The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-08-08
ONE WHO HAS FELT IT.
A Victim Describes His Sensations
While Insane.


place so gradually that even the
closest companions of the victim
are at a loss to remember when the
trouble began. 1t must have been
this way in my case. One evening,
after an oppressively warm day, a
day when 1 experienced more fa-
tigue from the heat than ever before
or since, sat in my porch tanning
myself. "This arm that is now in
motion,".I mused, must one of
these days be dust. l wonder how
long will the time be-" Then I
unused upon the evidence / had of
Immortality. l could do things that
other people could not accomplish.
had gone through battle after
battle, and though bullets sang and
struck around me as thick as hail,
yet l remained uninjured. l had
passed through epidemics of yellow
fever. My idea gained strength as
| unused, and l was convinced that
| should live forever. No, this can
not be, for death follows all men
alike. Yes, I am to die like other
men, and l believe that it is my
duty to make the most of life; to
make money and enjoy myself, and
to educate my children. / wanted
to be rich, and I began to study over
an imaginary list of enterprises.
At last l hit upon radishes. Peo-
pie must have radishes. They
should be in every shop. They
could be dried and sold in winter.
/ would plant fifty acres with rad
dish seed, and people all over the
country would refer to me as the
"radish king" l would form rad
ish syndicate, and buy up all the
radishes, and travel, and be admired.
1 fastened to the house to tell my
wife that she.was soon to be radish
queen. At the breakfast table l
said: "Julia, how would you like
to be radish queen?" "a what?''
she exclaimed. l explained my
plan of acquiring great wealth, and
during the recital she behaved so
curiously that / was alarmed. l
feared that she was losing her mind.
Finally she seemed to understand,
She agreed with me, but told me not
to say anything more about it. At
ter breakfast saw her talking earn
estly with her father, and | know
that she was explaining to the old
gentleman how she intended to pay
his debts when l became known as
the radish king. The old man ap-
preached me with much concern,
and told me that l needed rest and
that l must not think of business.
He was old and sadly worried, and
| promised him that | would not
think of business. Pretty soon l
went out to inspect my radish king
dom. Looking round / saw the old
man following me. From the field
[ went to the village. approached
friend, and told him how l In
tended to become rich.
He seemed grieved, and | saw at
once that he was contemplating the
same enterprise. 1t seemed mean
that he should take advantage of
me, and l told him so. He tried to
explain, but he made me so angry
that I would have struck him if my
father-in-law had not come up and
separated us. tried to calm my
self but could not. Those who had
been my friends proved to be my
enemies, and l was determined to
be avenged. But before | could ex-
ecute my will was seized by sew
eral men. My father-in-law did not
attempt to rescue me, and | hated
him. l was taken to prison.
My wife came to see me, but she
did not try to have me released. l
demanded trial, but no lawyer
would defend me. Then | realized
that the whole community was
against me. l became SO wroth that
NV anger seemed to hang over me
like a dark cloud. 1t pressed me
to the floor and held me there. Men
came after long time and took me
away, / thought, to another prison.
One day a cat came into my cell,
and | tried to bite her. She made
the hair fly, but l killed her.
/ don't know how long remained
here, but one morning the sun rose
and shone in at me through the
window. 1t seemed to be the first
time that | had seen the great lu-
minary for months. A mist cleared
from before my eyes. My brain
began to work, and suddenly | re-
allied that | had been insane.
| called the keeper, and when ne
saw me he exclaimed, Thank heav-
en- p and grasped my hand. | was
not long in putting on another suit
of clothes and turning my face to-
ward home. A physician said that
| was cured, and everybody seemed
bright and happy at my recovery.
I went home. My wife tainted when
she saw me and learned | had re-