The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-05
DYING OF IMAGINATION.
4 cRAzED MAN sNARLs, BARKs, AND
BITES LIKE a MAD DOC.

m, I. Strapped TO His bed, with Guards
About Iim-In HIS Frenzy he Chews the
He'd CIothiuE, Tries 20 Bite Himself,
Curpe.. Prnys, Sings, Begs for . Knife
with which TO Kin, and Cries Out In
Agony,..o God, why Can't Die r'--
And All These Symptoms OF Hydro
phobia Are Supposed 10 DO Causeles-.
BnrpoEroRr. Sept. 4.-william Alderman Of
the Aspetuck district OF Easton. Conn.,. 10 suf-
fering from imaginary hydropho bia. Until the
day before yesterday no had to DO strapped
down In his bed with leather straps and sheets,
and guard OF four mon was necessary even
then to keep him from breaking loose and pos
ably killing himself and everybody else. Sat-
urday he had been strapped to tho bed week.
and his continuous struggles and rawlings told
on his strength. He Is SO weak now that the
straps arc about useless. but two strong mon
still sit on the bed to hold him. So far as is
known. he never was bitten by q 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
aud snaps. and tries to bite those about him.
He chews tho bed clothing He froths at tho
mouth. he tries to bite himself. He curses
long and loudly. Then he prays. Then he
sings. Then he begs pIteously for a knife with
him. Sometimes he will cry out in apparent
agony: "oh God. why can't I die" Nor
phine. chloroform, and other drugs seem to
have no effect toward QuietinG him. The ply
sicians who are attending him say his suffer-
ings will probably end In death. His neigh
bors are certain he is dying Of hydrophobia.
and they are greatly excited. They are killing
their own dogs and all stray ours His physi-
clans and his family 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
Aspetuok and this city. He Is almost as we'll
known here as he is In his own town. He 10
tall and lank. He is moro than 80 years old.
he
young woman from back IN the country. but .
50 ssS ssss fs and
H. neysr said much about out II to anybody. but
IL fully c eis
him with cough: month ago he went 70
nothing. except to help his mother about the
aPdsS morning. Nv Week sso. Sis stepia.her Ir
dEupman. wanted to 60 70 BridHePort and be
stayed out there until Mr. Grumman had
sst down on the sofa in the parlor His mother
found him there an hour later: He appeared
& si Ss mot 81 sns
bali ara s e. hss Both his lips
snarlsd End snapDsd S ct things within reach:
oanasa s9 q TIE ana
yard Thsr' he went tearing bar0SRd BARKING
GrummAn ran to her nearest neiehbor, Mr..
ParrIck, WHO lIyss a 1S quarter Of mile down
Fsrriet :ens big hired man Tor help and ran
good deal Of nerve. and jumped in after him.
h@a % Is as%s s1ssnded and lis nesss SeDt
@ Ss hs hs W a. ngs Th
ssss Sss Ssiore he ' he
into the air breaehns out as Il to
the 1hs
strugeled back and forth about the yard
t a1s 4 SYt s0nSss Tossed a about if es
the s villa "a aS1t seF h%
o. s' sS' SHs sss hss es
dared loosen his hold for q moment Hour
lis @ Srow0s
Other neighbors who had been summoned
MSo Ssd in ksds SIX ms
radius OF Ave miles had gathered at the house.
S sd wi.s frisSsensS DeopIs i None p .hsm
id ; Ths bsss: and the rs. eScSid
rived she administered morphine and other
things 70 apie. him She ordered that he be
and his clothing was cut Of Of him. and then
s R Ssass
R EN- saa Ss BsSssSs ss Ss1 hsa
were ssofred at. The people would have none
oo Hbssy Went Iass home teS I've t WS6
held the crazy man rem aimed on duty Until the
following day. when other volunteers came. |
divided among the neishbors The guard was
we're several changes in Ack erman 8 condition.
The third day he ceased barking. and began
That night for the hrsI time. he slept S two s Or
three hour4 When he awoke he appeared to |
and s dosor hm 9hsn snd
Rs USs rgs f n go ss
back in its first form and there were ali the |
asg 0 mad tbs dSg Tn re
about big black dog. In lucid Intervals he |
would describe monster dog that had tried |
to kill him: This talk confirmed the neigh |
boTs IN tho hydrophobia theory. and one old |
lady thought she remembered that fifteen |
years ago Alderman had been bitten by a |
newfoundland dog. But neither Ackerman's |
mother nor his stepfather could remember it |
,Iptl Saturday Alderman seemed to retain
a.! his strength. On Saturday morning he |
SS particularly bad and tried TO eat the bed
e,olhing. His symptoms then were Just the |
tssme as on the day OF the first attack. But In
sns afternoon he weakened. and that night he
cot S,,sr rest AT intervals since then he has
i little rest When THE Sun reporter saw
h h.,n yesterday he was stretched fiat on his
other "a a, me bed One man held bis hands an
st her $1,000 ready to seize him the moment he
atfsqT ipaa to move "Oh. Godl" he would cry.
he wo TU,Htld ony die, Why can't die |" Then
Tbs woq va shout a knifol Give me knifep
aaren ne we frenzy In its ORIGINAL form would