The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-11


James was sitting alone In the sitting
room of her bone. Her children, the Oldest
of whom was but years of age at the TING,
were at school, and her husband and brother
were working in a mill about mile distant.
AS the day was warm and the weather
pleasant the doors were open to admit the
balmy hower-laden breezes, and no thought
was given to a possible rude awakening
from the comfortable surroundings. All
at once, however, Mrs james heard a
stealthy step in the room, and, looking up,
saw a man standing before her whose ap-
pearance was anything but pleasing. He
was big and powerfully built, red-headed
ter in his eyes, which were constantly on
the gallop, displaying the unsettled condi-
ton of his mind. On his back was slung a
| rough looking carpet bag.
AFTER MUsH AND MILK.
Mrs. James did not scream because she
| was too badly frightened. but in q falter-
| ing unsteady voice she managed to ask the
| fellow what he wanted.
Something to eat," was bis answer.
What will you HAYES" was the next
| question.
"Mush an milk"
81 have no fire burning and cannot pre-
| pare you mush and milk. can give you
anything you want cold"
81 want mush and milk an you're going
to make it," the man replied, "Now you'd
better get to work"
''But have no meal In the house; l can
| not prepare the mush without meal. l can
! give you bread and milk"
"Mush and milk, mush mush," the fellow
| kept growing, and his brow darkened.
Matters were truly about to reach a
climax. Something must be done and that
very quickly to appease the variable fancy
of the maniac. In case like that the per-
| thought very rapidly. Mrs. James was no
exception. She began to think what she
could do. At this time they were In the
| dining room, on either side of large din
| ing table. The fellow was growing i'm
patient and started around the table 90
ward Mrs. James. This crisis was coming.
"Wait minute" she exclaimed. ready
| to fall to the floor from fear, land ] will
| get you something you will like"
| He halted and gazed at her in a knowing
manner, as much as to say that no ruse or
trick would be tolerated. Mrs. James
| few 30 the cupboard, and In a moment
| went toward the man with a tempting
looking plate of home made bread in one
| hand and bowl of milk IN the other.
| IL was evident that the man was suffer-
ing from the pangs of hunger from the look
that came into his eyes, but without makinR
any attempt to take the proffered feast he
said there was not enough bread on the
| plate. Mrs. James then went to the cup
board again, and when she returned the
plate Of bread was surmounted by large
| loaf. This seemed to please the maniac
hugely, and he. quietly acquiesced in Mrs.
| James request to seat himself on the back
porch 10 eat his meal.
CALL FOR HELP.
Just at that critical period Mrs. James
espied her three small children coming
home from school through the orchard.
The first thing she thought Of was to keep
the maniac from seeing them, and wild
with terror, she morionsd for the children
| to 60 around to the front of the house.
Happily they understood their mothers
warning, and got into the house without
| attracting the attention Of the man, who
sat gormandizinG on the porch. Slipping
| into the front part OF the house, Mrs.
james told her eldest child, a bright girl of
| Z, that the man was crazy, and
| TO tbs mill and tell her father. The child,
as some children will, seemed to GRASP the
situation as readily as one Of more mature
| years would, and, without consuming time
| In asking questions, started for the mill 70
inform her father of the peril of her mobher
and sisters As soon as the child was on
| her way Mrs. James quietly locked and
barred all the doors and windows, and
| gathering her wondering little ones about
| her went upstairs.
| From the window she could see her little
daughter making her way along the muddy
road, and it then began 10 dawn upon her
| what perilous trip it was The creek was
very high, owing to the heavy rains, and in
| order to get to the other side the child would
have to cross over a log. From her impro-
vised observatory, however, the anxious
mother saw the child cross the creek in
| safety, but at that moment her horror was
increased by the sound Of the maniac's
| voice and his loud pounding on the doors
| he had finished his meal and again wanted
| to enter the house. From one door to
another he went, pounding with his rough
fists against the panels. and every moment
| the fear-stricken woman above expected to
heer the crash of the door falling In. She
| had a double agony TO bear then. Not alone
| did she fear for her own safety but for that
| of her young children.
While she thus waited In suspense that
was horrible the noise below ceased. To
add to the joy of the moment-the relaxa-
| rion from a dreaded expectancy-Mrs
| James looking from the window saw her
| stalwart brother coming toward the house
on dead run. He had seen the child be.
| fore she had reached the mill and going TO
meet her had learned Of the presence Of the
crazy man and had hurried on toward the
| house Passing the orchard he picked up a
| Ratchet with which to defend himself In
case of conflict, but when he got to the
| house no one was 60 be found. Mrs James
hurried unlocked the doors and let her
brother In, to whom she recounted her ex-
| perience as best she could under the press OF
| excitement and nervous prostration.
A search was then made for the ugly
| customer who had caused the fright, but he
| could not be found. On the porch were the
| empty plate and bowl where he had left
| them. 1t was afterward learned that he
had gone TO a neighbours house, a half mile
| distant, where he had secured something
| more TO eat. Soon thereafter he was taken
in custody, and it was found that he was an
escaped inmate of an Ohio insane asylum.
ESCAPED FROM AN ASYLUM
When Miss Kate Maloney, a very pretty
young actress, who played with Booth and
| Barrett few years ago. was a little girl
| Sugars old she was boarding in a Swiss
| pension situated In a little mountain village
| surrounded by dense wood The people
| of the village had been terrified for some
! time by what was thought to be a wild
| animal that had been killing sheep on the
edges OF the woods Several armed parties
| had gone out hunting for the animal, but
had never been successful though the re-
| mains OF sheep and lambs had besa found
along its trail all maugied and torn. Mss
| Maloney roomed alone at the far end OF the
| pension, a distorted houss that comprisei
| two long wings built at right angles.