Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-02-22
CHARMED BY A WALTZ.

He was the most interesting
murderer | ever met, Before tie
crime lie was a private in my com.
Dany and squad, aud even the
captain thought him an excellent
trooper. During his confinement
in the post guardhOuse, which
lasted over a month, his acuOns
we're those of acute mania, so that
the officer of the guard did not
enter his cell, and the cocks pO-
lice fed hin by means of a chute
from above, about the base of
which the food had now accumulat-
ed, for he woOld 90 for days at a
lime without eating.
lie Was restless as a hyena aud
paced his cell with a mOuOtODy of
moyenent almost hypnotic to one
watching him through the iron
bars Of his cage. When sergeant
ofthe guard, / would lie on my
bnnk and look through the smal
iron lattlced window IN the center
OF the door that opened lnte the
PRISON room and see him in his cell,
where the views OF his legs and feet
was cut off by the Intel of the
window.
All through the sultTy night the
sentry on No. l could hear tie
sharp click Of bis steps on the con.
crete floor of his cell, beating
regular accompaniment to the ac-
cented notes of Mexican waltz.
Before trial Davis, cur surgeon,
was ordered to examine the pris
ones sanity, and | went with him.
He was still pacing his cell and
slowly humming Sabre las Olas.'
1t was during this very waltz,
played 10y the Mexican orchestra
the night of the "baile," that he
had brutalIy bUtchered Corporal
Jenkins with a bowie knife, so it
struck me as appropriate that this
same all should now he a mono.
maula III his madness and control
his brain. Is he paced his cell be
was beating time to the swing Of
the waltz with a 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
tue man was raving mad, and that
it was folly to thiuk of letting him
from his cell or OF sending men to
enter it. Davis then asked Tor the
KEY, quietly unlocked the cage and
opened it. As he did so the pris.
Onrr wheeled in bis promenade a I'd
sprang toward him. Davis st.p-
ped qaickly aside and struck bin
a balf blOw behind the ear which
f-lled him, Then we carried him
into general prison room, where
Davis made examination, durins
which the prisoner wrenched for
freedom with a nervous, Weakening
strength, as assisted by file of the
guard, l held him pinnOned TO the
floor.
"The man seems insane" said
Davis, speaking quietly 10 the
officer of the guard. "DOes any
one know the exact hour and
minute at which the stabbing OF
Corporal jenkins Occurred"
alt was exactly II O'clock" re-
Piled the officer of the guard. Ser
geant Morrow stated IN examina
tiOn before the colonel that taps
was sounding ct the post just as he
entered the dancerOOm, aud that at
that moment the stabbing occurred.
"Were they PLAYING IS lbre las
Olas' at the tim .i' Davis asked. !
replied that Sergeat Morrow had
told me they were. l had mention
ed to Morrow that Henderson rayed
constantly in this tune.
"Ah, then,' said Davis, speak
ing IN low tone TO the officer OI
the guard, "then understand hi,
case. This is a very peculiar form
oil monOmania. The waltz, the
dominant sound during the act o
murder, will rule his waking hour'
day and night; for it was then th'
madness struck 10 aud photograph
ed it on The brain. In this form o
Insanity the brain acts like thu
sensitive plate of a photograph t
receive TIE ruling sound of th'
moment aud will repeat 1t inces
sanity until the brain wears itsel