The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-05-30
AN ECCENTRIC REVEREND.
HE BLEW A POLICEMAN's WHISTLE
WHILE PREACHING.
Heard Mysterious whispers-Wore an
Enchanted Ring and Gave Sliced
Lemon TO His Mare-Is Adjudged TO
Be Insane.

An extraordinary lunacy case has
lately been attracting much attention
in London. 1t originated in demand
made by the Rev. Clement Tollemache
and Capt. Anastasius Tollemache that
an investigation should be made into
the mental condition Of their brother.
the Rev Augustus Tollemache, vicar of
Whitwick, Leicestershire.
Mr.. Tollemache is a bachelor about
hfty-four years of age, and has held the
Whitwick living for seventeen years.
Twelve months ago he began to show
signs of eccentricity. He had police
mans whistle and used to blow it dur
ing service in church. on April u. when
the bishop of Peterborough arrived 10
perform the ceremony of confirmation,
Tollemache was found sitting among
the girl candidates and refused TO leave
them. Throughout the service he held
an umbrella up. and turned a large ring
he wore toward the bishop ito keep off
the evil oner' He attached great inn
portance in his large ring. He wore it
on his thumb, and usually held ii up in
front of him for guidance and assist
ance. 1t enabled him. he said. TO hear
whispers at a distance. At one time he
NdlkeQ TOuuQ ana GOuQQ a morse ITNllE
TO mesmerize il with this ring. He used
to dress in a pOliceman's coat, and with
a bull's-eye lantern fixed in his belt
went searching for ghosts" at his
church. At the funeral of a very old
and well-to-do parishiOner Mr.. TOlle-
mache refused to read the service, and
after another clergyman had been got
to do so he struck the grave three
times with a pickaXe, and, blowing his
whistle all the tine. declared that he
was communicating with the dead.
A witness said that Tollemache. on Dec.
3. preached a sermon from the text
Take the helmet" He began as fol-
lows: Last Sunday I gave notice that
there would he divine service in this
church on St Andrews day at 9 o'clock.
but 1 was not able to get here until 10
l Will tell you now how it was that / was
ing 1 had to go away on business. and 1t
may interest you TO know what I had
for breakfast. Oaughter0 I had a cup
of strong coffee and some buttered toast
0aughter) He said he went to various
places in LeicesterShire on a little mare
which was like a daughter to him.
Gaughter) He said that he had had a
lemon sliced. and he gave half Of it to
the mare Oaughter) He further said
that the mare squeezed the lemon a little
and then pushed it away" Oaughter)
Did he say anything Of the object Of
his ride?"
He said. You know the olden days
people used to ride round the roads to
keep them open. That is what l was
doing. 1 was knight-riding my mare.
and I, they tell me, went 200 miles
How did the congregation receive the
sermon?"
Almost all of them were laughing
was myself. I couldn't help it."
Naughter)
Mr. C. Underwood. the wears warden.
bat he
the respondent blowing a whistle during
service. He blew the whistle in order TO
emphasize a statement he was making.
Inspector Kirtchin of the Leicester con-
stabulary detailed incidents in connection
with the funeral of Mr.. Burton in De
church Tollemache was standing outside
the gate in his robes. AS the funeral
cOrtege approached Mr.. TOllemache loud
ly blew his whistle and then proceeded
at rapid rate TO the cemetery, running
round a lamp post on the way.
Oaughter)
DR.. G. H. Savage. lately senior surgeon
at Bethlehem hospital for the insane,
said that he had asked Mr.. TOllemache
for an explanation of the so-called fu-
neral scandal. He told witness the rea-
son he acted as he did was in cOnse-
quence of the whisper he had re-
ceived from the bishop, and that person.
ally he had wished to have conducted the
service. AT one time ne was on the
point Of yielding. when the bishop again
whispered stick to it." Gaughter) He
further said that his whole life had been
conducted by the whispers. which were
more fruitful than other voices. Uaugh-
teri He gave witness to understand
that. having business at Highleigh, a
parish in Yorkshire, he got something
into his eye. when a whisper told him to
go to Nottingham He at once went TO
the doctor named by the whisper. He
also spoke of blood poisoning. suggesting
that a certain scent used in church cere-
monies had been given him. He spoke
of his education having been given in
whispers, that by going to the belfry
and listening TO the bells he had made
his hearing very acute. Now he under
stood what the bells said. He said that
he had gaslight in his dressing-room
near his bedroom. but the shade Of IL
was shade which collected and concen-
trated all the answers to the whispers.
Haughter) During the whole of the con-
versation Mr. Tollemache moved his
right thumb about in such a fashion that
witness attention was drawn to the fact
that he wore a very large ring upon it.
He deliberately held the ring toward wit
ness. Mr.. Tollemache also asked witness
if he had strait waistcoat in his pocket
Haughter)
In the result this very eccentric parson
was adjudged a lunatic and incapable OF
taking care Of himself or Of his affairs.