Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-12-13
CHARGED WITH ELEC.
TRIGITY.
Strange HaIlucinatiOn of
James e.. Parker.

At about ten o'clock last Wednesday
night, Mr.. James G. Parker of Mercer twp.
rode up to tine Sheriff's residence in this town,
htched his horse, and going in, announced
that he had come to give himself up. Though
the night was cold he was thinly clad, and was
apparently greatly excited. In reply to u
| question from the Sheriff he said that they
! were after him. that Reed the Harfisville con
| stable lhGdsa warrant for I'm, but that he hal
| given them all the slip and had come to give
| himself up. Seeing that the man was not in
| his ri xht mind, but having no authority to con-
| fine him. the Sheriff sent him to the Donaldson
! House. Here he sat by the fire, soon became
drowsy and was put to bed. During Thursday
| he acted strangely, but was not boisterous.
| The only thing the hotel people noticed in par
| ticular was the immense amount OF water he
| drank. Mr.. Donaldson says that he went to
| the water cooler about every five minutes, and
each time drank glass full. That night ne
slept well, and next day, Friday, acted ration
ally up till about nine o'clock in the evening,
when he suddenly beanie possessed with the
idea that somebody was charging him with elec-
tricity-had a machine attached to him and
was working the handle, thereby charging him
with electricity and destroying him both men,
tally and physically. He would call upon the
imaginary person to desist and threaten to get
square with him-always, while talking, look
ing up at the ceiling of the room. The hotel
people now attempted to put him to bed, and
took him to a room, where he sat down and
pulled off his boots, and then made the aston
ishing discovery that the bed was charged
with electricity, that thousands of wires were
attached to it and that if he laid down in it,
his secrets would be telegraphed TO all his enc
mics. lie pulled his boots off and on several
times and finally started down stairs, broke for
the door and started off in the dark. About
midnight he came back, got warmed and then
decided 10 go out again, saying that the doc
tors had advised him to walk and run, but not
Al 10
companed by two young men with lantern |
as far as the Pittsburgh bridge, where he start |
ed off on a run and they went back. He |
came back TO the hotel about o'clock, walked |
the people up and announced that he must |
have something to eat. Mr.. Donaldson got |
him something and he ate ravenously-eating |
a whole loaf of breal, after which he laid |
down on some chairs in the Office and went to
sleep. The next morning he did not eat his
breakfast till about ten o'clock, when the hotel
people were again astonished at his slowing
away capacity. He then washed and combed
himself, repeating each operation four times,
and then remarking that he was going up to
see the Sheriff, disappeared, and up to this
writing, Monday morning, has not been heard
from. He left his horse standing in the hotel
stable, and it is supposed that he started for his
home on foot. Mr.. Parker is constable of
Mercer township, and was here on Monday |
of last week to make his return. He is about
45 years of age, is bachelor and keeps bach
elor's hall in little hut on his farm about
a half mile east of Harrisvlle. He is not
drinking man, and it is said that his habits
are good.
Since the above was put in type, Mr.. Parker
has been captured, put in Jail and on petition Of
the Sheriff, committed BY the Cour, to Digmont.
He went home after leaving Butler and was
seen in the woods near his house. Some men
who saw him in the woo1r Sunday evening and
who were afraid that he would freeze to death
tried to capture him but he broke off a sapling
and drove them away. He then went to his
houee, tore open q feather he'd apd GOT inside of
it. Next morning he went to Mr. Wilcox's
house, near by, where he was captured.
NY r Horric Wriphfoui11a Do |