St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-03-11
Frightened Into Hopeless Lunacy.

A most remarkable case of insanity result
ing from practical joke has just come to
light in this city. but as yet little or no pub
licity has been given the matter. Living
about two miles from town is a family by the
name of Waters. They are wel-to-do, plain
| country people, who enjoy the respect of all
their neighbors, and have large circle Of
friends and relations. The family consists of
Mr.. and Mrs. Waters, now well advanced in
years; two Incorporating and sensible daugh-
tiers, both grown, and one son named Henry,
who is handsome, manly young fellow Of
twentythree whose pleasant face has made
him many friends.
Henry had been brought up on the farm,
and his experience beyond the limits of his
home and the neighboring towns has been re-
Stricted to single visit to Cleveland at the
time of the Garfield funeral obsequies. He
was much given to reading light literature of
the blOOd-and- thunder kind, and his associates
say he was very superstltlous, and had at va
rious times expressed himself as believing in
| spirits and their visionei terrors. In fact,
these strange fantasies had SO worked upon
his simple nature that he always slept with a
| large, old-fashioned Colts revolver at the
| head of his bed, where he could place his hand
| upon it in an instant.
| Knowing his weakness, some of the neigh
borhood boys planned, in the best of humoE a
| scheme to brighten him with make-belfeve
| ghost at midnight's evil hour. A night was
| SET lOf tne perpetrablon Oh the joke, and DUR
| ing that afternoon one of the young men care
| fully drew all the bullets from Henry's pistol,
| leaving the powder in each cartridge unds-
| turbed, and placed the weapon back in its ac-
customed place. Henry retired as usual at
half past eight, ana about midnight, just rs the
moon was throwing dim ray of light across
the floor, one of the boys, clad in ghostly at
tire, steathily entered the room and stood
with outstretched arms, slowly muttering I'M
| ineligible sentences.
With an awakening tremor Henry convulsive-
| ly grasped his revolver and sat upright in bed,
dumb through fear The ghost advanced a
STEP the mutterings continued, till Henry,
wrought up to almost a frenzy, drew to an
aim the weapon he supposed was charged
with death, and stammered: "If you are a.
man | shall kill you; if you are ghost this
won't hurt you;' and with that the loud re-
port OF his pistol startled the nights still
ness. There was a quick motion OF the
shrouded arm, and the bullet was thrown
| back, striking the head board at Henry's
| side. This sent cold chill through his frame,
| but second time he took deliberate aim at
the figure and fired. Again a motion as if
catching the bullet, and it was thrown back
upon the bed.
Almost paralyzed with fear, Henry fred a
| third, fourth and fifth shot, only to have the
bullets hurled back with noiseless motion
| from the ghostly figure. Then for brief mo-
| ment he sat as if transtxed, gazing with
mute bewilderment, when. with a wild shrek
of terror, he fired the last blank cartridge and
hurled the pistol at the ghost.
With merry laugh, the ghostly visitor
threw off his flowing garments, and through
the door came those who had gathered with
out toloin in the sport, when to their horror,
they saw depicted on the face Of Henry an eX-
preston which told the sad story that their
| joke had, alas been too well PLAYED. His
mind could not stand the strain. HeHa
raving maniac.
The saddest part of the story is that, al
| though several weeks have elapsed since
young Waters was frightened he has not
showed the least signs Of returning sanity;
! and, while not violent, is constantly shrlekIng
| out and pointing to imaginary ghosts. 1t Is
| sad story and frightful warning to practical
| jokers.- Youngstoon (O.) Special (Feb 81 to
| Cincinnati Enquirer.