Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-02-17
AN INSANE GIANT.
Breaks His Shackles and Sets Fire to HIS
Cell.

Breaks His shaek':: and Sets Fire to His
Dennis Fenton, . man 80 years Of age,
about six feet three inches in height,
weighing 2S5 pounds and hailing from the
vicinity of Winchester, Va, was given the
contract for grading the Baltimore and
Cumberland Valley railroad, at Grind
stone Hill, Franklin county. He and his
wife removed there last fall. Being rather
unsuccessful in business he recently be-
came partially insane and threatened to
kill his neighbors, a family named
Shank. Becoming alarmed Mr.. Shank
made complaint against him and Officers
Bitner and Kyle, Of Chambersburg. We're
detailed to arrest him. They found Fen
ton experimenting his work. and arrested
| him. Fenton told them he thought they
had better strap him, and the officers
seemed to be Of the same opinion. The
straps were put on his arms and legs but
| with Z few exertions he rent them asun-
| der and seizing Bitner gave him pretty
good shaking. He then told the officers 20
drive into town and he would follow them
on horseback. Finding that it was utterly
| Impossible to make the arrest Bitncr and
Kyle drove home.
Fenton followed them and was soon
| seen riding through Chambersburg with 4
club in his hand. He dismounted at the
squire's office, and on entering said he in
| tended to use the club over the policemen 5
heads, had lie caught up with them. Sher
III Skinner being sent for, induced Fenton
to go to the Jail with him and stay
all night, by promising to have him bailcd
out in the morning. BY ruse he was got
into cell and the door quickly locked.
About II o'clock ut night the turnkcys
heard Fenton call something like fire :.
They ran to his cell and found it in 4
blaze, he having taken his bed and clothes
and wrapped them around the stove. They
knew it would be very dangerous to un-
| lock the door as the man was then raving
mad and had knocked one Of the turnke Us
over while lie was looking in the door.
An alarm OF fire was given and the ia
nior hose was taken up and the general
alarm given to which the department
promptly responded. The Juniors
attached to plug and ran their hose up
t. the cell door and directed their stream
through the grub holc' of the nainan's S
cell. Quick us thought Fcnton tore a
piece of board from the floor and placed it
against the hole, thus cutting off the
stream. The maniac dcnuded himself
and hurled coal through the door at any
one who would look in upon him,
striking OHc man OIL the head
and cutting IN ugly cash. The chief
marshal ordered the Vigilant hook and
t ladder company to raise their ladders
against the cell windows, which faces into
the rear yard, SO that the Friendship COM
pany could direct a stream into his cell
from that position. The two streams were
more than the inmate Of the small apart
ment could stand and he gave up and the
| fire was extinguished.
The cell floor was completely deluged
with water and was full of smoke and
steam from the stove, and how Fenton
able question. The sheriff not wish
ing to allow him to remain in these guar
! tcrs. the question of I'LL questions then
arose how should he be transferred to
another cell? Many were the plans pro
posed and many. were the brave hearts
who volunteered to floor him." in case
he should commit an assault upon any
one, but when the words ''here
/ he comes" were announced there
was general stampede and all present
seemed anxious to get breath of fresh
air about that time. At last the poor un-
| fortunate man said if they would send for
! the priest lie would come forth. Father
! Fleming soon arrived, and after talking
with the prisoner, who by this time had
| become perfectly calm, for about an hour,
| he requested the crowd to retire. Fcnton
/ was entirely nude and when the priest had
cai:ned him sufficiently the sheriff procur-
cd Il blanket which was placed around the
, mans shoulders and he came out. walked
down stairs and went into another cell
without any trouble.
lie was reasonably calm durin. the
| night, the only mischief done by him being
the tearing Of his clothes and pulling the
transom from above the door. While in
the first cell he had torn the water pipe
from the wall, evidently intending to use
it over the heads of any one that dared to
enter
BY noon Oh Saturday Fsnton had inn
proved considerably, and as his wife de-
sired to take him home to Virginia, it.
was thought best to comply with her re-
quest and he was released under 800
bail to keep peace in Franklin county
They left on tht 2:30 train for Martins
burg.
a man, who has known FentOn since he
was 4 boy, says that about four years ago
he had 4 contract in Baltimore to build Il
reservoir and lost considerably, from
which he suffered temporary alteration
and was confined in a hospital for two
weeks.