The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-03-27

keep me from the clutches of the yelling
avengers.
One morning. just before the meeting
I! Of the court before which was to be
tried. the Sheriff entered the Jail and
said:
"A1r. Buck, you are free. Read this
letter 1t was written BY crazy man,
well known in this community, and was
addressed TO the circuit Judge"
The surprise was So gladdening-the
thought of regaining my liberty and
once more taking my place among re-
spected men, filled me with such desire
to throw up my hat that it was with
difficulty that could repress my exulta-
ton long enough to read the letter.
The document which effected my liberia
ton ran rs follows:
Judge, while no one is bothcring me, and
while CT ai slnn my fSS number % 1 LEFT
| go to school together, didn't we. Judge2 Well,
| some me ago-I don't know how long, for
| sometimes it seems ten years and then ten
minutes-I slipped away from the asylum.
| They had given me the privilege of walking
| out. got on a train and went up TO your
town. It was night and nobody saw me.
After had walked around awhile, got down
on my knees and Tapped water out of pud-
| die Yes. did. l saw light in house and
I went in An old man with white hair was in
the house. 1t tickled me to look at him. While
| we were talking funny idea occurred to me-:
Suppose the people were to come here in
the morning and find that old mans head
on the rock table. what would they say? 1t
would puzzle em if he was to leave a note
saying that he had cut off his head and put it
there. could put his head there and write
the note, but the people might know his hand
writing and detect the forgery. l won't COM
init forgery. 1t is wrong. They send folks to
the penitentiary for forgery. I'll get him to
write the note That is the way the funny
idea ran through my head. l began to talk
pleasantly to him. told him that | owned q
farm short distance from town. Well, | do,
Judge. won't tell lie unless it is to help
favory asked. lie said that he would. Il
want to play Joke on my little girl said I
she can read and write. but j can't. The
other day she whipped her doll. told her she
ought not be SO cruel, that if she didn't mind
the doll would commit suicide Now, tell
you what am going to do / am going to cut
OF the dolls head and putt on stool aud
leave note, explaining the funny situation.
While she is weeping over the death OF the
doll will take out a nicer one which shall
have handy, and make her glad. Won't You
please write down the words dictateE He
laughed nj the idea, said it was the first time
he had laughed for years. told him that
was glad to afford him any amusement,
and that | would be grateful If he would
write the words for me- He did so and l
went out l slipped into a store, through a
window. and got q new butcher knife. Then
1 Wtllt anu Ibunu the Olu Itstul1iR.
We talked awhile. and then, when he WASH
noticing me. grabbed him by the throat and
forced him to the floor He was 100 weak to
Struggle much. and had very little trouble
in cutting his throat. but cutting of his head
was not such an easy job l got it off after
awhile, and had to laugh when | put 1t on
the rock table, and when | put the note be-
side II, 1t tickled me so much that ] had to
blow out the light shut the door carefully
and went away. / jumped on a freight train
and rode where nobody could see me When
] got of, / threw nearly all my clothes in the
river By morning, i was at the asylum.
They had been looking for me. Since then
they won't let me go out. | showed this let
ter to the Superintendent and expected him
to laugh, but he didn't. He can't see n joke.
/ asked him to hand it back, that wanted to
write few more lines He did So If you
see the old man $ head It will tickle you"
The people who would have been
willing to hang me offered to gener-
ously support my paper if would re-
main, bit the town was d;stasteful to
me. l am now engaged in farming,
and am reasonably contcnted, but |
siludder every time see an old man
with white hair.-4ArkansdU Trarelcr.