, 1891-07-15
CRAZEO BY STARVATION.

One of the Many TrnEcdfss That M'rL
This Era Of Wonderful Prosperity"
Starvation and lack of remunerltivc
work made August Hicks crazy. While
in this condition he jumped ont of a
second story window into n narrow ar
shaft that extended TO the cellar floor.
His right leg and arm were broken, his
face and head were crushed almost be
yond recognition, and he was reported
dying at the Presbyterian hospital last
night.
Ten years z Hicks married a pretty
BROOKLYN girl. lie was a photographer
by trade and went to work for a relative
who owned a gallery. This relative is a
woman who is said to nave money i'll a
number of savings banks. She pail
Hicks ten dollars n week during the sum
mer months, but during winter his in
come was sometimes not Il fifth of that
sum
The young couple struggled and econo-
mized, the husband hoping for better
days.
Two months ago the relative sold ont
her gallery. The couple had saved moth
ing, and the necessity for employment
was imperative.
Hicks travelled the city from end to
end, but each evening when he returned,
hungry and worn out, it was the same
discouraging story he told his wife. Lit
tie trinkcts and then household pieces
were pawned or sold to buy bread.
When the last salable article was gone
Hicks tried harder, walked farther each
day, and became thinner and more de-
spondent.
TbA connie ftTa1 in "a 1tt1a raor nut ~,
the second foor of 1905 Third avenue.
The wife had grown pinched and sickly.
Two weeks ago he came home late one
afternoon and took off his shoes. His
feet were blistered from walking. He
carried his shoes in his hand and went
barefooted to IA shoeshop, and tried to
sell them. They were too old and worn
out. He could get nothing for them.
He went back to his wife.
For Gods sake, Carrier he said to
her, cant we get something to eat? ]
am starving"
His wife went along the dark halls,
past the doors of neighbors. She found
"a crust of bread that had probably been
discarded by a child, and she brought
it to him. He ate it like n furnished
wolf. The next day she went out and
found some work to do for a pittance.
She was too weak for continuous cxer-
ton, and she boarded up the money,
spending it sparingly.
She could not buy food enough to
satisfy the hunger of either. Hicks con.
timed his tramps in search of work, and
a week ago his mind became unhinged.
Last Friday he brought in some cigai
stumps he had found in the street and
tried 10 eat them. 1t was impossible,
and he broke them up and smoked them
in n pipe. The next day he commenced
to make imaginary photographs.
That night Mrs. Hicks mother came
from Brooklyn and paid her daughter q
visit, and proper food was sent over.
But 1t was too late for the husband.
His wife and her mother hoped that
with care he would recover. Tuesday he
began to act strangely. He walked thu
floor with a basket on his head and a tin
pail in his hand. Occasionally he weuld
fill the pail with water and drink it. He
told his wife I: "as chicken broth and
that it tasted good.
Then he would pick mp nm Old tea ket-
tie, and after filling it with water, would
drink from the spout. He said it was
tea and refreshed him. The kind heart
ed janitrcss suggested that the police
ought. To be called in, for Hicks might
do something desperate, but Mrs. Hicks
thought he WAS harmless and might
come arUund all right.
Late that night he was still walking
from one room to another and refused to
sleep. He said he was very busy and
had some photographs to retouch. AT
800 o'clock in the morning he said he
had some business down town and started
for the stairs.
His wife now became thoroughly
alarmed and called in u n~eighbor. who
agreed to find a policeman. One phase
of Hicks insanity was his horror of the
police. At the mere mention of the word
he would turn pale. 1t was thought
best, however, to have him cared for.
When the policeman arrived at the
place Hicks was standing in the door
way, and at the sight of the bluecoat he
rushed frantically upstairs into his own
apartments and locked the door. His
wife tried to coax him to open it, but he
refused. The policeman kicked in the
door, but as he did SO Hicks raised n
window looking into the narrow cellar
shaft and leaped out.
He is n tall man, and as he jumped
his head struck thewindow opposite and
broke it. He struck a ledge before he
fell in a heap ut the bottom.
The rooms in which the couple lived
are miserably bare and cherries. Late
last night the worn out, haggard look
ing wife was waiting there disconso-
! lately for word from the hospital. She
had been to see her husband in the after.
noon, but was only allowed to see him
for a moment. The authorities there
promised to notify her during the night
should her husband die.-New York Re
corder, June II, 1891.