The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-09-10

emily as if he was the President of the
road. The conductor did not come
through the train again. for Hamilton
was the last stop before reaching Gin
cinnati. and Charley, insane as he was,
seemed to understand that he was safe
inside tho a after it left Hamilton, for
the train, making no stops, could, of
course, not take on any passengers.
That he remained on top the a in the
bitter cold until the train reached this
point is evidence conclusive that he
knew exactly what he was doing.
He reached Cincinnati without any
trouble, went straight to the Gibson
House and registered. AS luck would
have it, the next person to register. who
stepped up to the counter not ten
minutes after he left it. was an acquaint-
ance of his from his home. The name
met his eye. and after speaking to the
Charley as he came from the bath
his folks. and they the asylum authori-
ties. The telegram they received was
the first intimation the officials of the
institution had that any n had es-
capped.
Charley was busy playing billiards
when. at ten o'clock the same morning.
his keeper walked into the hall and
slapped him on the back.
Hello. Toni" was Charley's greet
ing. "Tve got q sucker here" The
same evening he was again in the
asylum, but it amused him for weeks
to think how he went to Cincinnati
just to play a game of billiards." as he
put it.
If ever q man had determined to die,
come what may, that man was Francis
- a powerful farmer from Au-
glaize County. He was n of the few
farmers who take a great interest in
politics, and the first symptoms of in
sanity in his case were noticed after he
was defeated for an Office at the polls.
Then followed financial reverses, and
finally his mind gave way to the ex-
tent that he was determined on self-de-
struction. He was sent to this asylum
and placed with the other unfortunates
suffering from suicidal mania. He was
not by any means a dangerous man,
but an eve had to be kept on him all
the time to keep him from destroying
| his own life in one way orsanother.
Tom. a young but powerful man, was
his keeper. Besides Francis there were
twepty-four other maniacs in the ward.
and one car easily imagine what a nice
time an attendant must have watching
and caring for these poor people. Every
keeper must shave his patients at stated
intervals. and one day when Tom had
one of his subjects in the chair he COM
planned of the razor scratching him.
whereupon Tom laid it on the window
| sill and got out another n While he
was stropping it he noticed Francis
standing in the door, looking f~urtively
into the room. Before he could think
the maniac bounded by him and had
the open razor which Tom had laid on
the window-sill in his hand. 1t was nc
time for thought. but action was what
was needed. Turning quickly, Tom
grasped the hand in which the maniac
held the razor, while he in turn, equally
on the alert. grasped Tom by the wrist
of the hand in which he held the open
razor with which he had been beating
the strop.
..Let go" yelled Tom.
"Let go YOURSELF" retorted the
maniac, glazing sayagely at the attend
ant.
The next instant began a battle fol
life. The two men pushed. tugged and
twisted, but neither could be forced to
loosen his hold on the others wrist.
The third person sat quietly in his chair
as unconcerned as if nothing unusual
was going on Finally the insane mar
got his feet entaugled in an old coat
lying on the floor. when the keeper
managed to throw him and wrench the
razor from him. Francis got up. gave
Tom a terrible look and walked from
the room. In a few minutes he returned
and explained that he did not wish to
injure Tenn. and only fought for the
razor because he wanted to cut his OWL
throat. He said:
tom, l amt mad at you, but l wan
you to know, one for all, that l an
going to cut my throat, and I'll do it,
no matter how much you watch me-
And. indeed, he kept his word.
The next day Tom was aroused by
terrible crash of falling glass at the ex
treme end of the ward, where is 10
Gated the wash and bathrooms. HI
ran to the place, and there stood Fran
els with his throat cut almost from cal
to ear. He laughed derisively at Ton
as he entered the room. He had broker
the window with his fist, and with
piece of the glass cut his throat. He
had severed the windpipe. and whe1
he attempted to laugh a gutteral sount
was all that could be heard.
Tom grasped the gaping wound il
one hand and held it together as mucl
as possible to stop the flow of blood Al
much as was in his power. Two of tn
asylum physicians were on hand almos
instantly. They took the patient il
hand, and by sheer force sawed up tn
horrible wound, but rs 500 as the ma
MAC was put to bed he tore out tn
stitches. The wound gas sewed up
second time. and the suicides hand
incased in a pair of leather mufs, whel
he managed to tear the stitches by jerk
ing his head backward and forward
and from side to side. He was then pu
in a crib, and a box made to place hi
head and shoulders in, SO that it wa
utterly impossible for him to move tn
least bit. He was kept in this contri
vance for nearly seven weeks, much o
which time it was very doubtful wheth
er he would or not. After bein;
taken from the crib he was transferred
to ward 10. His hands for d lon,
time afterward were kept in the leathe
muffs. but he finally induced the al
tendant, on promise to not again 81
tempt suicide. to take them off. Tom
his old attendant, upon learning of thi
fact, called on the new keeper and toll
him he would regret taking off the muf1
before the week was over, and sur
enough he did. The third day after tn
muffs were taken off the attendant We
in his room cutting a small piece of tt
bacco off of a large plug with a sma
pen-knife, when Francis sprang int
/ the room, grasped the knife out of b
: hand, and before the keeper could il
, ~terfere, drew it across his own throa
1t then became necessary to put hil
3 in the crib again, where he was kel
aaathas Ssaall Of aoEoral xuaokG hut ~