The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1882-01-07

''Tll kill you in two minutes if you will
only take these chains and bracelets off
me-" said James Burke, an insane inmate
of the Aims House. to DIR. Richardson yes
terday. This kind offer the physician fatty
refused to take advantage of, and he re-
marked: Jimmy, guess you had better
keep them on, because you might hurt your
self if you get loose" Burke laughed in a
fiendish sort of manner at this aud walked
off to have a talk with some of his
half-witted companions. AS he proceeded
across the room his chains ratified and
clanked, and the unfortunate man seemed
to enjoy the noise, for he made every effort
to move them. For fifteen years BurSe has
been handcuffed. He wears stout chain
about his waist, with two short ones reach
ing to his elbows. These are attached to a
set of the usual sort of bracelets used for
cuffs Although the man has worn them for
so many years yet the skin is not rubbed off
and he does not seem to suffer. The brace
lets are as bright as if they were nickel
plated and with a shrewdness worthy of a
man in his right mind Burke has made him.
self leather covering for the inside, which
protects the skin and bones from the wear.
THAT is one of the most remarkable cases
in the institution" said Dr. Richardson to
the Record reporter. Everything he does is
by appointment. If he tries to i'll you he
will tell you that he had an appointment to
do SO, and he considers it his duty to carry
this out. Burke came here good many years
ago from the Penitentiarv, where he was serv-
ing sentence for highway robbery. The
man was considered harmless lunatic, and
the homicidal mania which afterward de-
veloped itself was not apparent. He was used
as helper in the cook house. One day in
1885, while he was cutting meat, he turned
10 the head cook, and said: Jimmy, did
you say so and SOP at the same time making
an obscene remark. No., replied the cook.
We'll, you never will say it, quickly re-
piled Burke, and turning around he split
the cooks head open with the cleaver. Then
he ran after the assistant cook, a woman; he
chopped her head so badly that she died the
next day, and he pursued the housekeeper
with the idea of making mince meat of her.
She escaped, and Burke went back to the
cook house. He submitted to capture,
informed the officers that he had done
the murderous deed by appointment
and only regretted that the house
keeper had escaped. He was locked up
then for some years, and while in his
room tried to kill himself, but he never sue
ceeded. One day Mr.. Whitall, who was
President of the Guardians, asked me if
could not letthe man out to get fresh air
and sunlight told him it was dangerous.
Well said Mr.. Whitall, you can conjure
up some method of restraint for this poor
creature So had these chains and brace
lets made for him, and for fifteen years,
night and day, he has worn them. Every
now and then he has an appointment He
tried to kill a number of the inmates. and
one day attacked q nurse named Weller
whom he pummeled badly.
81 was considerably amused one day when
| met Burke with a magnificent black eye
How did you get that? 1 asked. oh,
Jimmy Gallagher hit me yesterday Burke
r.I Vail III L. e.
itg L asked. No; it was by appoi ntment,'
replied the insane man; it's all right
And you stood up and let him black your
eyer 1 repeated. Didn't l tell you it was
by appointment? said Burke. 1t was self
evident that Gallagher, who was another
crazy man, had punched Burke well. and /
afterward learned that the latter stood up
like sand-bag and never tiinched until one
of the nurses came and stopped the
there would have been a dead Gallagher,
certain.
Speaking of this case," said the Doctor,
reminds me of woman we had here once,
but whom ae sent to the Norristown Asv-
lum. She had o mission on earth to kill
babies SO as to make angels of them. Just
as Burke had an appointment, so this fe-
male had a mission. 1t is the same species
of insanity, only a use of different words.
The woman was caught by her husband one
day just as she was about to push pan
into the oven containing their youngest
child. She intended to bake it. Roasted
angel may be very good in the Feejee
Islands, but it is not fashionable here.
This same woman threw two of her daugh-
ters' babies out of second-story win
dow, aud fortunately they landed on a
shed. But at last she made a real angel out
of baby, which she tossed from third
story window and which, much to her sur
prise, instead of sailing up to the heavens
fell Hat TO the ground and had the breath
knocked out of it. That woman tried to
kill herself when she was brought here. 1t
is noteworthy fact that persons of hon.
icidal tendencies also show disposition to
commit suicide. recall another case, that
OF young man named George Welsh, who
shot and killed bis mother. One day he
told me he shot his mother because when
ever he ate ANYTHING she would not let his
food 'regest'-he meant digest Then he
added: Now that she is dead can eat, and
feel tirst-rate.' He was one of the dumbest
men ever saw, and in short time after
admission became victim of dementia"