The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1883-03-01

porser ,s.erday, "when, in company
with q friend. il visited the State Lunatid
Asylum. This vas last winter While
going through the asylum the Warden
called our attention to a peculiar case
his charge. II was Of man who occu
pied all his time in drawing rough maps
or diagrams on the walls OF his cell.
These drawings were all alike, and the
walls and floor OF his cell we're covered
with them. They were of some noun
famous country, with river running
through it from the south, and small
err stream putting into the river from
the east in about the center Of the map.
From the point of junction of these two
streams q line was drawn due south ia
a peak marked three miles, and thence
it continued in zigzag line in south
erly direction, with the length of each
straight line marked. At the extreme
end Of the line circle was drawn with
q cross in the center. AS soon as
looked at the crazy map maker recog-
nized him. 1t was thompson. l was
subsequently told that, after going from
Montana to California, he had lost all
his money and then was taken down
with fever. He was adjudged insane
and sent to the asylum, where | found
him. He had been there three years.
I'VE stepped into the cell. ex.
amined the maps on the wall. and
asked Thompson about them. He
seemed willing enough to talk about
other matters-in very disjointed
manner. however-but concerning nia
map he would not say a word. On
finding that the man was Thompson, il
Immediately occurred to me that the
map was intended to show the point al
which the Lost Cabin and the wonder.
full deposit of gold were located. and
the questions which / asked were pro.
pounded with view to getting clew.
After questioning him unsuccessfully
for some time, / put my finger on the
circle in the map and asked him:
Is that gold?'
His answer was to spring at me in
wild rage. knew from this that ] had
guessed his secret. We all withdrew
from the cell, and at the first oppor.
tunity / had an interview with one Of
the physicians of the institution. and
told him what knew about Thompson.
also told him that there was very lit.
tie doubt of the existence of the de.
posit of gold, and that Thompson could
lead us to it. The physician had pre-.
viously informed me that the patient
was sometimes to all purposes perfectly
sane for weeks, and | now suggested
that the next time one of those lucid
intervals occurred we should see what
we could do with him. The doctor
agreed.
- In about two weeks note was sent
to my hotel, informing me that Thomp'
son had entered upon one of his lucid
spells. Immediately went up to the
asylum. In company with the doctor
entered Thompson's cell and entered
into conversation with him. His talk
was quite rational. and in the course OF
half-hour's interview he appealed ia
me to get HIM out of the asylum. This
was our. chance. The doctor immedi
ately offered to free him from the asy-
lum if he would show us the way ia
at point Indicating it with his fin
ger on The map. Thompson hesitated
or moment. but presently consented.
This was all we wanted There was
no difficulty in getting him out of the
asylum. The doctor certified that he
was cured, and discharge soon fol-
lowed. We Immediately started to
Montana, whence we intended TO pro-
coed to the Big Horn Mountains for The
purpose of hunting the treasure. We
reached Dillon on the 3d. of last june
and took the stage to Virginia City.
There we QUILTED. ostensibly for the
National Park, and continued on our
journey. In few days we found our
selves in the park and well on our way
to the Big Horn Mountains, in which
Thompson said the gold-mine was 10
Gated. In three more days we reached
the Big Horn River and travelled up il
to the south. This was on the 10Th OF
June.
Thompson had up to this time acted
as naturally as any Of us Gn addition ia
the Doctor and myself we had brought
along one of the asylum attendants).
Thompson said that we would be able
to reach the gold deposit the next day,
and we were all wild with excitement.
We camped on the night of the 18th in
a wild place few miles from the river.
Aside from Thompson we were all very
tired and slept soundly. When we
arose in the morning Thompson was
gone. The excitement had evidently
brought on spasm of insanity, and he
had got up during the night, and wan.
dered off into the mountains. We hunt
ed for him three days, and finally found
him lying, bruised and dead, at the foot
of cliff fully 1000 feet high In his
delirium he had plunged over it to a GER
tain probably the night that he
fled from camp. We buried him where
we found him. and. as search for the
treasure would be hopeless without hi
assistance, we turned back. The Doc
tor and his man | left at Miles City,
whence they will probably go East. A,
for myself, will make no further search
for the Lost Cabin. Helena (Mont.)
Independent
A Wedding Tour in Maine.