The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-04-11

Startling and singular Forms of Insanity
Developed in People Otherwise Appar-
entity >anr-It Is Hard to Detect
and Difficult to Cure.
-
Not long ago AN old man. looking
like a rich. retired merchant or banker
walked INTO the office of II OF the
foremost publishing houses of New
York n asked to see the head OF the
firm That gentleman recognized his
caller as a man who twenty years a@"
had been the Junior member OF Il great
Wall street firm lie also
that the senior member had been one
OF Lincoln most trusted advisers IN
financial matters. The cX-banker sad:
You will remember that my partner,
VIII" died about SIX months ago, was
very prominent during the civil war.
Everyone in New York knows that
Lincoln many times followed his conn
sci. Now. | have in my possession
papers and memoranda showing how
very much Lincoln was indebted To
him. This information is Of a deeply
Interesting. and. might say. of Il
startling character. | thought. per-
J naiDS, we lnlHIlI Make some arrange
ment to write Il memoir. | feel certain
that it would pay. besides being a fair
tribute to my friend and throwing much
light on history"
The cx-bankrr went on to tell that
he had proof that his partner drew thu
original draft of the emancipation
proclamation. besides doing many other
things of vital Importance. The pub
Usher was delighted. and made arrange
mcnts for Il writer to call at the ex-
bankers house on Il certain day and be-
gin work. The publisher talked with
the ~ex-bankcr for an hour or more. and
they separated. equally well pleased.
At the appointed time the writer called
and hogan Ia discuss the forthcoming
book. After some time the ~cX-bankcr
said:
There is one thing | have not yet
told vou. AMI it is the most important
of all" His voice sank Ia Il mysterious
whisper: My partner a>>as>iEatcd Mr..
Lincoln" ,
No" said the writer, drawing back I
and Ioukin" at h rN-bank"r in an as
toni>hrd WAY.
Yes, said the ~cX-bankrr. IN" killed
him" and then he proceeded I" relate
a 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 ar" not uncoln-
mon, and vet it is a form of insanity
that is almost incurahle. and Is liable }
To become dangerous at any time. 1t
WAS this form of mania that possessed
Dougherty. who murdered nr. Lloyd.
Generally. however. 1t is content with
manufacturing a great hoax and STIR
ring up an excitement.
y few years ago the polio" nf New
ark had an experience of tmr KIND.
about which hey decline to talk even
yct. One day Il man of respectable APP
pcarance walked int" police head
quarters at Newark and said; Il am a
dry goods merchant from Chicago. |
was passing through here and stopped
off at the station. | had a vali>e with
twenty-scven thousand dollars i'll bills
in it. left the valisc on a seat in the
waiting room while | stepped out for a
moment. When | cam" back it was
gone. ! am fortunately no entirely
without money. as | happened To have
"a few hundred dollars in my pocket"
The police were at first inclined to
doubt. hut when the man told of two
men who had followed him from Chica-
go and acted su>piciouSlv. the chief
was Interested. He ordered diligcnt
search for the robbers. Circumstances
came up which verified the mans story.
and the result WAS Il great hue and cry.
The man went to ii hotel to await de
velnpmcntS. He spent his own money
freely. and encouraged the police in
every way. Several DAYS passed. The
story and the descriptions of the sup
posed robhrr> were. Photographed all over
the country. Would-be detectives in
small towns made arrests. The news
papers were full of it and the mystery
grew each day. Finally the man from
Chicago tool one of the detectives aside
and said to him:
Perhaps | should have explained one
feature of this ease sooner. 1t may
have an important bearing. The fact
Il ] am Jesus (hrlSt. | THINK these rob
bcrs may have been the devil in dis
guisc.
The detectives stared at him and then
called in other detectives. who put the
man under arrest. At first it was
thought that the loss of the money had
turned his head. But it at last came
out that aside from the fact
that he was 4 Chlcag" merchant the
story was false in every particular.
The police were enraged and locked
the hoaNer III an asylum as soon as pos
slhle, They still remember the great
laugh that arose all over the country.
Inspector ByrneS tells a story OF the
same nature. y merchant who lives
here and Is rePuted as sane as anyone
could he came to him one day ana sald
that his wife was being annoyed ~
anonymous letters from. IA woman VINO
was trying I" MN lie went
on to tell all about the contents "1 the
letters. anu the inspector began 10 leei