Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-04-23
QUEER ILLUSIONS.
Something Of Interest Concerning
q Peculiar Malady.
Startling and singular Forms of Insanity
Developed in People Otherwise Appar-
emily Sane-It Is Hard to Detect
and Difficult to Cure.

Developed in People Otherwise Appar-
emily sane-It Is Hard to Detect
and Difficult to Cure.
Not long ago an old man, looking
like rich, retired merchant or banker,
walked into the Office of one of the
foremost publishing houses of New
York and asked to see the head of the
firm. That gentleman recognized his
caller as man who twenty years ago
had been the junior member of great
Wall street firm. He also remembered
that the senior member had been one
of Lincoln's most trusted advisers in
financial matters. The ex-banker said:
"You will remember that my partner,
who died about six months ago, was
very prominent during the civil war.
Everyone in New York knows that
Lincoln many times followed his couh-
sci. Now, | have in my possession
papers and memoranda showing how
very much Lincoln was indebted to
him. This information is of n deeply
interesting, and, / might say, of a
startling character. | thought per-
haps, we might make some arrange
ment to write memoir. ! feel certain
that it would pay, besides being fair
tribute to my friend and throwing much
light on history"
The ex-banler went on to tell that
he had proof that his partner drew the
original draft of the emancipation
proclamation, besides doing many other
things of vital Importance. The pub
Usher was delighted, and made arrange
ments for writer to call at the OK
bankers house on a certain day and be-
gin work. The publisher talked with
the ex-banker for an hour or more, and
they separated, equally well pleased.
At the appointed time the writer called
and began to discuss the forthcoming
book. After some time the ex-banller
said:
"There is one thing / have not yet
told you, and it is the most important
of all" His voice sank to mysterious
whisper: my partner assassinated MIR.
lincoln"
mo" said the writer, drawing back
and looking at the eX-banker in an as
tonished way.
"Yes," said the ex-banker, ''he killed
him." And then he proceeded to relate
wild and rambling story. The writer
questioned him, and was soon satisfied
that he was stark mad. On all other
subjects he was perfectly sane. On this
one of his partners connection with the
Lincoln administration he was insane.
Instances of this kind are not uncom-
mon, and yet it is form of insanity
that is almost incurablc, and is liable
to become dangerous at any time. 1t
was this form of mania that possessed
Dougherty, who murdered DR.. Lloyd.
Generally, however, it is content with
manufacturing great hoax and stir
ring up an excitement,
few years ago the police of New
ark had an experience of this kind
about which they decline to talk even
yet One day man of respectable ap
pearance walked into police head
quarters at Newark and said: 81 am g
dry goods merchant from Chicago.
was passing through here and stopped
off at the station. had valise with
twenty-seven thousand dollars in bills
in it. ! left the valise on a seat in the
waiting room while l stepped out for ;
moment. When | came back it was
gone. l am fortunately not entirely
without money, as happened to have
few hundred dollars in my pocket"
The police were at first inclined tC
doubt, but when the man told of tive
men who had followed him from Chica
go and acted suspiciously, the chic
was interested. He ordered diligcn
search for the robbers. Circumstance
came up which verified the mans story
and the result was great hue and cry
The man went to a hotel to await de
velopments. He spent his own none,
freely, and encouraged the police il
every way. Several days passed TIL
story and the descriptions of the sup
posed robbers were telcgraphed all owe
the country Would-be detectives il
small towns made arrests The news
papers were full of it and the mystcr,
grew each day. Finally the man iron
Chicago took one of the detectives asid
and said to him:
Perhaps l should have explained on
feature of this case sooner. 1t ma,
have an important bearing. The fac
is am Jesus Christ. | think these rob
bers may have been the devil in dis
guise."
The detectives stared at him and thel
called in other detectives, who put tn
man under arrest. At first it wa
thought that the loss of the money ha,
turned his head. But it at last cam
out that aside from the fac
that he was a Chicago merchant tn
story was false in every particular
The police were enraged, and locke,
the hoaxer in an asylum as soon as pos
sible. They still remember the grea
laugh that arose all over the country.
Inspector Byrnes tells story of tn
same nature. A merchant who live
here and is reputed as sane as anyon
could be came to him one day and sal
that his wife was being annoyed b
anonymous letters from woman VIII