The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-11-21
At night. when the patients in a ward

are locked IN their rooms, Lney 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 omewhere-evidently
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 out. But
there were his clothes outside the door
and his overcoat in the clothes room at
the end of the hallway. These he
needed, for it was 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 clanbered down of
the top while the train was running
thirty miles or more an hour, and took
a 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 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
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 intimation the officials of the
institution had that any one 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. "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 a 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 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 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
tweDty-four other maniacs in the ward.
and one can easily imagine what 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 one. While he
was stropping it he noticed Francis
standing in the door, looking furtively
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 no
time for thought, bu: 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 yourselfr' rctorted the
maniac, glaring savagely at the attend
ant.
The next instant began battle for
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 00inu ON Einallu tho inra,a ,,,a..