Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-09-10

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
1t 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
c:nnati. 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. 1--we 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-
glaze 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. lie 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. young but powerful man, was
his keeper. Besides Francis there were
twenty-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 CO." yelled Tom.
"Let go yourself!' retorted the
maniac, glazing 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 going on. Finally the insane man
got his feet entangled 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 terrible look and walked from
the room. In few minutes he returned
and explained that he did not wish to
injure Tom. and only fought for the
razor because he wanted to cut his own
throat. He said:
s.Top, I oipit mod Of y-or, b,,t wont
you to know, once for all, that l am
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 a
terrible crash of falling glass at the ex-
treme end of the ward, where is To-
Gated the wash and bathrooms. He
ran to the place, and there stood Fran
els with his throat cut almost from ear
to ear. He laughed derisively at Tom
as he entered the room. He had broken
the window with his fist. and with
piece of the glass cut his throat. He
had severed the windpipe, and when
he attempted to laugh gutteral sound
was all that could be heard.
Tom grasped the gaping wound in
one hand and held it together as much
as possible to stop the flow of blood as
much as was in his power. Two of the
asylum physicians were on hand almost
instantly. They took the patient in
hand. and by sheer force sewed up the
horrible wound, but as soon as the ma
MAC was put to bed he tore out the
stitches The wound was sewed up a
second time. and the suicides hands
incssed in pair of leather NUTS, when
he managed to tear the stitches by jerk
ing his head backward and forward,
and from side to side. He was then put
in crib, and a box made to place his