Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-09-06
A MIND OBSCrRED.
A man Once Insane Describes ufs sensa-
Reason Hegained Aner Twelve

/ was once insane and | often muse
| over my experience. There are, OF
course, many kinds Of /: sanity. Some
mental disorders take place 80 gradual
~ that even the closest companions OF
the victim are at loss TO remember
when the trouble began. II must
have been this way in my case. One
! evening after an opprcssivcly warm
day, a day when | experienced more
! fatigue from the heat than ever before
or since, | sat on the porch tanning
myself. This arm that Is now in
/ mo- on," | unused, "must one Of these
days be dust | wonder how long will
! the time be-" Then | Unused upon the
| evidence had Of immortality. ! could
do things that other people could not
accomplish. ! had gone through
battle after battle, and though bullets
! sang and stru K around me thick as
hail, yet remained uninjurcd. | had
passed through cpidcmics Of yellow
fever. Ny idea gained strength rs |
| unused, and | was convinced that !
/ should live forever. No, this cannot
| be, for death follows all men alike.
| Yes, am 10 die like other men, and !
believe 1t Is my duty 10 make the most
Of life; to make money, and enjoy my
/ self and 10 educate my children. /
wanted 10 be rich, and began to study
over an imaginary list Of enterprises.
| At last hit upon radishcs. People
must have radishcs. They should bc
in every store. They could be dried
/ and sold in winter. | would plant
0fty acres with radish scc,I, and people
all over the country would refer 10 me
rs the 'radish king | would form a
radish syndicate, and buy up all the
radishcs, and travel around and be al
I mired. FASTENED 10 the house 60 tell
/ my wife that she was soon 70 hc radish
. queen At the hrcakfas, table said 3.
Julia, how would you like to be-
radish queen Z"
"A what :" she exclaimed.
explained my plan Of acquiring
great wealth, and during the recital she
acted so curiously that | WAS alarmed
| feared that she was losing her mind.
I Finally ihc seemed 10 understand She
I agreed with me. but told me not TO say
anything more about H. After break
fast ] saw her talking earnestly with
her father, and knew that She was OK
planning 20 the old gentleman how she
intended TO pay his debts when be-
came known n the radish king. The
old man approached me. with much
concern. and told me that | needed
rest, and that must not think Of bust
ness. He was old and sadly worried.
and promised him that / would not
think of business Pretty soon !
went out 10 inspect my radish king
dom. Looking around ! SAW the old
man following me From the field
went to the village. | approached
prominent citizen, who had always
been my friend, and told him how in
. tended tn become rich He seemed
grIcyGl. and ! saw at once that he was
/ contemplating the same enterprise. II
seemed mean that hc should take ad-
vantage Of me. and told him 50. He
Gied to explain, but he made me 50
mad that ! would have struck him II
my fathcr-in-law had not come up and
separated ms. tried to calm myself,
but could not Those who had been
my friends proved to hc my enemies.
and ! was determined 10 bc avenged.
hut before could execute my will.
was seized 10y several men. My father
in-law did not attempt to rescue me,
and hated him. was taken t. Jail.
My wife came to see me, hut she did
not try to haze me released. de-
mandcd trial. but no lawyer would
defend me. Then | realized that the
whole community was against me.
became 50 mad that my anger seemed
TO hang over me like dark cloud. II
pressed me to the loor and held me
there. Men came after long time.
and took me away. | thought, to the
penitentiary one day cat came into
my cell. and | tried to bite IT, She
made the hair fly. but | killed her
don't know how long remained there,
I but one morning the sun rose and
4 shonc in at me through the window.
! II seemed To bc the first time that
had seen the great luminary for
months. A mist cleared from before
my eyes. My brain began to work,
and suddenly | realized that | had