Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-07-25
A lUNATlC'S STORY.
How He Felt and What He Thought
About
The Peculiar Notions and Fancies of a
Mans Wrecked Reasoning Powers
Two Years Of DeIusion.

i Was ONCE llSale, anu L OlISu huH~
over my experience. There are, Of
course, muny kinds OF insanity. Some
disorders take so gradually that ever
the closest companions of the victim
ale al a loss to remember when the
trouble began. 1t must have been this
way in my case. One evening, after an
oppressiyely warm day, a day when |
experienced more fatigue from the heat
than evCc before or since, | sat on my
porch tanning myself. "rhis arm that
is now in notion" unused, ''musC n
of these days be dust, | wonder how
long will the time be-" Then | unused
upon the evidence had Of immOt Atty.
I could not do things that others could
not accomplish. | had gone through
battle after battle, aud though bullets
sang and struck around me thick as
hail, yet | remained uuinjured. had
Iasstdthrcugh epidemics o. yellow few
,r. My idea gained strength rs l mu+ed,
and | was convinced that / should live
forever. No, this cannot be. for death
follows ali men, and | believe that it
:: my Guty TO make the most of life; to
~ axe money and enjoy myself, AMI to
educate NY children. | wanted To be
Ich, and | began - study over au inn
u-iHaIy l>t IF eaterprI>"H. At last /
hit upou IadiShUS. People must have
tadisLrS. They should be i'll every
store. They could he dried aud sold in
winter. 1 would plant fifty acres with
IaGish SCed, and people all over the
country would refer 10 me "a the
"Radi>h King"
would form u radish syndicate,
and buy up all the radi~hes, aud travel
around ami be admired. | hast2ued to
the house to tell my wife that she was
soon to be radi-h queen. At the break.
fast table / said:
"Juiia, how would you like to be q
radi-h queen.
"A what" -! she exclaimed.
| explained my plan of acquiring
great wealth. aud during the recital she
acted so curIUuSiy that 4 was alarmed.
| feared that she was losing her mind.
Finally she seemed To understand. She
agreed with me, but told me not to say
anything moreabOut it. Alter break
fast | saw her talking earnestly TO her
father, and | knew that she waI eX-
plainiugt 10 the old gentlem III how she
intended to pay his debts when | b
came known rs the radish king. The
old gentleman approached me with
much concern and told me that | need
ed rest, aud that [ must % think of
lrr.irfLa HR yIpl old mud lA1iV Vnr-
ri,d, and I promised him that | would
not think Of business. Pretty soon |
went out TO inspect my rad'sh kingdom.
Looking around, / saw the old gentle
man following me. From the field l
went to the village. l approached a
prominent citizen, who hId always
been my friend, and told him how |
intended to become rich. He seemed
grieved, and | saw at once hat he was
contemplating the same enterprise. 1t
seemed mean that he should take all
vantage of me, and | tod him 50. lie
tried to explain, but he made me 50
mad that | would have struck him if
my father-in-law had not cnmr up ana
separated IA. | tried to calm myself,
but could not
Those who had Been my Friends
proved To be my enemies, and l wIsde.
lermined to be avenged, but before |
could execute my will l was seized by
several men. My father-in-law did
not attempt to rescue me, and | hated
him. l was taken to Jail. My wife
came to see me, but she did not try to
have me released. l demanded trial,
but no lawyer would defend me. Then
l realized that the entire community
was against mt. l became so mad that
my anger seemed to hand over me like
a dark cloud. 1t pressed me to the floor
end held me there. Men came after a
long timeand tookme away, ] thought,
to the ~PenItentiary. One day a eat
came into my cell aud | tried to bite
II. She made the hair fly, bur [ killed
her. | don't know how long | re-
manned there, but one morning the sun
rose and shOae in ut me through
the window. 1t seemed to be
the first time that | had seen
The great luminary for months.
Am;st cleared from before my eyes.
My brain began 10 work, aud suddenly
| realized that I had been insane. |
called the keeper, and when he saw mo
lie exclaimed, Thank God" and
graSpCd lazy hand. | was not long in
putting on another suit of clothes, AMI
turning my face toward home. A ply
sician said that | was cured, and every
body seemed bright and happy at my
recovery. l boarded a train with agen-
t!enan and went home. My wife
tainted when she saw me and learned
that | had recovered my mind. 1
asked for my little children, and two
big boys and young lady came for
ward and greeted ne. 7 had been in
the asylum twelve years.