The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-16
A HUMAN CYCLONE,
The Perils of Conveying a Party of
Convict Lunatics.
From the Ne,n York HernLI

From the Ne,o YORK Herald,
1t isn't the pleasantest thing in the world
to travel with a convict. It is still less
agreeable to have as your compaqnon d..
Uoydge lunatic who is liable to break out
and be violent at any moment But l think
the worst of all is to have a collection of
convict ''loonieS" 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 and ugly.
We were transferring six prisoners Of this
variety from Utica to Auburn. There were
eleven in the party, four keepers besides the
doctor, slender young fellow and some
thing of dude in appearance, with his fine
clothes and gold-rimmed eyeglasses, which
he pronounced "glawses," but good man
for all that, brave as lion and with
muscles like steel springs on his athletic
arms.
1t was hard to say who was the m ost
nervous of the party-the madmen, excited
by their change of base, the keepers, know
ing 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 1t 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 overpowere
him, while the doctor, after sweeping the
Others with lightning-like glancs and bid
ding them in a low tone of authority to
stand perfectly still, whipped out a pocket
case with tiny syringe in it and squirted
.Tv,s., - -
Gus and foaming mailman. In moment or
two he had become tranquil
"Now, get up," said the doctor, "and do
not make us any more trouble"
The keepers relaxed their hold and the
gloomy" sullenly obeyed. 1t was wonder
full what effect the cool manner and the
strong will of the little doctor had upon
these misshapen minds. 1t was like Gil on
troubled waters.
There was no further trouble until we
reached Syracuse. The dangerous patient
had been very quiet since his first outbreak.
suspiciously so, the doctor thought, who
asked him several times how he felt, if he
felt all right, and so forth. In the car he
was between his keeper and the window.
and really had no chance for mischief But
as they were getting off the cars at SYRIA
cuss his opportunity came and he took it
like a flash. With quick blow he knocked
the keeper off the car platform and do wn
on the station, then ne was off upon the
other side and running like deer along the
railroad track. The Chicago limited was
coming down the track at a fast paca. and
| expected that the locomotive would for
ever settle that troublesome patient, for it
caught him in a morrow place where he
could turn neither to the right nor left, but
with all a 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
overtakes the deer. He 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 scruf of the neck, gave him a
twist, and sent him spinning like a peg ton
crash against the fence Then he had him
down and was jumping on the PROSTATE
body till the fellow howled for mercy.
Cruel? Brutal? Well, perhaps it was, but
l, who had seen the whole business, and
knew how quickly the mailman would stick
knife in him if he got the chance, could
not blame him for harsh measures
A moment later the fellow was again in
the hands of keeper. The morphine was
applied once more and the doctor was So
renely asking how he felt.
1t was not until the men were safely
lodged in their new asylum couple of
hours afterward that the doctor broke
down. and then, trembling and with hutter-
ing voice, he went to the hotel and asked
for long, long horn of brandy. THAT is
the most terrible task of any that nave to
do" he said. I'm transferring .loonies' /
am always possessed by the expectation
that one of them will break loose and xiii
somebody. 1t Is not for myself that fear.
but for some harmless and unsuspecting
passenger. l would rather carry a load Of
dynamite on the cars than half dozen OF
those fellows
Rarnannhar tn-nnrrnu Sat,,.dnrr,. ......,