The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-26
A HUMAN CYCLONE.
The Perfls of Conveying a Party of Con
Wet Luuntics.

The Perils of Conveying a Party of Con-
yict Lunntics-
1t isn't the pleasantest thing in the world
to travel with a convict. 1t is still less
agreeable to have as your compagnon en-
voyage a lunatic who is liable to break out
and be violent at any moment. But think
the worst of all is to have collection OF
convict "luneys" under your charge even
for short journey, for, mad as they are,
most Of them know that they are prisoners
and enemies of society. and they couple
with this knowledge all the recklessness
which insanity brings. They are apt to be
both dangerous aud ugly.
We were transferring six prisoners of
this variety from Utica to Auburn. There
were eleven in the party, four keepers be-
sides the doctor, slender young fellow and
something of dude in appearance, with
his fine clothes and gold trimmed eyeglasses,
which he pronounced "glawses," but good
man for all that. brave as a lion, and with
muscles like steel springs ON his athletic
arm.
1t was hard to say who was the most
nervous OF the party-the madmen, excited
by their change of base, the keepers.
knowing well the perils OF the enterprise,
or the young doctor, keen and alert, on
whose shoulders rested the responsibility
for safely delivering his charge within the
walls OF the insane pavilion at Auburn.
On the station platform at Utica one of
the men, the most dangerous character of
all. broke loose and started to run away
instantly all four of the keepers jumped
upon him, and after a most tremendous
struggle threw him down and overpowered
him, while the doctor, after sweeping the
others with lightulng-like glance and bid
ding them in low tone of authority to
stand perfectly still, whipped out pocket
case with tiny syringe in it, and sQuirted
paclfying measure into the arm OF the
furious and foaming madman. In mo-
ment or Two he had become more tranquil.
Now, get up" said the doctor, land do
not make us any more trouble"
The keepers relaxed their hold and the
"luney" sullenly obeyed. 1t was wonder
full what effect the cool manner and the
strong will Of the little doctor had upon
these mlsshapen minds. II was like oil on
troubled waters.
There was no further trouble until we
reached Syracuse. The dangerous patient
had been very quiet since mis- first outbreak,
suspiciously so the doctor thought, who
asked him several times how he felt, il he
felt all right and SO forth. In the cars he
was between his keeper and the window,
and really had no chance for mischief. But
as they were getting off the cars at Syracuse
his opportunity came and he took it like a
flash. With quick blow he knocked the
Keeper of the car platform and down on
the station, then he was off upon the other
side and running like deer along the rail-
road track. The Chicago limited was COM
ing down the track at a fast pace, and l ex-
pected that tho locomotive would forever
settle that troublesome patient, for it caught
him in narrow place where lie could turn
neither to the right nor left, but with all
madman's cunning he lay down close to the
rails just in the nick of time and was passed
by unframed.
But what was that upon his heels--a
streak of lightning? No. it was the young
doctor. and running like the hound that
oyertakes the deer. BE escaped the limited
by throwing himself fiat against the fence,
and then before the other had time to
scramble up and be off again he was on him
with furious energy. He caught the fellow
by the seruif OF the neck, gave him twist
and sent him spinning like peg TOD crash