Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1895-01-10
MATE IN SIX MOVES.
I BY H. Russell Preston.

BY II. Russell Preston.
40 you mean to say, doctor, that
~ you have introduced chess
III among your patients?"
eyes. Why not? Some of
these poor creatures, although
they suffer from various forms
of madness, are able at times to exer-
else certain faculties of mind with a
brilliancy that is really remarkable"
"But surely they are not capable of
playing rational and sustained game?n
ooh, yes! | have myselfbeen beaten
by mad patient. OF course, at times
their play is whimsical and erratic, but
even then, if 1 may say so, there is
often a good deal of method in their
madness. 1t is rather curious that at
the present time | have under my
charge poor fellow whose mental de-
rangement is almost entirely the result
of excessive chess playing. He in
dulged in his favorite pastime to such
an extent that it ultimately affected
his mind. We do not now allow him
even the sight of chess board, because
anything to do with the game seems to
rouse in him the worst form of his
madness. Sometimes he will sit for
hours playing with an imaginary oppo-
nent, and whenever he has these fits he
always ends by exclaiming: "Mate in
six movesW He then deliberately
counts the six moves aloud, and when,
in his disordered imagination, he has
made the final move he becomes very
violent, and is then dangerous to him
self and other people. He was re-
markably brilliant blindfold player,
but whether he actually retains the
power of mentally working out the
game / am unable to say"
The speakers were myself and DIR.
Char'ey, the famous "mad DOCTOR"
whose private asylum was generally
recognized as one of the best institu-
tons of the kind in the country. / was
staying few days with the doctor, and
we had been spending the evening very
pleasantly over game of chess. We
had ottatff play and the doctor
was telling me few things concerning
his patients, in the course of which he
narrated an anecdote about game OF
chess played by two of the inmates of
his asylum which led to thes conversa-
ton above recorded.
Shortly afterward the doctor retired
for the night, leaving me alone to write
few letters which [ was anxious to
get off the first thing the next morning.
For several minutes / went on smoking
my cigar, turning over in my mind the
idea of mad people playing chess, and
then settled down to my letters.
/ had not been writing long when |
heard the handle of the door turn and
some one came in. l looked up expect
ting to see DR.. Charley, but to my sur
prise complete stranger stood before
me. "Ohv / thought, Zone of the doc
tors assistants whom / have not hap
r hof hIIt in x
struck me as rather strange that he
should have entered my hosts private
study at time when the rest of the
household were in bed, for the doctor
on bidding me good night had told me
1 was the last up.
l naturally waited moment for my
visitor to speak, expecting that he would
apologize for the intrusion, or at any
rate explain his presence. To my sur
prise, however, he stood perfectly mo-
tionless, fixed his eyes upon me and re-
manned silent.
"Who ever you are,,'', II thought, "you
are pretty cool customer" and, feel
ing annoyed at what seemed tome the
fellows insolence, / said, with some
dignity, ~ don't understand"
"You play chess?" he interrupted
without apparently noticing that hat
attempted to speak, and all the tm'
keeping his eyes fixed upon me.
This certainly was extraordinary, ant
as looked at my strange visitor the
truth all at once seemed to dawn upo1
me-the man was mad! / am not nat
urally nervous, but L must confess t,
feeling something akin to fear when
realized that l was face to face with .
man who, for all I knew, might be ;
dangerous lunatic.
My worst anticipatiOns were sool
realized. Without taking his eyes OF
me he walked to the mantelpiece ant
deliberately took up the large revolve
which the doctor always kept at hand il
case of surprise, and which l knew t
be loaded.
My unwelcome guest had certainl,
now the best of the position. Wha
was l to do? To make bolt of j
would be to offer myself as target t.
this evidently homicidal mailman t.
shout for help might be the signal 70
him to send a bullet through me an,
yet / could not stand still and be sho
like a rat in hole. / must hume
him, thought, and SO gain time, a
his absence must soon be discovered.
My mind, however, was somewha
relieved when he repeated in the sam
quiet tone of voice: "YOu play chess :?
1t was something at any rate to know
that | was not to be instantly shot.
YES" / replied, in my most winnin
manner, "would you like game :?
Without speaking he sat down in from
of me, carefully placing the pistol o.
the table near his right hand.
When the pieces were arranged b
looked at me with the most diabolics
expression on his face and said
"You will play for your life. l
l win / shall shoot you on the spot !;
L lose 1 shall kill myself" and he de
iberately examined the revolver as if
assure himself that it was loaded.
The reader will imagine what m