The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1892-11-19

dead hour of night and realize one''
self to be locked up with him will
ont means Of escape, is indeed q
narrowing experience. Surely oul
watch that night was long and lone.
~ and abounds in many thrilling
"reminiscences.
THE MYSTERIOUS MANIAC.
AS we meandered on our quiei
beat through the long and silent
corridor of one of the better wards
our friend Haynes suddenly paused
and with one of the bunch of keys
which he carried made three dis
tinct raps on the wall, at the same
time bidding us listen. From 8
room in almost the extreme end Of
the hall an answer quickly came
assuring us that its solitary occu
pant had not retired but was faith
full to the constant watch he was
wont to keep. Unlocking the door
and throwing it open revealed one Of
the most mysterious maniacs we
ever beheld. He was standing in
the center of the room attired in
the garb with which nature had in.
vested him,-"a silent sentinel, on
picket duty shattered wreck Of
ante bellum days! With bated
breath and gestures quick as light
ming, he babe us enter and close the
door, then informed lis that "in his
veins flowed the blood of two royal
nation" that he was one of five
brothers, each of whom had the
appellation of Lord Sir" that he
was in the institution in the capac-
ity of a private detective to appre
bend and bring to justice the man
who had relieved him of thirty mill.
ions of dollars-that he would not
sleep wink lest he failed in his
missionw
MIDNIGHT FUNERAL PROCESSION.
We have looked upon death in its
anguish, -gazed in silence and in
sorrow upon the remains Of those
from whose earthly tabernacle the
spirit had taken its fight unto the
great beyond, and with bowed head
and sorrowing heart followed to the
Silent City the. funeral cortege Of
near and dear departed friends, but
never until the night of which VIZ
write did the awful power of death
impress us SO profoundly. We were
seated in the Office quietly discuss
ing the remarkable demonstrations
of insanity which we had previously
witnessed, when we were interrupt
ed by a telephone call. Every
ward in the Institution and the
several annexes are in direct tele-
phonic communication with the
Superintendent office. As the
Inside Night Watch arose to an
swer the summons he exclaimed
"Doubtless corpse to carry outF
Perhaps we didn't fully comprehend
the significance of that remark until
a few minutes subsequently when a
bier was obtained and we proceeded
on that mission. After ascending
three flights of stairs and going
through one or two female wards We
arrived at our destination and as
certained that lady inmate who
had long suffered in the last stages
of consumption had breathed her
last. 1t was then one thirty O'Clock
A. NJ, and the silence of midnight
reigned. The faithful attendants
had already prepared the deceased
for burial, and all that remained
was for us to carry the corpse to the
dead house. The remains were
placed upon the bier and covered
with sheet. The two night Watch
es quietly raised the lifeless form
and guided by the light Of the Ian
tern which we carried followed us
through the long and narrow halls
illumined only by a single jet oil
gas. Surely the scene presented wa.
one never to be forgotten, and wal
as impressive as it was solemn.
DIFFERENT EXHIBITIONS OF MANIA
There are many singular exhibi
tions of mania to be seen at the
Hospital for the Insane. The hal
lucinations are sometimes very sad
and very frequently quite ludicrous.
| One patient imagines himself to be
a water mill and is in constant
state Of excitement, while another
] adheres to the belief that he possess.
es all the wealth of the world and
and has the key of the universe, and
is therefore a jolly and contented
individual. And then there is a
patient who believes himself to bt
the Supreme Being, and claims that
he created the world and
all that is in 1t; another who thinks
he invented all the machinery in the
country, while two or three are
wrapped up in the hobby of per
petual motion. 1t is a remarkable
fact that out of the nine hundred
inmates there are very few who are
conscious of their affection Where
insanity has resulted in grief it il
always pathetic, but many of the
decisions serve make the patients
happy and contented. One patient
told us that night that he saw 8
small snake swallow three largt
sheep, and then laugh heartily ovel
the story. Many Of them believe
they own the Institution and tax,
delight in entertaining company
One poor fellow, who is a suicide
subject, made such a noise that il
was necessary to quiet him. He be
lieved that he saw God and endeav
ored to show us the clothes that II,
wore. The most startling revela
tions of a diseased imagination ar
to be witnessed.
NOTES TAKEN BY THE WAY.
The wards in which the bette
class of patients are confined ar,
particularly clean and attractively
} furnished. Beautiful pictures adorl
the handsomely painted walls, com
Portable chairs and lounges ar,
placed at the disposal of the patients
and every thing seems to be condu
Give to their comfort and happiness
i Each ward contains its own din
ing room in which the patients ca
their meals.
In what is known as the wing
are to be seen some of the very wors
patients. The most violent are KEEP
there. Many of them are so bad tina
they do not know their own names
and resemble beasts more than hu
man beings.