The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-15
James TayIor's Wauderings.

James TayIOr's Wauderings.
HOW THE DELRRIOus MAN sTRAYED TO
P0UGHKEKPsIE--A REP0RTERs CARE OF
HIN.
PoUGHKEEPsIE, July 12.-The case Of
James Truman Taylor, OF New ork, who
was crazed by fever and found wandering
about the grounds OF the HuCson.River
State Hospital, is another illustration Of the
fact that mysterious disappearances are
easy. The story Of his escape from his
bone in New York city is iulI of interest.
Some OF 1t is gathered from the lips OF
members OF bis family, and the re-
mslnder is told by himself in his
rational moments. On Thursday last he was
at his home IN Fiity-fourth street, with mind
much d.ordered and i'll with strong symp.
toms OF typhod-fever. He clamored to see
his father, who is proprietor Of Taylor's
Brewery, Albany, and his wife telegrapbed
TO the fsther TO come TO New York. On
FRIDAY Mr.. Taylor started from Albany,
and on the same day about noon the delri-
Gus son watched his opportunity and escaped
from his home. He visited the Windsor
Hotel, and after that went to the Grand
Central DEPOT. He approached the ticket
office, aud said to the ticket agent. " Tick
ct, il YOU please" The AGENT answered.
"Where TOP" not noticing anything wrong.
Mr.. Taylor exhibited $40 TO the agent,
and repIed, 81 want TO 90 as far as that
viii. carry me-" Said the agent: "Thc train
that is going now goes no further than
Poughkeepsie." "All right; give Inc q
ticket to Poughkeepsie."
The ticket was purchased. and the de-
ranged man, who is about thirty.seven years
OF age, and very geutlemany In appearance,
passed through the door TO the train the
same as anv other passenger, and took seat
in car, and never left it until the train
reached this place, when he got out. He
went to the bar Of the railroad restaurant.
purchased bottle Of claret, drank half OF
il, and told the bartender 10 put the
remainder away on ice until lie should
call for it. Taylor then left The depot,
walked up north Water street some
distance, and retraced his steps to
Main street. and then passed east to
| Glover, and then went direct 10 the grounus
OF the Hudson-River State Hospital. tie
wandered about there some time, nntil the
attention OF the physicians was called to him,
and they chatted with him and soon iounc
that he was laboring under great mPntai I -
order. They asked him In to stay Temporal
rily. hut he would not 90 in. They then
placed him in Il wagon and brought nm 10
nolice headunarters at II O'Clock a night.
4 new ana inexperienced officer was on
duty and refused to take charge OF the man
unless n complaint was made against him.
A reporter OF the Poughkeepsie Eagle,
seeing that the man was evidently well-to-
do. that he was retired and educated, con-
| cluJed he must have some friends some
where, who might even then be laboring
under great anxiety In regard TO him, and
protested against allowing him to go at
large. The police, however, refused to take
charge of him unless a complaint was made.
The reporter charged the man with disor-
derly conduct, but even then no notice was
taken, and the stranger was allowed TO go.
| A baIf-hour later the reporter concluded 10
find him and care for him on bis own re-
sponsibility. He followed him to the
river, and found him sitting on a
bench, and opened a conversation with
him, and the man entered into 1t pleasant
lv, and seemed 10 be very tractable.
Pointing to signal-lantern hanging on
the end OF the pier, he said. "rhats my
signal for the Mary Powell TO stop Tor
me; doesn't it burn brightly ," The re-
porter answered in the affirmative, but told
| him the Mary Powell would not get along
until morning, and asked him II he would
not 90 10 hotel, and he replied IN the
affirmative. A carriage was ordered, and
| he was taken to the Nelson House and as
signed room at | o'clock in the morn
| ing. At 6 the reporter visited him in his
room. and, procuring list OF what cloth
inc he needed, went out and made the
necessary purchases, and also summoned
DR.. j. G.. Payne to his bedside. The Doc
tor found that the patient had high ie-
yer, but prescribed no medicine for the
time being, not deeming 1t necessary. a
shave and shampoo followed clean cloth
ing, and then Mr.. Taylor ate light break
fast and took Il short ride.
Mr.. Taylor's friends had been tclegrsphed
to, and their arrival was expected hourly.
While waiting for them, Mr.. Taylor, Ill
conversation, revealed his true condition.
He was. without doubt. delirious with
fever, and his mind was in great disorder
at times. He said, before be wss found the
evening before, he sat in the bushes by the
railroad track, listening to the music OF the
frogs and watching the locomotives shoot
by with bright headlights. He said 1t re-
minded him OF the garden OF the Grand
Union at Saratoga, where he was "fore-
closing mortgages on the white marble
building down at the iron pier" He was
no, he was too happy for that. He drank
eopious draughts OF lemonade, and smoked
dozens of cigars. At times he would talk
# bis incarceration in the Bloomingdale
Asylum in 1875. Then he spoke OF inter-
views with General Robert L. Lee, before
the war, and at the end OF every assertion
OF any kind, would say: That's my
theory; hold the fort, sure" He quoted
Shakespeare, sang Moody and Sankey
hymns, and laughed immoderately. His
father arrived ut z. NJ. Saturday, when he
became wild and left him, declaring
be had coiue to take him TO an asylum. The
reporter 70 ouowed him closely TO the depot,
and took charge OF him until the next train
started for N,.w York, when he suddenly
became recon, lied to his father and sat In
the same car with him until the train
reached the Grand Central DEPOT, where his
wife met him, AMI he went quietly home
with her.