St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1885-10-17

things l say of him because / know
them to be facts. When suffering from
the awful disease he is, indeed, ravino
maniac. though never very threatening.
He is a very ingenious fellow at all
times, and this is what always made
him a troublesome prisoner.
At night, when the patients in Il ward
are locked in their rooms, they place
their clothes outside of the door in the
hallway, so that an attendant knows
they are all in their places. This is
always done. On certain night the
attendant of the ward in which Charley
was patient had performed this duty
and retired, feeling confident every
thing was secure and all right But for
two or three nights previous to that
Charley had been at work on the heavy
iron bars on his window with file he
had procured somewhere-cvidentl
from one OF the insane who had the
privilege of the grounds. On the night
in question he completed his work.
filing through one bar and springing
two Others so he could get ont. But
there were his clothes outside the door
and his oyercoat in the clothes room at
the end of the hallway. These he
needed. for it was a bitter cold night in
midwinter. With his file he worked
the wood away from the locks in both
doors, got his clothes, overcoat and all.
and soon was tramping through Dayton.
He went direct to the depot and got
on top the last car of the midnight ex-
press. bound for Cincinnati. So thought
full was he that he inquired as to what
stations the train stopped at, and when
it left Hamilton he ran forward to the
first car, and when the conductor
passed through he clambered down of
the top while the train was running
thirty miles or more an hour, and took
seat in the warm car, as independ-
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 the car after it left Hamilton, for
the train, making no stops. could, of
course, not take on any passengers.
That he remained on top the car 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 lpcks would
have it. the next person to register. who
stepped up to the counter not ten
minutes after he left it. was an acqnaint-
ance of his from his home. The name
met his eye. and after speaking to the
clerk he managed to catch sight of
Charley as he came from the bath
rooms. The friend at once telegraphed
his folks. and they the asylum authori-
ties. The telegram they received was
the first intmation the officials of the
institution had that any one had es-
capped. =. ,7tea
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. s5 p
Hello. Toni" was Charley's greet
ing. I've got 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 game Of billiards, !" as he
put it.
If ever a man had determined to die.
come what may, that man was Francis
powerful farmer from Au-
glaize County. He was one of the few
farmers who take great interest in.
politics, and the first symptoms of in
sanity in his case were noticed after he
was defeated for an office al the polls.
Then followed financial reyerses, and
finally his mind gave way to the ex-
tent that he was determined on self-de-
He was sent to this asylum
and placed with the other unfortunates
sutfer ring from suicidal mania. He was
not by any means a dangerous man.
but an eye had to be kept on him all
the time to keep him from DESTROYING
his own life in one way or another.
Tom. a young but powerful man, was
his keeper. Besides Francis there were
other maniacs in the ward.
and one can easily imagine what nice
lime 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,
Tom laid il on the window
I'll and got out another one. While he
vas stropping it he noticed Ersncis
standing in the door. looking sfurtiyely
nto the room. Before he could think 1
he maniac bounded by him and, had
he open razor which Tom had laid On
he window-sill in his hands 1t was. no
ime for thought. bu. action was what
4needed. Turning quickly, Tom
.f1sped the hand in which the maniac
leld3 Che razor.rwhile he in turn. equally
y t. alert; grasped Tom by the wrist
II the hand in which he held the open
Azor with which he had been beating
he strop. /
LET gor' yelled Tom.
''Let go yourselfr' retorted the
maniac, glaring savagely at the attend
mt - -
The next instant began a battle for
The two men pushed. tugged and |
xiS6d, but neither could be forced to
DoS his hold on the others wrist.
Ehd4ird person sat quietly in his chair |
; u1eoncerned as if nothing unusual |
~ ping on. Finally the insane man
,ot his feet entangled in an old coat
wing on the floor, when the keeper
to throw him and wrench the