Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-08
A QUEER Cl.lENv.


from ne AflG piN 4FttbNcs
Among the brilliant array q counsel
which Col. Rogers, whose unsettled men
tai condition recently got him into trou-
bic wish a staten Island hotci Keeper, had
called TO his relief was Ira D. W arren.
The Colonel fsncied that a great many
people were earnestly engaged IN do
ing him serious injury, and lad in
trusted variety OF litigation TO Mr..
Warren, Clark Bell, Roscoe Coukiing.
Lucas L. Van Allen and others. In regard
to this remarkable phase o. dementia Ar
Warren said:
1.-The case Of Col. Rogers is nothing TO
the extraordinary insanity that Oeieli a
client of mine some years ago, lie came
OF fine family and was we'll known about
town. He WAS quite as much my friend
ms my client. ] knew him and al his
family intimately. His Affairs had been
in MY hands nearly twenty years, and
during all that while ! knew him as one
of the most practical, cOmmOn-sense men
had ever met. Indeed, he Was the en-
bodiment OF vigorous and robust man.
hood.
lone day he came into my Office and
told me he had contracted TO purchase
ten houses. | thought knew his tnan-
Cial condition almost to a dollar, and
was surprised at the announcement, for !
did not see how in the world he could
carry il out. He spoke very decisWely,
however and as he did not seem disposed
10 conide his plan 10 ne assumed that
he had got hold of some money somehow
or other, and knew what he was about.
He wanted me TO search the titles Of the
property that he intended TO buy, and
added that the men would be III my office
at noon the next day to sign the agree
ment OF purchase. Sure enough, at noon
they were on hand, and, according 70 his
instructions, | drew up the papers for
both the contracting parties to sign.
Then to my infinite astonishment, he said
ne was going to pay $1,000 down ON the
bargain.
me q week to look up those titles, and
these people are strangers 10 Us. Whatif
the titles are not goodF
"'Oh, never mind that he answered,
indiferently; they're all right. Besides,
/ have plenty of money, lots Of it,, oceans,
more than / know what 10 do with. Pay
up, pay up.'
II knew that this was all nonsense, but
] supposed that he had his reasons for
wishing TO impress the men with his pre-
sumed wealth, so said no more, but re-
iuctantly gave them his check. A day or
so afterWard he returned and said hriskly.
Warren, do you want TO make for
tuner
"'HowY' l asked.
"'rll let you into it he said, Il have
arranged to buy all the lots in Central
Park from Fifth avenue TO Eighth avenue
up to Seventeen street, and I'm going to
erect building ON them thirty stories
high
81 looked intently at him as he made
this bewildering proposition. His face
was as straight and as serious as If he
were considering a scheme to buy SIM
pie building lot in Harlem. ! was forced
10 believe that he was serious, and, con.
Bequently, that his mind was disturbed.
SO / answered that I thought weh of his
plan, and would see what money | could
raise to carry IL out. But just now |
added, i N little short, and should like
10 borrow few thousands OF you. How
much have you on handY
''Hali a Million he answered, as cOOlly
as could be. knew well enough what he
had, and asked him for $4,000. This,
knew, would not leave him more than
500 in cash. He gave me his check and
left the office, and within i've minutes |
had it certified and secure. l then wrote
his wife, and her reply was convincing
that he was clearly insane, his mania be-
ing that he was immensely rich. A day
or two later he came into my office IN
company with another man whom reCOg-
nized as "a picture dealer. Then, for the
fret time, | saw symptoms OF insanity in
his face. His eyes were wild and blond
shot and his features cOntOrted AS il in a
rage. / Immediately concluded that we
were To have "A lively time over that
$4,000, and quickly rose to my feet TO pre-
pare for it..
"He walked RAPIDLY up TO me, grasped
my hand, and, pulling me toward him,
whispered: odd man, lend me 5000 till to-
morrow
Il wasn't prepared for that and hardly
knew what to say, but, reaching into my
safe, took out an old check book, long
since disused, and pointing 10 stub
that showed n balance in bank of less than
500, / answered: Does that look as If
eOuldr
"'No,' he replied, ~ don't and, wheel
ing around, he darted out Of the Office as
suddenly as he had come in.
The piCture-seller remained, and
asked him what all this meant. lie an
sWered that my client had bought cart
load Of chr0mOs of him To be sent to his
friends. | told him he had better keep his
chrOmos. Ia a week my client became
violently insane, and we removed him 10
DR.. Barst0W's asylum ina Flushing, whore
be died only a few weeks later. We found
that he had been buying iewelry, din
mOnds, pictures, arOnzes, houses and any
variety of things. all Of which we returned
upon slight compromises. my action in
obtaining that $4,000 check saved his
family from poverty. But what re-
markabie case OF sudden and ineXplicable
ingauifViv