The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-08-23
THOUGHT HIMSELF A CAT.
Strange Insanity of n California Man.

Strange Insanity OF IA California Man.
On Saturday night Deputy Sheriff
Frank Motlatt, Of Oakland, arrived here
with an insane patient, whose case is
one of the most extraordinary on record.
The crazy man, Roger Williams, is about
twenty.eight years of age. tall. and oi
extremely slender build He is Il grad.
ua,c of an Eastern college of high rcpu,c.
AMI before his reason WAS overthrown he
was recognized among his associates ~ a
man of fine mind aud vigorous intellect
lie was employed in professional
capacity in San Francisco for some time,
at one period studying hard for doctor .
diploma. lie had several thousand
dollars when he arrived in San francisco
from the East, but his heath fuiin. he
was put to great expense in travelling to
health resorts and paying for medical
advice and medicine, so that his means
were rapidly absorbed. Feeling unequal
to steady work in the city, and knowing
that with Il diminished income lie could
not purchase the medical assistance he
needed, he concluded to study his own
disease and prescribe for himself.
1t was with this view that he entered
the service of a physician of the lower
city. The application proving too severe
he left his place, md, feeling that coun
try air and outdoor work "0uid be tbs
best tonic for his shattered system, Int
went to work on farm in the vicinity O.
Lvermorc. For n time he seemed tc
improve, but after three or four months
he gave evidence Of pulmonary disease
and there was also wasting away o1
blood and tissue that left him almost q
skeleton. Among his fellow. workers on
the farm was young man of about hi.
own age, who had served an apprentice
| ship with doctor. They became warm
friends, and in their conversations it was
| suggested that Williams submit to ar
experiment in TRANSMISSION of blood, ir
hope that he would gain strength by il
The Instruments were secured, but n,
one could be found who was willing tt
be bled in behalf of Roger, and aitel
some delay it was decided to use tho
blood Of an animal. 1t was here that il
was proved that a little learning is 6
| dangerous thing. At first calf wa.
suggested as the blood supply, but Gnal.
it WAS decided to sacrifice Il cat, or I
whole colony of cats.
| ne operation was performed, the
blood being taken from n number OF cat.
aud injected into the veins of Williams
| The experiment. was to M cxtent success
iul. The man gained strength and hat
| nope OF ultimate recovery, but soon ht
began to brood over the consequences o
incorporating the blood of cats into hi,
! own system, and so heavily did it weigh
| upon his mind that his friends feared iul
his sanity. He refused to go to bed
saying that he believed he was being
transferred into cat, and preferred tl
sleep on IL rug before me fire.
At night, when not asleep, he woult
wander about the house, jumping the
garden fence until tired out, when hs
would climb to the roof and perch or
the chimney. He sought the society o
other cats, and at intervals would try tt
light with them, only succeeding, how
ever, in soaring them away, when ht
would retire To the house until rested
tie manifested the greatest terror o
broom handles and bOoljacks, and ut las
his mania $" grew on him that he wa.
confined until examined fnr commitmen
to the asylum. During the examination
he showed Wonderful propensity iol
jumping, several times running on all
tonrs and jumping over the doctors.
Once he jumped through the window
taking the sash with him, and until b,
was put in straight-jncket could not b,
kept still. All the time OF his antics h,
kept up an ear.piercing mewing, and Il
the sight Of dogs became frantic. Whcr
placed in charge of Deputy Mofiai h,
was lolernbIy quiet, but soon after getting
on the train he tried to jump through
the window, and he was strapped to th,
seat. At the depot here he got loos,
and tried to escape under the platform
but was finally lodged in place of SAT,
| keeping. 1t WAS not certain whether The
cat blood set him crazy, or whether {
pre-existing mental weakness fastened
| upon the incidents of TRANSMISSION to Sc
him completely crazy.