The Van Buren press., 1894-10-13
A MUSICAL MURDERER.
a Physician's Bright Idea for Prov
Ing His Sanity.

was private in my company ond
squad, and even the captain fhonoht
MIN an excellent trooper, Durina h;s s
comm connnement In the post guardhouse
w"'ch tasted over month, his actions
were those of acute mania, sd that the
ofhcer OF the guard did not enter h,.
cell and the cooks police fed him hv
means OF a chute from above, about
the base OF which the food had now
accumulated. for he would I'd for davs
~ time without eating.
He was as festless as hvar. owl
paved his cell with 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 lool.
through the small, iron latticed win.
dow in the center of the door that
opened into the prison room and see
MIN IN his cell, where the view of his
legs and feet was cut off 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 eape
like huge pendulum, beating in death
strokes the time which elapsed until
u must swing into eternity. In spite
OF the horrors which it suggested, this
vision fascinated my attention, and II
watched for long seldom failed to pro-
duce sleep, for the prisoner kept con.
stantly grooming the insistent meas.
ures OF Mexican waltz
All through the sultry night the sem
try on number one could hear the sharp
ebck of his steps on the concrete floor
OF his cell, beating 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
lie was still pacing his cell and slowly
humming Sabre las olas."
1t was during this very waltz, played
by the Mexican orchestra the night of
the "baile," that he had brutally
butchered Corporal Jenkins with a
bowie knife, SO it struck me as appro-
pirate that this same air should now
be q monomania 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 II. Davis then asked for
the key, quietly unlocked the cage and
opened II. AS he did so the prisoner
wheeled in his promenade and sprang
toward him. Davis stepped quickly
aside and struck him 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
for freedom with a nervous, weaken
ing strength, as, assisted by file of
the guard. held him pinioned to the
floor. 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?"
at 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 at that moment the
stabbing occurred"
"Were they playing sabre las olas'
at the timer" Davis asked. lreplied
that Sergt. Morrow had told me they
were. had mentioned to Morrow
that Henderson raved constantly in
this tune. "Ah, then" said Davis,
speaking in q low tone to the officer
OF the guard, then ! understand his
case. This is very peculiar case OF
The waltz, the dominant
sound during the act Of murder, will
rule his waking hours day and night,
for II was then the madness struck In
and photographed 1t 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 1t inces-
sanity until the brain wears itself out,
II the madness be complete there will
be but one break; that will occur at
exactly eleven o'clock, when the pris-
oner will cease humming the waltz
and reenact the tragedy. After few
the impression of the MUIR
der will pass away, when he Will
again resume the waltz"
was impressed with the clear state
ment Davis made on what seemed 10
be a critical case. Lieut.. - ofhcer
Of the guard, was also struck by IT,
for he asked II he should send the
prisoner into hospital. mo" replied
Davis, keep him confined in his cell
and without being observed watch
him closely about eleven o'clock Tor
The completing symptoms. You can
to me at sick call in the morn
mo" Then he replaced Henderson IN
h;s cell. who at once took up his
promenade.
was detailed that night to watch
him. and did so from my bunk in the
ruardroom. had cautioned the
srumpeter of the guard to 'sssnonas warn me
quietly when he left the guardnonse
- blow TAPS" All through the even
Ine ! witnessed the same mono'onous
movement and listened to the same
waltz, chanted slowly ,as "a
always before. At intervals ,.l,a ! would ths
rouse myself and step outside the
,ouadroom and stand in the cool sally, !. y
mort to assure myself that ! was awake
and my vision unimpaired' so s arowsy st
would | become under the eno,. %
strained attention. ! must finally nave
fallen asleep, for the trumps.e ad
~k