Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-12

II Proved Emcacious I'm Capturing . Dan
gerous Mailman.


gerous Mailman
From Recollections Of Physician
Tears ago, when was youngster, became
An assistant OF DIR. B., the superintendent of u
public insane asylum. As ia all insane asylums,
some OF the patients were docile and tractable.
and had the freedom Of q high-walled garden;
wniie Others, being violent and dangerous in
their madness, were confined in their rooms.
sometimes one Of the last named gentlemen
would get loose, q fact which he usually an
nounced by breaking things generally, upon
which announcement the doctor would repair
TO the spot. aad, advancing upon him with .
steadfast gaze, would march him OF 10 his
room. We had one lunatic by the name Of
ZONES, large and strong as an ostrich. He had
oroken out OF his room two or three times, but
had always gone back docilely when any one
OF us made our appearance. The asylum had
ssioon In the center, with door at each end.
and one OF the doors requiring fixing once
upon . time carpenter was engaged upon it
when in trundled Mr.. Jones and quietly pos
sessed himself of q long. sharp chisel When
the carpenter looked around the mailman gave
a grin and poked the chisel at him. whereupon
the man Of chips scuttled out and locked the
ooor-then, while the enemy was battering
away at Ii he rushed around and locked the
other door at the other end. Having thus Gagged
Jones he gave the alarm, and 1, supposing Il
unlocked the door and entered boldly, where
upon he made q rush at me. l incontinently
boited. The doctor sent for. He soon
came, reconnoitered through the keyhole and
ascertaining that the enemy was at the other
END ofthe room, he opened the door and saw
at once he could not do nothing with the loose
maniac. Here apparently dilemma. A
crazy individual, as strong a bull, perfectly
uncomfortable. and armed with a weapon. 10
capture him by force was difficult and danger
GUS undertaking, and TO starve him would be
q tedious affair. But the doctor did not hesi-
tate long Alfred, said he. 'go down into the
surgury, fill the largest syringe with hartshorn
and bring 1t up" / caught the idea rushed
down and brought back a quart syringe with
hartshorn diluted-for 1 did't want to kill the
man. Then the doctor, the carpenter and
myself formed an army Of invasion. We threw
open the door and entered in the following
array: 1, being the shortest of the three
marched FIRST. holding a chair in front OF me
by the back. SO that the legs might keep off a
rush II our popgun should flash in the pan.
linen came the carpenter, with the syringe rest
ing up on my shoulder. like a piece OF fying
artillery Finally. in the rear. in the safest
place. like all great generals, came DIR. Il. The
iunatic sat at the other end of the hall. on a
chair; eying us keenly and savagely. Slowly,
very slowly, We advanced toward him. The
nearer We got the more wicked that chisel
looked and the handle seemed to increase until
II was very, very long. When We we're within
lew feet OF him he jumped up and sprang
toward me. Whiz! splatter. splash, went the
quart of hartshorn into mis- countenance, down
he went like a log-it would have knocked
down q battalion-and while he was catching
his breath we caught him.