The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-07-18

fOretell insanity III sane PERSONS
Most undoubtedly | can. That Is
one of my greatest discoveries ;allow me
one moment" -.
He leant forward and for the space o.
half q minute looked straight into my
ewes. l was too much surprised to
speak. Then, resuming his former easy
attitude, he asked, with az air OF com
miseration
"Any of your family i~nsane?"
As I stated before, / am a nervous man.
The perspiration formed on my forehead
My heart beat rapidly.
mo; none at al" | stammered. Yet,
even as 1 spoke, it flashed across my
mind that / contributed yearly a small
sum toward the maintenance of a distant
relative, one whom / had never seen,
but who had been in an asylum for many
years.
"You are quite sure?" asked the doc
tor, with a puzzled air.
ItrembIed in every limb as l confessed
to having a third or fourth cousin who
was mad.
'rHa! / was sure of it," said the doc
tor, in q compassionate but triumphant
voice. "There it is-another proof OF
the infallibility of my predictions. You
must always go a long way up the pedl-
gree 10 find the source. Now, If you will
trace back "
Good heavens? l cried. "You can't
mean to tell me that | shall ever go mad,
DR.. Wolfe?"
Certainly you will, unless you hap
pen to die first. he answered cheerfully.
II never met with such a case l could
diagnose more satisfactorily. But what
then? Come to me; you will be kindly
treated, and most likely viii be happier
than you are now. Meanwhile, let me
take down your name and address; and
if you can give me another cigar, | shall
be much obliged"
I sank back unnerved and speeches..
MY eyes were riveted on the speakers
face as fxedly as / have seen a felon's
eyes riveted on the face of the Judge
who has just drawn the black cap.
! Words will not describe the state of my
mind. L believe there is no man living
who, in some crisis, some misfortune.
some deep grief or mental depression,
has not asked himself the question,
Gam I losing my wits ?" or May l
not lose them? }" Who, then, can Won
der at my horror and despair when /
heard the greatest authority in England
the man against whose fiat there could
be no appeal-declare that | was des-
tined to go out of my mlnd2 | seemed
to be in q CHASTITY dream, and as lay
~quivering and gasping with fright, Isaw
or fancied j saw, a twinkle of fiendish
exultation in the eyes of the silent luna
tic at the other end of the carriage.
The bland doctor, the bearer of the
bow string-took no notice of my nat
ural agitation. He simply held out his
hand for the expected cigar. 1 posi-
lively hated him. / tried to frame a
prayer that when the awful hour which
he so surely predicted did come, my par
ticular mania might be homicidal, and
that the nearest and most convenient
throat to cut might be that of DIR. Wolfe.
At last / faltered out But YOU may
be mistaken; the wisest are liable to
err
II never make a mistake; certainly i
could not mistake such clearly-defined
symptoms as yours. Why, my dear sir,
i can look into the eyes of a child in the
cradle, and say, IF that child lives, and
If i live long enough, / shall see it put
under restraint That is why | must
enlarge my asylum-so many cases which
I marked down. in early infancy are now
getting due"
This was perfectly awful / gaped
helplessy at the glib speaker. / felt
like one In a mesmeric trance.
aAnd let me tell you, continued DR..
Wolfe, dropping his voice to a confiden-
tial whisper, but gradually speaking
louder as he proceeded; lit is not only
so far as regards human beings that
have the power of detecting the sleep
ing symptoms. In the brute creation
nay, even in inanimate objects, / can
find them, and foreteIl what must hap
pen. My journey to town to-day i
partly to inform the President Of the
Board Of Trade that have detected I'M
doubted symptoms of approaching in
sanity In the hinge steam-r0ller used In
Bath crash the stones iake the reads
symptoms Of the worst and most dan
gerbus type. The consequences WI.
be frightfuI when the machines manis
|, is fully developed. / ask yous sir, die
you eyer picture a steam-roller IN 1
frenzy-the destruction oflife and prop
erty when such q ponderous mass d
metal becomes uncomfortable. and exer
cises its stupid strength to the detri
ment 81 respectable citizens? Who i
to check it? They may send for m
| but what can I do? What padded room
will be strong enough to restrain it
mad and u~nreasoning rage No, sir
! not a momentmust be lost! Immediate
steps must be taken, and it will be m.
duty TO urge Mr.. Chamberlain to issue
an order for it's destruction before 1t
I fnrv randers II too late