho way to the station
house. and being directed went there
To the sergeant behind the desk l told the
Facts. and asked that be sent to arrest tho
ncn. had No idea they were police officers. They
had no uniforms on. and knew no cause for any
one to arrest me- sat III the back room for some
time before the men who had assaulted me arrived
told them they were towards. and asked tho SER