The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-08-23

press DOunu iOr olnclnnat.. SO thought
full was he that he inquired as to what
stations the train stopped at. and when
it left Hamilton he ran forward to the
first car. and when the conductor
passed through he clambered down of,
the top while the train was RUNNING
thirty miles or more an hour. and took
a seat in the warm car, as independ-
emily as if he was the President of the
road. The conductor did not come
through the ira n again. for Hamilton
was the last stop before reaching Gin
cinnati. and Charley. insane as he was.
seemed to understand that he was safe
inside the car after it left Hamilton, for
the train. max ne no stops. could. Of
course, not take on any passengers.
That he remained on top the car in the
b tier cold until the ira n reached this
point is evidence conclusive that he
knew exactly what he was doing.
He reached Cincinnati without any
trouble. went >tra ght to the Gibson
Hose and registered. AS luck would
have it the next person to register. who
stepped up TO the counter not ten
minutes after he left it. was an ac lua nt
ance of his from his home The name
met h $ eye. and after speak no to the
clerk he managed to catch Sight OF
Charley as he came from the bath
rooms. The friend at once telegraphe,l
his folks, and they the asylum author,
ties. The telegram they received was
the first intimation the officials of the
Institution had that any one had es-
capped
Charley was busy playing Billiards
when, at ten o clock the same morning.
his keeper walked into the hall and
slapped him on the back.
Hello, Tom was Charlev's greet
ing. I've got sucker here. - Tn
same evening he was agan in the
asylum. but it amused him for weeks
to think how he went to Cincinnati
just to play a game OF billiards, as he
PIT it.
If ever man had determined to de
come what may. that man was Franc
-. a powerful farmer from Au
glaze County. He was one of the few
farmers who take a great interest in
pol tics, and the first symptoms of in
sanity in his case were noticed after he
was defeated for an office at the polls.
Then followed financ al reverses, and
finally his mind gave way to the ex-
tent that he was determ ned on self-de
struct:On. He was sent to this asylum
and placed with the other unfOrtunates
su 'tr.ng from suicidal man n He was
not BY any means dangerous man.
but an eye had to be kept on him all
the time to keep him from destroying
his own life in one way or another
Tom. young but powerful man, was
his keeper. Bes DIES Francis there were
twentyfour other maniacs in the ward.
and one can cas- ly imagine what a nice
time an attendant must have watching
and caring for these poor people Every
keeper must shave his patients at stated
intervals. and one day when Tom had
one of his sub. ects in the chair he com
pla ned of the razor scratching him.
whereupOn Tom laid it on the lndow-
II and got out another one. Will he
was strOpping it he noticed Francis
standing in the door. looking furt velv
into the room. Before he could tn nix
the maniac bounded bv him and had
the open razor which Tom had la d on
the windOw-sill in his hand. Ii was 10
time for thought. bu. action was what
was needle a. Turning quickly, Tom
grasped the hand in which the maniac
held the razor. while he in turn, equally
on the alert. grasped Tom by the wrist
of the hand in which he held the open
II oh ha
the strop.
Let co. yelled Tom.
'.Let 90 yourselfr' retorted the
man &C. glaring savagely at the attend
ant
The next instant began battle for
life. The two men pushed. tngged and
twisted, but ne Their could be forced to
loosen his hold on the other WI St
The third person sat quietly in his cha +
as unconcerned as if nothing unusual
was going on. Finally the insane man
got his feet ehtangled in an old co 1t
lying on the floor. when the keeper
managed to throw him and wrench the
razor from him. Francs got up. gave
Tom terrible look and walked from
the room. In few m nutes he returned
and explained that he did not wish to
injure Tom. and only fought for the
razor because he wanted to cut his own
throat He said:
Tom. ain mad at you. but want
YOU to know, once for all, that | am
60 ne to cut my throat. and I'll do it,
no matter how much YOU watch me. "
And, indeed, he kept his word.
The next day Tom was aroused by a
terrible crash of falling glass at the ex-
treme end of the ward. where is To-
Gated the wash and bath rooms. He
ran to the place. and there stood Fran
els with his throat cut almost from ear
to ear. He laughed deris' vely at Tom
as he entered the room. He had broken
the window with his fist, and with a
piece of the glass cut his throat. He
had severed the windp pc, and when
he attempt d to laugh a gutteral SQUAD
was all that could be heard.
Tom grasped the gaping wound in
one hand and held it together as much
as possible to stop the flow of blood as
much as was in his power. Two of the
asylum phi. 8 ans were on hand almost
instantly. They took the pat ent in
hand. and by sheer force sewed up the
horr BILE wound. but as soon as the ma
Mac was put to bed he tore out the
stitches. The wound was sewed up 6
second time and the suicides hands
incased in pal Of leather NUTS whea
he managed to tear the st tches by jerk
ing head backward and forward
and from side to SIDE He was then pu
IN RIB. and box made 10 place h
head and shoulders in, SO that it wa
utterly impossible for linn to move the
east bit. He was kept in this contri-
vance for nearly seven weeks. much of
VII oh time it was very doubtful wheth-
n he would recover or not. After beng