Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-19
weep, my man." said the dapper young

said the other, and he took the broom
out oil Paddy's not reluctant hands.
The heir to 800, 000,0 900 took the
broom and for ten minutes made the
dust fly. Passers-by watched the per-
Torrance with great interest. When
the work was completed young Gould
handed the broom back and asked:
"What is your name 2"
oak me grandmother. Sure an
phats your name?"
George Gould"
The words produced a magical effect.
The new man dropped on his knees. He
pulled off his cap, and, in his most win
ming tone, said:
"Be gobs, an Dim sorry, sir, il Oh
offended yez. You're gintleman, sor, an
l hope you'll go TO Heaven, sor. It's
dam'd fule am, sor -
Before the last sentence was uttered
young Gould was on his way down stairs,
and the head man, in describing the
scene to companion afterwards, trem-
bled like an orchid in n blizzard.
PREVALENCE OF LUNACY.
The sudden death of the wealthy and
homicidal lunatic Dillon at the Union
Square Hotel last week is another re-
mipder of the prevalence of unsupported
insanity. AprOpOs OF this mans career,
the chief official of the Wards Island
Insane Asylum said to me the other day :
There are more lunatics in the world
than it is commonly credited with. The
exact number can never be ascertained.
There are few men not afflicted with
some kind of mania likely to develop
until it destroys the balance of the men
tai faculties.
"What are the general principles in
modern methods of treating insanity
Kindness, always kindness, and the en-
couragement of any amusement or &C.
cupation which will divert the mind OF
the patient from its mania.
POKER MADE HIM TALK.
A singular instance of the efficacy Of
this practice was brought to my notice
recently. There was a man confined in
one of the asylums near New York, who
for several years had most positively re-
fused to speak He labored under the
delusion that he had been stricken
dumb. With the exception Of this trou-
bic his mind was particular active.
Every effort had been made and subter-
fuge resOrted to to catch him unawares
and cause him to speak, but without
avail. Cards are allowed in this asylum,
and on the evening In question, in con-
nection with another patient and two
attendants. game of draw-pOker
was INDUCED in. AS the game pro
ceeded the patient became more and
more excited. At last on one of the
hands the betting became so spirited that
one attendant and the other patient drew
out. The dumb man and his opponent
raised each others bet, until almos. all
the chips were exhausted, when the at
tendant calling, his opponent threw
down four kings and proceeded to rake
in the pot. The dumb patient had by
this time become SO excited that he
jumped to his feet, and grabbing the
chips, yelled 20 bis attendant Hold
on, you d fool. have four aces. " 1t
is needless to add that the game had the
desired effect, and the patient has con-
tinued to use his tongue ever since.
CRAZY TO WRITE.
The philosopher Locke says that
madmen do not appear to have lost the
faculty Of reasoning, but have joined to-
gether some ideas very wrongly and
mistake them for truths. The truth of
this assertion is shown from the follow
ing letter which came to my hands re-
Gently. The writer was a patient con-
fined in one of the State asylums. He
was afflicted with typical case of Gen
eral Paresis, very similar to the disease
which carried off John Mccullough and
from which BARLEY Campbell is now
suffering. One symptom of this peculiar
form of insanity is the continued desire
to write. The patient is always writing,
and that the most arrant nonsense,
though he appears to be governed by
logical reasoning. This patient wrote
"To the kind Doctors and kind loving
Christian and well-to-do God-fearing
multitude OF the whole universe,
Madames, Misses and Misters, and to
my beloved wife Mamie, the Virgin
Mary of the new existance, Her hus-
band. The Redeemer of the World, His
wife, the loving queen Of the whole OF
Gods universe
1--WE own the whole wealth of the
world, we got it in a Legitimate way. l
took my wife Mamie to Europe on
steam yacht. 1t had an electric power.
1t had what / call millions of plunges.
The vessel proper only drew a few feet
of water. 1t Aoated on two long cylin-
ders filled with gass. They were sharp
at both ends. The propelling power was
so great that sent the vessel so fast
that it gained many, many millions OF
years. l made it go some way, | cannot
form any idea now, but | arrived at the
beginning of the world. / see Adam and
Eve, likewise the garden of Eden.
81 intend to make every one a musical
character, also musician, also an ath-
lete, also great runner and walker. He
can vault and throw unnumbered somer-
saults. He will be Gods noble man. l
will tell you how l will accomplish the
great thing. In the first place will go
to Cicily, where the Castillians and Cicil-
lans are. They are the most beautiful
race of people on the face of the earth.
They average feet Al inches to 6 feet 8
inches. They have beautiful forms. l
intend to bring lot of these over here
with my fast yachts. The next thing
/ will do is to put their brains,
on small portion of them in each
Cicillians head. / will advertise and get
ali the song and dance men, also all the
musicians, together at the Maison Doree.
| will promise to take all their dancing
legs and musica! fingers and cut them
up in thin pieces of slices. will dis
tribute them to the singers and dancers
of the world. intend also to put silver
steel springs in every persons bones. l
will have them at intervals of an eighth
of an inch. / will also have their legs
and arms frightened by Baefs, Lions,
Tigers, Leopard's, Bulls, Bulldogs,
and all sorts of sinews. Also will have
great number of stomachs, also great
number OF singing lungs. in
tend to start in with a young
man in Ward B. He is ali attend
ant and a great singer and dancer. |
have invented springs to run with. They
are located in different parts of the body.
| also fill their bodies. also fill their
veins with tinctures of iron and beefs
blood, sometimes lions blood. | inject
;. al, = oIaee svrinoe | also invented