The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-06-12
0SCANYAN'S PRANKS.
n LuNATIC FROM BIRTH DE.
VELOrS INTO \ DESPERATE
ROBBER.
Midnight Visit at a Son TO Hi, Faith
er Beautiful Home Amer Escap-
ing From Lunatic Asylum


ing From n lunatic Asy lum
Career OF Crime
Louis l.. Oscanyan. the twenty Year
old son of William III. Oscanyan, the
well known merchant Of No. is Leon
ard street. was born weak minded. Mr..
O,canyan is son Of Mr.. Oscanyan ex-
Turkish consul at the port Of New York.
With his wife, two SONS and niece, he
lives IN handsome mansion on a little
hill overlooking the Hudson river at the
foot Of 10th street. Tall shade trees
almost hide the house from view. and
the well KEPT lawns cut up the sloping
grounds into pretty figures. 1t is one If
the contest spots along the Hudson.
Young Oscanyan mental arrangement
Is due to facial malformation extend.
ing straight up to the brain. Up TO about
two years ago he went to school and
acted pretty much AS other boys do,
except he couldn't be induced to study.
He was bright, sharp and sensible appa.
rently. but every now anu then his reas.
oa wonld give way to prolonged tits Of
desperation. He had mania for s,y lish
clothes and pistols. and on several &C.
clsions threatened to shoot hls mot her
and all his friends. \ cloie watch WAS
Kept on him at home, but the family
were 10th to send him to an asylum.
Louis was an athlete and bicycllst,
AMI ON account Of his accomplishments
obtained IA position little over year
ago in IA bycicle school in Fifty ninth
street rs teacher. lie got along very
well there for a while, but his moody
spells came ON and he quarrrled with his
pupils. Once he ransaccd his fathers
house, took all the money he could Law
hands upon, and pawned clothing. jew
slry and furniture. Then he disappeared
for about three weeks. During that
time h. perletrated three OF the most
daring roblsries the police ever had tO
investigate. he broke the windows in
the bicycle school, smashed the furni.
ture and bicycles, and lay behind the
dnor with three loaded pistols ready 10
shoot the policeman who went to arrest
him. lie was seized, liandcuifed and ex.
anlined, and was finally sent to the
= PnuHhkeepsie Insane Asylum AZ a
chronic maniac. Inspector Byines did
not wish t. prosecute Louis Grim
nal, because he said no one but n lunatic
could have executed such robbercs.
Louis chafcd under his confinement in
the asylum. He protested against the
notion that he was crazy, and gave the
doctors no end OF trouble. Part Of the
time his mind was at ease. but the least
BIT Of worry reused him SO that he
threatened to tear down the building.
lie wrote letters constantly to lis friends
asking them to intercede in his behalf
81 that he might he released. A week
ago he wrote u hot letter to his father,
saying that he was going to get u lawyer
to take up his case and in that way tind
out whether he was really crazy.
The Oscanyan family retired ~ he'd
early ON Saturday night, n usual, after
boltlng the heavy outer doors and fasten-
ing the door leading from the basement
to the parlor floor. AbOnt o'clock yes
ter,lay morning Dir. Oscanyans niece
heard a footstep in the parlor, but,
thinking it was some member Of the
family, went to sleep again. II was
Louis, who hal escaped from the Pough.
kee,,sie asylum. lie burst open the
basement window, lit candle and
mounted to the dining room just back
of the parlor, on the dumb elevator.
Then he hustled around the parlOr, kick
ing over the chars and furniture, and
smashing things generally. All the
family were sound asleep. Louis climbed
s,ealthily up the stairs, AMI entered the
room, which his brother had occupied.
His ncice was there. so he darted out
again and went a story higher, and found
his brother fast asleep. The mailman
stripped OIL his clothing and put on his
brothers. clothes, which lay on n chair.
In the pocket Of another pair of trousers
were ST, which the lunatic took COOL
care to secure. Then he went down
stairs. took his fathers hat oil the hat
rack in the hall and his silver headed
care and n silver match box, which lay
on the prrlor mantel lie put on "a
brand new collar and cheap pair OF
cuffs, taking both boxes. with several
pairs If collars and cuffs, along. He
then blew out the candle, placed it on IA
chair in the parlor, and went ont the
front door, which he left unlocked.
When Mr.. Oscanyan got up yesterday
morning his first impression was that
hi, yes had been in the house. An ex.
animation. however, showed that Jew
rlry and silverware which might easily
have been taken were untouched. IL
didn't take Mr.. Oscanyan long to con
,lu,le that his insane son ha,i been there,
and his Judgment was confirmed whea
he went ny stairs to his other sons room
and found Louis clothing there. The
father at once weot down TO police bead
quarters and reported the case to Super
intenlent Murray, who sent out u gen
rraI alarm. When he got back home he
found this dispatch awaiting him:
lIrpsoN RIVER INSANE ASYLUM,
PouGnkEErsiE, \. y, June I, 1885,
William II. Oscanyan:
Your son escaped from the hospital
last night. DIR. CLEvELAsD,
Superintendent.
Young O,canyan had been very lie
pressed for the last week. and he was
placed in the hospital Of the asylum for
treatment. There are guards constantly
On watch, and how he happened to es-
cape is a mystery. His father thin Ks
that some OF his friends. to whom he
had written, aided him. lie reported
his son to the police as dangerous. ~
think the very lirst thing he will do, he
said, sis to buy pistol. He may shoot
somebody. for he has often threatened
To ,lo so. There is no way Ut know
ipr how be got down here from
P,a,ghk.e,1sp, but | suppose he must
have jumped Oh passing freight tram.
He is not Of suicidal turn Of mind,
,,J a.. chances are a hundred to one