The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-11
THREE MORE LUyATICS.
Chatham County Jail Nav Soon Be-
come an Insane Asylum.

r-,. Ordinary's Jury 6as Three In
,.s.+rz Subjects 20 Pass Upon-The
z,+ire Lot Found 20 Be Proper Sub
It's For the State Lunatic Asylum,
Est There is No Room, For Them
rbere-one OF Them Says He Has
Bougbt the Central Railroad For
$50.
A tsrv of the ordinary's court held
t,rtb al the county Jail yesterday after
mon and three former free citizens of
america were declared fit and proper
s1biects for the state unatic asylum.
They we're Abe Jenkins, William Hous-
ton and Jacob Shellman, all colored, the
actions of all of whom stamped guilt
mon them and led the jury TO bring in a
vardict somewhat contrary to their own
bslfofs in the soundness OF their mind.
Anof them were violent, but Houston
WAS the worst of the lot. Jenkins and
SbeIlman were quiet at times, but they
were inclined to talk loudly and make re-
marks that clearly indicated their men
tal weakness. Shellmau has been in jail
fo,. sometime, but Jenkins was sent up
only few weeks ago.
Jenkins is the negro who was kept in a
s+r9iqht-iacltet at the Georgia mtrmary
for some time, owing TO his violence.
one night several weeks ago he escaped,
and IN the early morning hours was
found bv another negro, Elijah Clifford,
Who lives on the Ogeechee road, in his
,tarermelon field Clifford and he had a
foht. the result being that Jenkins got
f6e worst of it and had to go back to the
Georgia Infirmary, where, wounded and
bleeding as he was, he had TO be kept in q
straight-jacket to prevent his being vlo-
lent When he recovered he was sent to
the county jail.
HAD BOUGHT THE CENTRAL RAILROAD.
Some of the expressions of the de-
mcnted negroes were amusing, yet
strange. jenkins and Shellman were
rather surly, but Shellman said he had
engaged Jim Manning for next season and
was going to employ him to run the Sa-
vannah base ball team for him.
Houston was the most violent, and at
times was wild. He didn't seem to like
the idea of the trial at all.
He was arrested sometime ago
on a charge of lunacy, was tried,
but was turned loose on account of the
lack Of evidence to convict him. He was
arrested again several weeks ago on com
plant of Andrew Houston, one of his rel
atives. and on his trial yesterday was con
victed One Of the jurors asked Houston
what he was put in jail for. He replied.
To give me q rest, l suppose"
What had you been doing!" was asked
him.
Houston replied that he had been pur-
chasing kinsey's saw mill 'andlthe Cen
trial railroad. When asked what he had
paid On the Central railroad he replied:
Somebody bid So and outbid him and
paid $50 for it. I've got Mr.. Conner run
ming it for me now"
Where did you get ali that money!"
someone asked.
selling chickens, - was HOuston's re-
ply, and the twelve jurors Immediately
signed their verdict which put him on the
list of the non compOs mentis.
THEY WILL BE KEPT IN THE JAIL.
These negroes. although pronounced
fit and proper subjects for the state luna
tic asylum, viii be unable to get there
perhaps for years.
They will have to remain in the lunatics'
ward in the jail, until the state asylum
Can dispose Of its many boarders and
some of the applicants now on its list.
There are now 1853 applicants
from the different counties in the state
on the asylum's list awaiting their turn
TO be admitted.
Chatham county has already had more
than its quota OF lunatics in the asylum
and they have no place to turn now but to
the Jail where they must be kept and
cared for perhaps for years. There are
other lunatics now in the county jail and
others in the city being cared for by the
people, all of which are q source of great
expense to the county. Under the exist
ing conditions the county commissioners
would do well to take the matter of build
ing & Temporary aSV1um 1Iu6pr advise
ment. The Jail has been pronounced time
and again an improper place in which to
contine lunatics, and as the subjects accu-
mulate from time to time the necessity
for a county asylum is seen more and
more.