The Dawson journal., 1886-04-08
STRANGE CASE OF LUNACY.
A Keepers Story of the Cause that
Made Lady Mad.
From the Macon Telegraph.

down in . reckoning chair near
the CRATE. His dress suggested a
clergyman, except that his coat
did not button up to the chin. He
l1 had in his hand copy of the
Telegraph.
At the table a reporter was busy
with his scratch book, expanding
some notes. He gave the. mau a
hurried glance rs he settled him
self in the rocking chair, and
thought no more of him.
At the end of twenty minutes
the reporter felt touch on his
shoulder. CHANGING up he dis
covered the man standing over
him. -.
''Is there a lunatic asylum in
this city?'' the man inquired.
The reporter dropped his pen
CD and pushed his chair back.
'N-no, SIR he said, feeling
rather queer.
L heard that the Georgia luna
tic asylum was at Macon, and, as
| am connected with an asylum in
New York State, [ thought I would
visit it,"
"The Georgia lunatic asylum" :"
the reporter said, SIS near Mil
ledgevlle, town distant from
from Macon about thirty miles. :"
-"Indeed? Well, l am sorry. [
am returning from Florida, whore,
during the winter, l have had
charge of a lady whose mind is
slightly eIouded. l stopped, off
here under the impression that
the lunatic asylum was in this
city. My name is Ross"
The reporter joined MIR. Ross at
the CRATE and interviewed him.
"What is your position in the
asylum with which you are con
nected?" he inquired.
Il am a keeper-the oldest in
the asylum. i have been connect
ed with the institution thirty
years."
"You must have had some sin
gular experiences within that pc
Rod.
II have, indeed. Fhe truth is,
[ have had SO many that | find it
difficult to keep them separated
when l think Of thenl."
"But there is one question
that you can answer, no doubt,
without getting things mixed.
What do you consider the most
remarkable case of insanity, as to
the cause, that you remember?"
eyes, that is a question I can
easily answer. Iremember a case
the patient is now dead which
occurred about two years after
became a keeper. It was the
most remarkable ever heard of.
A lady who resided in New York
city had very pretty little girl.
The child was about six years old,
and between her and her mother
the warmest affection existed. The
child died. The mother was, of
course, greatly distressed, but, in
the course of time, regained her
composure. and, finally, her good
spirits. About three years after
the death of the child it became
necessary to remove the remains
from the cemetery in which they
had been inferred to another.
The mother was seized with an
unaccountable desire to have the
coffin uponed, in order that she
might view what was left Of the
child. Her desire was opposed
by her husband, but she so siren
ously persisted that he yielded.
When the coffin was opened and
she looked in, the mother beheld
nothing but a few bones. She
said nothing, but returned to hen
home apparently in her usual
state of mind. The next day hel
actions showed that she was vic.
lently insane. AT the dinner ia.
BILE she seized a piece of beef bone
and shrieked out that her child
was being eaten. Nothing could
be done to quiet her, and, wher
the bone was taken from her, she
attempted to kill herself. In or.
der to prevent her from commit
ing suicide, the bone was return
ed to her. She was sent to the
asylum, where she remained Sly
years. During all that time, she
never once relaxed her grasp or
the bone"
The reporter made q note Of
the story, had some further con
versatlon with Mr.. Ross, and ther
bade him goodbye, and sauntered
out into the office.
That's a queer fellow in the
reading-loom, that preacher-look-
ing fellow" he said to one Of the
clerks.
eyes," the clerk replied, che is
a queer fellow. That's - -
a Cincinnati drummer.
The reporter pulled his hat
| down over his eyes, turned about
| and marched out of the hotel IN
search Of truthful man.
Jonesboro was once called
Leaksville, in honor of Sam Leak,
| nf Griffin ME- InnL ,u.