Huntsville gazette., 1884-12-20
A MANAGES CRIME.

An Insane Convict In the Missouri Peniten-
liary Makes a Midnight Attack Upon His
Sleeping Fellow Prisoners With an Iron
Poker for a Weapon-Two Mortaily ane
One Seriously Wounded.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, December n.
A bloody tragedy occurred at the Peni-
tentiary Friday night, the particulars OF
which are about as follows: An epilep-
tic convict named John Mason, who was
sent here from St. Louis in September,
1882, since which time he has been most
ly an inmate of the hospital, arose from
his bed about midnight and going out
into the hall procured an iron rod used
for poker, which is three feet SIX
inches long and about an inch
thick. Armed with this weapon
he went into the ward of the hos
pital used for cranky convicts who are
classed as insane but harmless. In one
room four men were sleeping and Mason
stealthily approached their beds, and be-
fore they were aware of his presence,
commenced striking them over the heads
with the poker. The first one he assailed
was Charles Segner, whom he dealt three
terrible blows over the head, one above
each eye and one on the forehead, break
ing his skull over each eye and in
ficting serious scalp wound on
the forehead. lie next attacked Louis
Hoelscher, whom he struck five powerful
blows over the head, breaking in the
top of his skull for distance of nearly
five inches, and otherwise cutting his
head and face up in a terrible manner.
Mason next visited another ward, where
he assailed a negro named Andy Alison,
whom he struck once over the head, cut
ting an artery.
BATTLING WITH THE MANIAC.
BY this time an epileptic negro named
Jackson was awakened by the noise, and
slipping upon Mason caught the poker. A
struggle ensued. Such commotiOn was
raised that guard from another part OF
the building rushed in, and taking in the
situation at glance disarmed the maniac,
and locked him up securely.
DR.. G. II. OgleSby the prison physician,
was hastily summoned, and hurrying to
the prison an awful sight met his gaze.
On one bed lay two men with skulls
mashed in and on another negro with
an artery cut in his head and slowly
bleeding to death. The doctor at once
proceeded to tie up the artery in the me-
gros head and afterward rendered all the
relief possible to the two white men.
Strange as it may appear, both white men
are living at this hour of writing, although
they are certainly both mortally wound
ed. The negro will in all probability get
well.
SENT UP FROM ST. LOUIS.
John Mason, the maniac who COM
mitted the terrible deed, is about forty
five years old, and is Frenchman by
birth. He was sent here from st. Louis
in September, 1882, on a sentence of ten
years, for highway robbery. Soon after
he came here he showed unmistakable
signs of epilepsy and was accordingly
placed in the hospital. He was always
looked upon more as harmless crank than
dangerous maniac, and never before
did he show any signs of harming any Of
the other convicts. The hospital is divid-
ed off into wards, aud the insane are kept
to themselves. The insane are divided
into two classes, dangerous and harmless.
The dangerous or violent cases are closely
confined each to himself and the others
are put together, or near each other, in the
same ward. 1t is the duty of the night
hospital nurse, or rather watchman, to
stay up all night and see that no dis
turbances occur, but it appears in this
case that the watchman was not in his
place at the time the tragedy occurred,
otherwise it could not have gone to the
extent it did OF the two white men
hurt but little is known of their history.
Charles Segner has been here twice be-
fore for petty offenses, and is said to DO
from South Missouri. Louis Hoel-
scher is from St. Louis County, whence
he was sent for larceny about four years
ago, for long term. Both the white
men are subject to epilepsy. The negro
was employed as a kind of cook in the
hospital and slept in the epileptic ward.
He is also here on a short sentence. The
above facts were learned from Or. G. B.
Oglesby, the physician, tonight.