Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-04-11
POOR niCE<E SZIE,
The old Indian Fighter stricken with
Hcatai Nilady.


tSan Antoa.o Texts letter to St. L5u. Globe
Democrat.
Poor Mackenzie" is the way soldiers and
civilians here spcIk, referring to the menta
malady which recently seized the Indian
fighter. There are circumstances which 20 tc
make the case peculiarly distressing one.
His fellow officers and friends here cau'd not
believe at first that the flight of reason was
more than temporary affection, and they
undertook to keep him under restraint
privately, hoping that he would soon become
rational. For sCmG time it was not generally
known in san Antonio that the General.
mird had given away lie was kept under
surveillance at the post just outside If the
city, and few intimate friends here
went to take turns with the officers in main
tanning watch over him. One night tn O
brothers, who keep store across the rail
road track mile and more from the camp,
were aroused shortly after midnight by a
kn )cking ut the door, followed by demands
from some person without for a match, and
then for some othcr trihng article. They
refused to open, aud the applicant went
| away threatening to get even.
An hour or more later the pounding was
resumed, but in a more violent form. The
stranger was repeatedly ordered away, and
responded by Increasing the racket. The
store IS frame structure, and going to the
side OF il, the besegcr dealt some iarripr
blows, which emptied the shelves of a CON
siderable quantity of crOckeryware. This
went down with crash and brought the
brothers out of bed. They arranged tina. while
one defended the place in front the other
should go out Of the back door, come round
behind the man-drunk as they supposed
and seize him. They planned, without cal
culating the crafliness of luuatic. The one
making the sortie had barely turned the cor
ner when he came face to face with the mad
| man. The latter had armed himself with a
broken chair, and, using the leg for handle,
he dealt a terrible blow on the chest. The
store.kceper called for help and grappltd
with his assaiIant In the struggle which
ensued the brother which had responded 10
the call tried again and again to kill the I'M
known mn, Tut as often as he lcvellcd the
pistol the other shouted to him not to shoot,
fearful that the bullet might 90 amisl in the
constantly changing positions.
Aroused by the noise dozen NJ X,clns in
the nclshborho0d came 10 the assistance of
the storekccpers, but they only succeeded in
overpowering the Insane man after they had
FUSED HIM roughly. He was bound with
ropes to cart wheel, and there, his wounds
uncared for. his clothing scanty, chilled
through and through by the norher, which
was Just wearing of At the time the prisoner
stood until morning. lie was unable to tell
who he was, and none of those standing
guard over him recognized him. About
O'Clock word was sent To the police station
that crazy man had been captured, and
officers came IN response, who Immediately
recognized General Mackenzie. lie was taken
out to the garrison and cared
for, but his friends recognized that it would
be impossible to keep him there. and he was
taken north and cast for treatment without
any more delay. His condition when re-
turned to headquarters is said TO have been
pitiab!e. The blood had run from the
wounds he had received in the melee with
his captors, and had almost covered his gar.
ments. Those who were keeping watch that
night hardly knew how he made his escape
They had not realized the desperate cpndi.
ton he was in and he easily slipped ont of
the house while they were in room adj9in-
ing his. Alter this episode those closest to
the general felt that the attack was some
thing more than temporary feverish de-
lirum.
1t is probably known 10 but few that Mac.
kenze was to have married within a few
months when his mind failed him. His be-
trCthed is Mrs. Sharp of San Antonio, a
lady to whom he was devotcdly attached.
Some OF his friends think that the emotions
in view of this prospective happiness were too
much for the soldier, and when the whole
story is told there is a probability about this
theory Years ago Mackenzie was stationed
here for time and lived in the family of
Mis-. Tunstall, who is the mother of Mrs
Sharp. The young girl, just maturing
into womau-hood was a great fayorite
with the young officer, and there grew
up between them warm friend
ship, amounting to passion on the part of
the then lieutenant, his friends say. The
LAZY was of fine family Mackenzie had his
stars to win. They drifted apart, Miss
Tunsall became Mrs. Sharp, and the excite
ment of border warfare helped relieve the
tension on the rising officers heart.strings
A few months ago Mackenzie came back
here, no longer subordinate, but to take
General Ord's place. Frontier fighting was
a thing OF the past, and before the officer was
the last half OF lifetime of garrison quiet
and ease.
He came here to find Mrs. Sharp widow,
and the Old feeling revived with increasing
strength. II was not long before Mackenzie
learned that his ardent passion was returned. |
The course of courtship ran smooth and
even as the cement promenade around the
parade ground. The day had been set for
the nuplials. But the cup of happiness was
too full. The strain on heart aud mind had |
been severe one through all the lonely years |