Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-03-31
More Wild Beast than Man.


o'clock yesterday morning The man
did not move until the horses were al
most upon him, The driver shouted
"Look out" pulled his horses sharply
to one side, and put on the brake.
Then, seeing the man leap lightly from
the track, he loosed the brake and
started up his horses. AS the front
platform came up even with him, the
man. who had resumed his crouching
position in the road, made q tremend-
Gus bound, lighting on Reeds back,
and with animal-like snarls and howls
beat the driver over the head with his
fists. Reed lost his hold on the reins,
and the horses, terrified by the cries,
started upon n run, dragging the car
rapidly down the street. Two women
among the passengers in the car ran
shricking to the rear platform and
jumped of: Both were thrown down
by the momentum of the car, but neith-
er was seriously hurt.
The struggle on the front platform
was growing tiercer every minute. Rsed,
realizing that he had maniac to deal
with, fought with desperate fury, but
was unable 10 shake Off his assailant,
who had wound his arms and legs
about the driver and was slowly chok
ing him. The car was going at ter
rifle rate, and rocking in a way that
seemed momentarily likely to throw it
from the track. One by one the pas,
sengers had dropped from the rear
platform, all except one man, who
forced open the door, and, Selling the
crazy man from behind, tried to wrench
him free from the driver.
At this the man with yell buried
his teeth in Reeds cheek and tore out
the flesh. The next instant he loosed
his hold, snapped at the head of the
passenger who had come to Reeds as
sistance, lcapcd from the car, and ran
with wondrous swiftness down the
street. Reed with the blood flowing
from his bitten cheek, and from his
throat, where the mauiac's nails had
torn him, caught up the reins, and with
some difficulty, succeeded in bringing
the horses to standstill.
Then he staggered almost fainting af
ter his asssailant. The passenger who
had aided him was some distance in ad
vance; and far ahead, bent almost
double, the man sped up the stree,
now and again yelling as if in rage. His
criesattracted the attention ofPoliceman
Malcom of the Charles street station,
who came around corner just in time
to run into the man. The policeman
grappled and threw the lunatic, who
kicked and bit at him furiously. Men
from the crowd which had gathered
came to the officers assistance, and the
man was subjugated and his hands
bound. Suddenly he ceased his strug-
giles and rising to his feet looked around.
As the crowd saw his face they fell
back with exclamations of horror.
The man was very short, being but
tride over five feet in height. His head,
covered with shock of grayish hair,
was small and peaked like the head of
an idiot. His beard was matted with
dirt and the blood of his victim. His
mouth almost toothless save his eye
teeth, which protrudcd fang-like be-
yond the lips, was covered with froth
like that of rabid dog. The pale eyes,
under q heavy forehead, blazed with
murderous light, and the whole face
had an indescribable expression of cum
ming ferocity. In spite of his small stat
ure the man possessed wonderful mus
cular power and activity, as could be
seen by the play of the muscles, show
ing through his unspeakably ragged
and filthy clothing. His feet were bare
except for rags tied about them. But
for his gray hair he might have been
taken for almost any age. He walked
quietly enough to the station, the
crowd following at respectful distance.
Policeman Malcom brought him before
the Sergeant, saying:
Il don't know what I've got here. 1t
looks like a man, but think it's an
animal"
To the Sergeant's questions the pris-
oner answered only by chickering's and
uncouth gestures. In the morning,
however, he gave his name as Thomas
Walsh, and said he had no home. When
asked why he assaulted Reed he only
snarled.
He was brought to Jefferson Market
Court yesterday morning, and the
court officers declared that in their ex-
perience there had never been in that
place such a revolving and horrible OBJ
ject. Driver Reed, who had had his
wounds dressed, appeared with his head
done up in bandages and made COM
plant Of assault against the prisoner.
Walsh answered Justice Voorhis's ques-
tions with half replies and peculiar ges-
lures and posturings. He was held for
trial on the charge of assault. Reed,
whose nerves had been badly shaken
by the attack, kept as far as possible
from the prisoner, but the man paid no
attention to him. The driver said that
he had never before seen the man, and
that lunacy was the only explanation
of the attack that he could furnish
n. Y. Sun.
x GOD OoLONG TEA, new crop 45c. at