St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-02-04
Joked to Death.

ton on Sunday night, literally and actu
ally frightened to death. Miller lived
with his wife and step-daueghter in hum
BILE apartments in a tenement back OF
No 903 South Fifth street. He had
worked for several years as a laborer in
the lumber yard of Robert Clark. at
Fifth street and Washington avenue.
Among his fellow-laborers Miller was
noted for his feats of strength and for
his weakness of mind. Last August a
board-yard cur that had installed him.
self on the premises became trouble
some to neighbors, and Mr.. Clark Or
dered him to be killed. Miller's tender
heart caused him to interpose between
the dog and his executioner. He took
the animal in his arms and was rewarded
by a snap which. Acerated his lip. A
physician ~cauterized the wound, and
nothing would have been heard OF it
afterward had not his fellow-workmen
deemed it proper subject to tease their
feeble-minded comrade, of whose
strength they stood in awe. He seemed
TO take little notice of it at first, but
within month the wounded lip broke
out in renewed liberation. This, in
stead of abating the ill-considered jests
of his fellows, seemed rather to aggra-
vate them. When he came to work IN
the morning their salutation was:
"Well, you ain mad yet, and through :ha-
out the day they persisted in keeping the
subject before his mind until he became
prey to the delusion. that hydrophobia
had seized him He had repeatedly told
his, wife that the dread was on him, but
the active phase of the delusion began
only on last Wednesday. VI He COM
planned of an oppression of the chest
which. prevented him. from breathing,
and protested to feel an aversion, which
prevented him from taking anything
liquid. There was entire absence OF any
of the symptoms indicating true hydro
phobia %StSttssh I Ill !
The wound lately healed was not es-
pecially sensitive. although he sat rub
bing it with his finger tips by the hour
and moaning his breads in disjointed
sentences. Excepting 1.-THE - labored
breathing there was no Indication OF
spasmodic action of the vital functions.
DR.. DuyaI, of Fourth and Christian
streets, was called on Thursday. Mill
er's employer had endeavored to make
his mind easy by telling him that he
might lay off for few days, but this did
not diminish his apprehensions.s DIR.
Duval made a close examination, and
concluded that the slabored' breathing
the only disordered function, as far as
he could ascertain-was due simply to
severe cold He, endeayored to quiet
the alarm of the patient and succeeded
SO we'll that he was persuaded to take a
lows Of a a,.Yy,Iacc notion which
was prescribed merely to test the genu-
ineness of the aversion to liquids. Mill
er said that he could swallow anything
the doctor mixed all right, and after en-
deavoring to impress on his mind that
he had no symptoms of hydrophobia the
physician left. When Mrs. Miller few
minutes afterward tried him again with
the potion he threw the bowl and con-
tents at her, narrowly missing doing her
serious injury. His feet were soaked in
hot water, in accordance with medical
advice, and the contact of his skin with
fluids did not produce any sign of aver
sion. He, however, refused to eat or
drink anything, but sat moaning by the
hour, head resting on one hand, while
with the other he necessarily felt the
lip where the dog had bitten. Now and
again he would start up suddenly and
rush to the window or door, complain
inc of a choking sensation. Neighbors
kindly relieved Mrs. Miller in waiting
on him, and endeayored to calm his
nerves and persuade him out of his de-
lusion DR. Duval called again on Fri
day and saw no reason to change his be-
Lief that hydrophobia was not the cause
of the ailment, although he became con-
yineed that the delusion was likely to
progress BRO TO dangerous mania. He SO
advised Mrs Miller and suggested that
she should have help constantly by her.
This her kind-hearted neighbors en-
abled her to do, s 6aosatsss
Miller was sitting with his face buried
in his hands when DIR sDuval called on
Saturday. His mania had lprogresed
very noticeably and the case was plain
Eiy one for hospital treatment. In bis
conference with Mrs. Miller he s6x-
I. pressed his opinion. Within an hour
after the physicians departure Miller
suddenly aroused from his lethargic
condition., and, rushing to the Tdoor,
took three Or four breaths of fresh ar.
. Returning, he advanced toward his wife
IN menacilg " 1nu !, r.
4 to knew whether she would conse ais tc
] send him to the hospital. She replied
that she would not, and this seemed ito
paeify him. A few minutes afterward
She went out, leaving him in the charge
Of neighbor of very diminutive size
and strength. She returned to find
the neighbor shooting through the doo1
like a bolt from a catapault under the
impulse of her husbands enormous
strength, increased by acute mania
He. had suddenly arisen from hi
iethargy, and, catching the unfortunate
neighborsby the throat, with the woras
sthosnitai. viii Ynl.'' hurled hin