The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-09-20
CUMACK, THE
CRAZY HUN.
Given a Hearing Before Justice
Williams Last Night,
COMMITTED TO THE JAIL
The Unfortunate Man is a Victim of
Delirium TremenS-His Queer Ac-
tionS Before the Justice.

Crowds th hronged about the entrance to
Justice Williams office, on South Jardin
street, last night to catch glimpse of
John Cumack, the crazy Hun, who played
the bull in a china shop game at Franey $
store early yesterday morning. Cumack
is stockily built, sulky looking fellow Of
very dark complexion and with restless
black eyes. When he was before the
Justice his demeanor was such as to leave
no room for doubt that his mind is
affected, though possibly not wrecked. 1t
is very likely case of delirium tremens
The man is unmarried and has no rela
tives in this country.
| Cumack remained in the lookup all day
| and suffered from great nervousness dur
/ ing the confinement. At times he would
/ be found kneeling in his cell, evidently G l.
gagged in prayer When taken before the
| Justice last evening he was a wreck and
it was impossible to get a straight story
| from him. At one time he stated that he
/ knew nothing OF what happened at Fra
| ney's store and upon further inquiry stated
| he broke into the place to get away from
three men who followed him about the
| town and tried to tie something about his
| neck with the intention of throwing him
| by passing trains.
During the prisoners recital he became
more nervous and finally he drifted into
modified delirium. He beat the air
wildly to drive off imaginary objects aud
moved his hands as if pulling objet is from
his person, He paid considerable atten-
tion to his fingers, imagining that OBJ
jects were clinglng to them. His con-
duct became such that it was necessary
to suspend the examination.
The evidence adduced from other
witnesses showed that the facts of the
case were somewhat different from those
which developed when the man was ar
rested and they do not reflect upon the
police force to the extent previously sup
posed. Cumack, II appears, did not work
last week and spent his time drinking
heavily. AT l2 O'Clock Tuesday night ne
left his boarding house and went to the
house of a friend. He remained there
until O'Clock yesterday morning aud
during his stay acted in very strange
manner. He walked up and down stairs
several times and opened and shut doors
and windows repeatedly. Finally he left
the place and went to the house of another
friend.
Upon being admitted to the latter place
Cumack stated that three men were hunt.
ing him to commit murder. He remained
there but short time, when he started
up town. Three men followed to see that
CuudCh WOulu nOJ 90 llmSelt harm, but
he gained a good lead on them. They
overlook him at Franey's store, but when
they tried to take him home he resisted
etfectually. Then he became wild and
smashed the windows and entered the
store.
Justice Williams decided to commit
Cumack without bail and he was taken
down TO Jail this morning.
Mr.. Franey stated last night that he
proposed to sue the borough to recover
for the damages he sustained last night
by reason of the lunatics rampage, brJ it |
Is quite likely that he has since changed
his mind. At the time he made the state |
ment he was under the impression that
the Hun had roamed about the town from
midnight until five o'clock in the morn
ing, and that as the police had neglected
to arrest the man their neglect would rem |
der the borough liable AS the subsequent
hearing in the case showed that it was
after four O'Clock when Cumaok started |
up town and as the police report off duty
at a. m. the complexion of the case is /
very much changed
Mr.. Franey says he will have the broken |
glass in his show windows replaced |
within a few days. He has already
ordered the new plates The plates de- /
stroyed were the largest in the county.
They were lO4 inches long, so inches wide,
three-eighths of an inch thick and each |
weighed about seven hundred pounds.
The removal of the broken pieces from
tine frames will be delicate task.
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