Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-10-28
CHAPTER XXXV.

CHAPTER XXXV.
IN THE MATTER OF MAJOR JOHN HEY
WOOD, AN ALLEGED LUNATIC
Next morning, the people OF Scad-
den were astir earlier than usual. In
consequence OF my fathers conduct in
shutting himself upsat CrOnkvash, and
the many strange stories, most OF them
false, and all outrageously exaggerated,
which were going about concerning
MIN, there was great anxiety TO see
him. The InQuisition was 10 be held by
u Master in Lunacy, with the assistance
of jury, aud my father, al his own re-
quest, was TO be examined In public.
Long before 10 o'clock the court was
filled with an excited crowd, even the
passages being lightly packed.
In the front row, upon the right, sat
Aunt Priscilla, erect and grim, within
whispering distance OF her legal cham
pion, Matthew C0riett and the other
members OF the family 10 solid array
around Der; upon the extreme left sat
Alistair Grove, nervous ana uneasy,
the next seat being vacant, though sew
erel friends stood around. Now that
the real struggle had come, there was a
tendency on the part Of many persons
to hold aloof, but tho affair mad gone
on so long, and caused so much excite
ment that practically every body in jhe
town had sided with one party or the
other The difference Of opinion was
plaiuly visible 10 the Court, for the
crowd, while waiting, was broken up
| into a number OF Quarrelsome groups.
But presently there was general
movement near the door, and, amid
| sudden hush, my father entered and
/ took his seat by the side OF Grove. 80
| great was the change in him since they
| had seen him last-at my mothers fu-
neral-that at first his fellow-towns-
| men hardly recognized him. 1t made
/ even Grove start, though ne had seen
my father on the previous day, and was
| accustomed to the more gradual change
/ which the past few months had
wrought When the spectators real
| lied that this broken-down old man,
with the white head bowed between
! his shoulders, was indeed the sprightly
| Major Haywood whom they had once
! known, every face was filed with pity.
! Aunt Priscilla, quick 20 blame herself,
was so shocked that she would gladly
! have left the court then and there.
! But the Master entered, the lawyers
rose in their places and the case began.
! II any man desire TO part with every
atom Of his cOuceit in the course of an
! hour or two, let MIN COntrive 20 get into
such position as my poor father now
! occupied. He may think himself the
genius Of the century, but if long be-
! fore the end OF the proceedings he does
| not very seriously doubt his own sanity,
| he NAV rest assured that be is made OF
| different stuff from ordinary humanity.
/ The most commonplace acts and words
were cited against my father, a little
| twist was given TO them, and 10! they
were made to appear as the words and
acts of a lunatic. Then 10 the fore
front we're placed his undoubted eCcen-
| tricities-his seclusiveneSs and all
! the habits which Sprang from
| il. A good deal was made OF the
marble urn in the library at Cronkvash;
! but the cremation, though introduced
! here as proof of my fathers insanity,
was afterwards used again TO prove his
| sanity-at least so it seemed TO me. All
/
| been diligently searched for some mad
| Haywood who had huag himself, or
! otherwise committed suicide, and GER
tain great-grandfather Bsrnabas was
| found as a melancholy Instance; fact
| which surely affected Aunt Priscilla no
] less than my father. II was then hint
| ed that my sudden death was due TO the
same cause, and the haSty ceremony
afterwards was quoted in support Of the
! contention, the intended inference be-
| ing that because the son had put an end
/ 10 his own life therefore the father, who
had tried to hide the fact, was mad
mani
But the real battle had to be fought
on the question as 10 whether or not he
1 was capable of managing his own affairs,
| aud here again there was an eXtraordin-
| sry mass of evidence against him,
| though much OF it was very trivial. 1t
WAS proved that be never attended TO
| any business communications; that be
wasted several large sums Of money:
that he seldom looked at bill, paying
some in excess and others not at all;
that he had allowed his property to go
70 rack and ruin; and finally that he
proposed leaving the whole Of it to a
! comparative stranger, who had no
claims Of any sort upon him. A most
unHatterlng picture was drawn of Ais
tair Grove worming himself into my
fathers favor for the purpose Of getting
frum him all be possessed.
Il fearlesslY say that this suit Is
brought from no mercenary motives, .
declared Aunt Priscilla's counsel. "MY
clients are actuated by no wish to bene-
! it themselves. They desire only 10
protect this poor old gentleman, their
! relative, the head OF their family, from
| the person who has unfortunately got
| hold of him. The disastrous effects OF
| that influence must be plain 70 all.
There must be some, l should think, in
that box-assuredly there are many in
this ceurt-Who saw Major Haywood
but few months ago. He was
then hale and hearty man In
the very prime Of life. Look at him
nowT' said Ahs counsel, turning to-
wards my 4 sr. Look at him as he
sits there v mis- white head support
ed IN his { Ing hands-the very pie
ture OF I'd ess both in mind and
body. To condition. gentlemen.
was he bro By the man who now
! sits BY his y Il is but little that We
can do for hiEh now, fear, out ask