The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-11

| posed to be CauSeleSS.
From the New York SUM-
Bridgeport, Sept. 4.-William Acker-
man of the Aspetuck district of Easton
| Conn, is suffering from imaginary hy-
drophobia. Until the day before yestor-
| day he had to be strapped down in his
bed with leather straps and sheets, and a
! guard of four men was necessary even
then to keep him from breaking loose and
| possible killing himself and everybody
else. Saturday he had been strapped to
| the bed a week, and his continuous strug-
giles and rawlings told on his strength He
is so weak now that the straps are about
useless, but two strong men still sit on the
bed to hold him. So far as is known, he
never was bitten by a dog, nor was he
ever frightened by one, but
he talks of big black dog
He says, "bow-wow, bow-wow, bow-wow-
wow-wow" He snarls and growls
and snaps and tries to bite those about
him He chews the bed clothing. He
froths at the mouth. He tries to bite
himself. He curses long and loudly Then
he prays Then he sings Then he begs
piteously for a knifeefwith which he may
kill himself and those around him. Some
times he will cry out in apparent agony:
"Oh God, why can't l die?" Morphine,
clOrOfOrm and other drugs seem to have
no effect toward quieting him. The ply
sicians who are attending him say his
sufferings will probably end in death. His
| ncighbOTs are certain he is dying of by
dropbobia, and they are greatly excited
They are killing their own dogs and all
stray ours. His physicians and his fam
lily are certain that he is not suffering
from hYdrophObia.
Alderman was born in the Aspetuck
district In his whole life he has never
| been many miles away from there. The
| nearest railroad town to the district is
| Bridgeport, and for many years he has
| driven the mail coach between Aspetucf
| and this city. He is almost as well known
here as he is in his own town. He is tall
| and lank. He is more than 80 years old,
| but he looks good deal like very much
| overgrOwn boy. Some years ago he mar
| ried a young woman from back in the
| country, but year or so ago he accused
her of flirting with other men and they
| quarreled and separated. He never said
much about it to anybody, but his folks
say he brOoded over it.
Late last spring Alderman was stricken
with pneumonia. He never fully recov-
cred. II left him with cough A month
| ago he went to a Bridgeport doctor who
| advised him to stop working for month
or so. After that he did nothing, except
to help his mother about the house He
was not always cheerful. On Saturday
| morning a week ago, his stepfather, Mr.
| Grammar, wanted to 90 to Bridgeport
and he asked his youngest son, Charley,
| to hitch up the team William went out
to help him. He stayed out there until
| Mr.. Grammar had started off, and then
went into the house and sat down on the
sofa in the parlor. His mother found him
! there an hour later. He appeared to be
| asleep. He did not answer her when she
! spoke, but as she turned to leave he
| sprang half way across the room at her
| Both his lips cured up and left his teeth
| exposed.
| A white foam came about the corners
| of his mouth. He shrieked. Then he
! barked and snarled and snapped at things
within reach His mother spoke to him
and with a snarl he bounded out of the
front door and into the yard, where he
went tearing around barking and biting
at the trees and shrubbery. Mrs. Grum-
man ran to her nearest neighbor Mr.. Par
rick, who lives a quarter of a mile down
the road, and told him William had gone
crazy. Patrick sent his hired man for
help and ran back with Mrs Grammar.
Alderman was still dashing about the
yard swapping and snarling. Parrick is
a man of a good deal Of nerve, and jumped
in after him. The moment he saw him,
Alderman came for him, his arms extend
ed and his fingers bent like claws His
mouth was covered with foam and his
teeth looked like the fangs of wild
beast just before he reached Parrick
| he sprang into the air, reaching out as if
to clutch him by the throat Parrick
leaped aside, and quick as fash turned
and seized one of the extended
arms. With a twist he caught
the other. Alderman struggled and
snarled and yelped He twisted his head
about and tried to bite his captor The
two struggled back and forth about the
yard. Parrick was much heavier built
and much stronger man than his captive,
but he was tossed about like boy His
strength was nearly gone when three or
four neighbors came. They carried the
wild man into the house and stretched
him on the sofa. One held his head, two
others his arms, and two others his legs.
None of them dared loosen his hold for a
moment. Hour after hour they sat on the
floor holding him, his struggles constantly
growing fiercer. Other neighbors who
had been summoned went for doctors
The nearest was Mrs. DR. Reid, who lived
in Reading, six miles away. Before she
got there all the neigh bors in a radius of
five miles had gathered at the house.
They came in wagons and on foot and
brought their wives with them. The
yard was half filed with frightened