The Washington times., 1895-02-13
LUHATIc king IS FOUND
His Ears and Legs Badly Frozen
During the Blizzard.
sTRAYED TO GIEsBORO' POINT
Discovered in the Hut of an Aged Negro
His Thrilling Experience After Escaping
from the Government Hospital = COM
PEELED to Find Warmth in a Stable star
with Horses snowballs for Food.

While the binding blizzard was AZ its
height last Friday afternoon, William J.
King. demented inmate of St. Elizabeth's
Hospital for the Insane, escaped and disau-
peared in the storm. As soon as he was
missed general alarm was sent out in all
directions 70 look out for him.
In this search for the missing man none
were more energetic than the police, and
yesterday the efforts Of the blue-eoated guar
dians were rewarded with success. King was
found alive, but badly frozen, in the howell Of
a colored man away down on the bieaA shores
of the Potomac. near Giesboro Point. and re-
turned TO the kindly care Of Supt Godding.
HIS FAMILY Is WILL CONNECTED.
King is connected with a wealthy and in
iuentiai family, it is said. and as his de-
mentia IS not Of a violent sort. he was given
the place OF assistant messenger at the
asylum and assigned TO duty in the main hall
way near DR.. Godding's Office. AS such he
was given more freedom than is usually al
lowed insane patients.
On the afternoon of the blizzard. with that
cunning which is characteristic OF some in
sane persons, he bundled {. blue army great
coat about mis- form and stole out into the
binding clouds Of snow and icy north winds
Kings experience, as related during his
lucid moments 10 the coIored man. Marshall
is thrilling. After finding himself out in the
snow storm he struck out for the brick wall
which surrounds the asE ~ and elambered
over it TO the road.
This he followed for nearly ME. wher
becoming stiff and numb with cold. King
crawled into a stable about nfshrfall and
y eha
horses in their stalls. which were piled high
with straw.
BURRowED INTO A sNowDRIFT.
Fearing TO be recaptured the demented
man left the stable at daybreak and trudged
the high banks of drifted snow TO the rivers
bank.
Here becoming nearly frozen and half
starved he established shelter by burrow-
ing into 4 snow drift. That morning he ate
snowballs for his breakfast and feeling that
he was rapidly freezing TO death. left his
snow shelter and started for a line of blue
smoke that was curling upward. This he
found was proceeding from house where al
old lady allowed him to warm himself and
drink a cup Of hot coffee.
The period during SATURDAY. night and
Sunday was blank to him. and on SUNDAY
night he found himself in tow of the old col
ored man. VINO proved to be his savior He
was badly frostbitten, and his ears were black
and frozen stiff.
NURSED HIM TENDERLY.
The old man took King TO his house and
nurssd him tenderly after his terrible e1per-
fence in the blizzard Finally, when the pa
tient was better, the colored man notified the
mounted police OF Kings whereabouts. and
a conveyance was sent for him yesterday.
Last night it was learned that King was
coming around all right, but his frozen ears
and limbs will remind him for q long zine OF
his runaway experience during the blizzard
of 1895. 1t was also learned that the colored
man received a financial reward for taking
care of King and having him returned to ST.
Elizabeth. as the authorities had nearly con-
eluded that the dead body of the poor fellow
would be found in snow drift sooner oE
later.