The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1889-10-21
NARROW ESCAPE.
PenitentiarY Chaplain in the Hands OF
Madman.
A Prison Guard Arrives in Time to Pre-.
vent the Saerifiee-TEe vouId-Be
Murderer Taken to the Hospital
Where lie Afterward Dies.

/ Murderer Taken to the Hospital
Where lie Aterward Dies.
CoLUMBUs, o., Oct Is-Last Satur
day VIM Ferreter. convict No. 2270s
serving a sentence from Ashtabula
county for hoiise- breaking, began tc
act peculiarly. He refused to eat any
dinner on that day. stating that the
/ Lord had commanded him 70 abstain
from food lie ate nothing from that
time until Monday morning. Just be-
fore noon Monday he went to the office
of Chaplain Dudley and talked strange
ly on religious topics He said the
Lord had commanded him TO make
sacrifice of human blood. Mr. Dud-
ley told him that was unnecessary, as
the Saviour had been offered up as q
sacrifice Ferreter then asked If anoth-
er father in the Bible had not been
commanded 70 shed human blood, and
Mr.. Dudley, who was alone in the office,
began TO get decidedly nervous. as he
replied that Abraham had been com
Inanded TO offer up his son. Ferreter
suddenly seized the chaplain's arm in o
vise-lise grip and glared at him in de
uioniacal frenzy.
Mr.. Dudley. who is a man Of slight
build says he was badly scared. and
when he saw guard approaching lost
no time in calling on his assistance. As
soon as the guard entered Ferreter sud
denly departed, going back TO the hoe
shop Here he procured draw-knife
and took il TO one of the grindstOnes to
put razor edge on it He again pro
claimed that he had been commanded to
shed human blood, and was disarIned
and marched OF TO the deputy warden's
Office.
While being searched here he became
wild and raTing, and. although hand
cuffed. required the united effort OF
Deputy Playford, Guard Gump and At
tendant Ashton TO hold him. He frothed
at the mouth, gnashed his teeth in
frenzy and attempted to get Ashton's
fingers in his mouth II was evident
that he had been captured just in time
10 prevent tragedy. DIR. Rowles tried
20 quiet him with medicine and hypo
derTnic injection, and he was led away
70 the asylum
Ferreter was locked in a padded cell
Ferreter had been poring over small
paper circulated in the prison called
The Prisoner of Hope, which contained
q paragraph about the DEVILS trying tc
squeeze into 4 mans heart
A frightful scene at the penitentiary
Monday night formed the closing chap
ter of the very peculiar case Ferreter
died under the most mysterious circum-
stances, and his death was preceded by
an unusual trial OF medical skill At
$50 p. m. after being taken to
the prison asylum Ferreter ceased
his rawlings and his condition became
one of utter collapse. He fell into
a deep slumber. from which il was inn
possible to awaken him. and Assistant
Penitentiary Physician Heinlein was
summoned He pronounced it case
of opium poisoning. and ordered the
man transferred to the asylum. Before
the transfer could be made Ferreter
ceased to breathe. His limp body was
carried to the hospital, then began a
struggle TO rekindle the spark Of his
life that his family beating heart
told was there Hypodernic in
iections of aromatic ammonia and
digitalis were given A stomach pump
was brought into use. He was placed
on a canvas cot and given shower baths
of hot and cold water alternately. Arti-
fetal respiration was attempted for
some time in vain Mustard plaster,
hot bricks, fiagellation and every meth
cd of restorative known to the med
ical profession was brought into serv-
ice. A corps of ten prisoners was kept
busy in the effort to revive the man
II was seemingly useless, however
Ferreter was apparently dead. His
limbs became rigid and his flesh blue
like that of corpse. The prisoners
ceased their work. and gave the man up
for dead. Presently there was another
slight breathing, and operations were
resumed 1t was impossible to even
produce artificial respiration for time.
but finally Ferreter began breathing in
spasmoiic jerks He opened his eyes
and asked for a drink of water 1t was
given him, and ne again apparently died
The attempt to resuscitate Ferreter was
continued until, as Dr. Heinlein ex-
pressed it: The man died and was
brought to life ten times" At 9
o'clock Monday night it was evident
that he could not again be revived and
the physicians pronounced him dead
He died breathing" said one of the
hospital attendants. for we kept his
lungs working by artificial means How
the prisoner obtained the poison with
which to end his life is mystery. DR.
Rowles. who first attended him, states
that five grains of bromide and ten
grains of morphine were given FerretAr
to soothe his nerves while he was raw
ing. This was all the medicine admin
istered before he was found in coma
tose condition Ferreter has n wife aud
daughter living at Terre Haute. Ind