National Republican., 1883-01-06
A CRANKY COMPANY.
Tho Inmates Of the Insane Asylum Entertained
by Party Of Amateur Actors.
How the Audience Acted aud How the
Players Played.

Last night the John Mccullough Dramatic
club rendered R. ]. Raymond's laughable farce
entitled "Mr, and Mrs. Peter White, at the
government hospital for the insane The
pretty little hail. with its biiou stage, was
tastefully decorated with wreaths and fes.
toons of evergreens, and presented bright
and cheerful appearance. The farce was excel.
lently acted by the following cast
Major Pepper, retired army officer, David 1
ToweIsi Frank Brown the Majors nephew in
| love with tue widow, George Erdmai Peter
| White, iaiher md ex.amateur actor Jcme'
| kearney Widow White, u dnshiug Young widow
Of eighteen, Miss Efie Darling. Mrs. White, d
motger Miss Lillian Edmonstun Kitty Clover,
maid of all work, Miss S. NJ Bowie.
During the farce the "Gobble Song" from
"Mascotte" Prithee Pretty Maiden" from
Patience !" Bob Up serenely,S from "oli.
vette," and "But for Goodness Sake Don't
Say Told YOU" were introduced and capi.
/ tally rendered. The stage was under the
management of Mai. Egan.
When all was in readiness behind the scenes
a big bell rang, and the patients, men and wo.
men, filed in and took their seats in the hall. In
| the procession were old and young men, who
at first sight looked as If thoy were in full
possession of all their faculties, and in full
bodily health. Again there were men
who came with heads drooped on their
breasts, and whose eyes have only too plainly
the dull, vacant stupid stare Of helpless
idiooy. One old man, soldier wearing the
familiar blue coat and brass buttons, marched
| IN as If he were on the parade ground, his
hand to his head at n military salute. There
were some on whose faces were only plainly
written, Their sins have found them out"
Mon whose faces showed at q glance that
long-continued dissipation and vicious habits
were responsible for their present condition.
The women, who formed small proportion
nE n Il 81 1. A 1
intelligent look, and except for now and
then slight eXaggeration in the manner of
their dress looked as sane as most people do 1t
may be, as classical writer has observed that
the reason that madness is SO seldom detected
Is that the majority are affected with the same
disease; but one thing is certain, the majority
OF people who have fantastic notions in re-
gard to the way the insane look and act would
be agreeably disappointed were they to be
present at one of these entertainments. Were
the majority of them out of tho asylum, and
care taken not to get them started on their
pet idiosyncrasy, it might take some
Tune to discover they were mentally
unbalanced. An example of this kind
came immediately under the reporters
observation last night. Better to observe the
various facial expressions he sat cheek by
iowl with the patients, His neighbor he took
to be a Keeper and convcrsed with him dur
ing the play, asking various questions about
the management of the institution and re-
ceiving quick and intelligent replies. At the
conclusion Of the performance, talking with
Dr. Wlttmer, of the medical staff, the latter
said DO you know the man you were
sitting by is the craziest patient we
have" The reporter expressed considerable
surprise at this announcement when the doc
tor explained that he was u splendid me-
chanic, a jack of all trades, an excellent tailor
and perfectly sane in all other respects except
one, that one was that he believed himself to
DC Jesus Christ Usually quiet and passive, at
times he would utter the most fearful impre-
cations and threaten to sweep everybody off
the lace OF the earth. He claims to have seen
! the Holy Ghost and asserts most dog
matically he is the Saviour. He has
now been in the asylum twenty years. Some
years ago he left and went TO Baltimore,
where he called at one of the Catholic instl-
tutlons, and to the priest who opened tho door
announced himself as Jesus Christ, and said
that he had come over to see how the institu-
ton was being carried on. DR.. Wittmer re-
marked, as showing the capricious freaks of
madmen, that 1t was peculiar thing, but the
man returned from Baltimore and told the
story as good joke on himself. There came into
the hall young man, well dressed, with coat
buttoned tightly over his chest and looking
well and hearty, who came in as if he were
| engaged in trying to beat Maud record.
ltis mania is imagining himself to be u cham
pion pedestrian. There is an old soldier who
imagnes himself to be filling an office the
| country long has yearned for. In his person
are combined the offices of general of the army
and admiral of the navy. wanted some i'm
portant state papers conveyed to Gen. Sherman
and asked TO be released, rs he said he had
been kept at the asylum quite long enough.
IL would be useless to multiply similar exam
pies. Every conceivable mania that mortal
man can be afflicted with is here to be found
Men and women perfectly sane and rational
except on one particular subject, when they
are as mad as March hares. laugh on the
stage was the cue for the audience at once to
break out into merriment, and whenever there
was a comical situation the audience "caught
on at once. Tho exaggerated love passages
between Mr. and Mrs Peter White seemed to
strike tho fancy of the audience, and called
forth rounds Of applause. Now and then n
harsh, metallic, rasping laugh was heard,
which is such q sure characteristic of in
| sanity; and one colored woman by her
actions and gestures clearly showed she had
no control over herself. In the audience
were men who are as sane as anybody,
but who, through drink, are confined by their
friends in this institution, in the hope that
their passion may, through proper treatment,
be cured. These entertainments are pro-
duchye of much good to the poor unfortu-
mates, and are greatly enjoyed by them.
They look forward to the night with keen
RELISH and the excitement does them good,
L. Ill