St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-11-24

Each thlrsting flower is kissed with dew
Once in awhile.
0oos In awhils in the desert sand
We nnd Q spot OF the fairest green:
OAoe In awhtle from where We stand
The hills OF Paradise are seen.
Ana perfect Joy In our hearts We hold,
a JOY that the world cannot defle:
We trade earth's dross for the purest goA
Once in awhile
Nixon Waterman. in Chicago Journal
A MUSICAL MURDERER.
A Physician's Bright Idea for Prov
ing His Sanity.
He was the most interesting muir
derer ever met. Before the crime he
was . private in my company and
squad, and even the captain thoug ht
him An excellent trooper. During his
confinement in the post guardhouse,
which lasted over a month. his actions
were those of acute mania, SO that the
oh8cer Of the guard did not enter his
cell and the cooks police fed him by
means of . chute from above, about
the base of which the food had now
accumulated. for he would go for days
1T time without eating.
He was ~ restless as . hyena and
paced his cell with q monotony of
movement almost hypnotic to one
watching him through the iron bars of
his cage. When sergeant Of the guard
] would lie on my bunk and look
through the small, iron lstticed win
dow in the center Of the door that
opened into the prison room and see
him in his cell, where the view of his
legs and feet was cut of by the Intel
OF the window. Dimly through its
iron meshes / would watch the slow,
regular movements Of his body as it
passed from end to end of his cage,
like . huge pendulum, beating in death
strokes the time which elapsed until
1t must swing into eternity. In spite
Of the horrors which it suggested, this
vision fascinated my attention, and if
watched for long seldom failed to pro-
duce sleep. for the prisoner kept con-
stautly grooming the insistent meas
ures Of Mexican waltz !.
All through the sultry night the SEN
try on number one could hear the sharp
click of his steps on the concrete hoOr
of his cell, bea ting regular accompani-
ment to the accented notes Of this re-
current strain. Before trial Davis, our
surgeon. was ordered to examine the
prisoners sanity, and went with him
He was still pacing his cell and slowly
humming ''Sabre las olas."
It was during this very waltz, played
by the Mexican orchestra the night of
the "baile," that he had brutally
butchered Corporal Jenkins with .
bowie knife, SO it struck me IS appro-
pirate that this same air should now
be . monomanis in his madness and
control his brain. AS he paced his cell
he was beating time to the swing of
the waltz with pencil by way of
baton. Davis asked the officer of the
guard to have the prisoner brought
into the general prison room. but the
latter replied that the man was raving
mad and that it was folly to think of
letting him from his cell or of sending
men to enter it. Davis then asked for
the key, quietly unlocked the cage and
opened it AS he did SO the prisoner
wheeled in his promenade and sprang
toward him. Davis stepped quickly
aside and struck him q half blow be-
hind the ear which felled him. Then
we carried him into the general prison
room, where Davis made examination,
during which the prisoner wrenched
L
ing strength, as, assisted by q file of
the guard, held him pinioned to the
Aoor. 1.-The man seems insane" said
Davis, speaking quietly to the officer
OF the guard. ''Does anyone know the
exact hour and minute at which the
stabbing Of Corporal jenkins oc-
curred?"
1T was exactly eleven o'clock" re-
piled the officer of the guard. ''Sergt.
Morrow stated in examination before
the colonel that taps was sounding at
the post just as he entered the dance
room and that ut that moment the
stabbing occurred"
"Were they playing sabre las olas'
at the timer" Davis asked. replied
that Sergt. Morrow had told me they
were. l had mentioned to Morrow
that Henderson raved constantly in
thfs tune. 'Ah, then!" said Davis.
speaking in 4 low tone to the officer
Of the guard, 'then l understand his
case. This is . very peculiar case of
uonomania. The waltz, the dominant
sound during the act of murder, will
rule his waking hours day and night,
for Il was then the madness struck in
and photographed it on the brain. In
this form Of insanity the brain acts
like the sensitive plate Of phono-
graph to receive the ruling sound of
The moment and will repeat it inces-
sanity until the brain wears itself out.
II the madness be complete there will
b but one break: that will occur At
exactly eleven o'clock. when the pris-
oner will cease humming the waltz
and roonact the tragedy. After . few
moments the impression of the MUIR
der viii pass away, when he will
again resume the waltz"
Twas impressed with tho clear state
liant Davis made on what seemed to
- = critical case. Lieut.. -. officer
az the guard, was also struck by it.
far he asked if he should send the
nrisoner into hospital. NO." replied
hevis, keep him confined in his cell.
and without being observed watch
him closely about eleven o'clock for
ne completing symptoms. You can
report to me 1T sick call in the morn
in9." Then he replaced Henderson in
IN cell, who at once took up his
musical promenade
Twas detailed that night to watch
hin, and did so from my bunk in the
l had cautioned the
Srumpetsr OF the guard to warn me
quietly when he left the guardhouse
- blow TAPS" All through the even
an1 I witnessed the same monotonous
~cvament and listened to the same
-ono1onous waltz, chanted slowly rs
.iways before. A. intervals ! would
ronee uayself and step outside the
.anedroom and stand In the cool sally
$1,000 mvao1f that Wng awake