The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-10
MUSIC AND A MURDERER.
He Killed His Nan During The Playing
Of a Mexican Waltz.
And the Melody Rang Il His Brain as
he Paced His Prison CELIA Case of
Acute Madness That Did Not Hold
Out.
From the PhiIsdeipnia Times.

acute madness mat Did Not Hold
Out.
From the Philadelphia Times.
4 He was the most interesting murderer
+ ever met. Before the crime he was a pri-
vate in my company ana squad. and even
the captain thought him an excellent
trooper. During his confinement in the
post guard house. which lasted over "a
month, his actions were those of acute
mania. that the officer Of the guard did
not enter his cell. and the cook police fed
him by means of a chute from above.
about the base of which the food had
now accumulated for ne would go for
DAYS AT time without eating
He was restless as a hyena. and paced
his cell with mcnotony 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 look through the small iron
lattced window in the center of the door
that opened into the prison room, and see
him in his cell. where the view Of his legs
and feet were cut off by the Intel Of the
window. Dimly through its iron meshes
1 would watch the slow. regular move
ments of his body as it passed from end
to end of his cage like a huge human pen
dulum, beating in death strokes the time
which elapsed until it must swing into
eternity. In spite of the horrors which
/ it suggested this vision fascinated my at
/ tention. and if watched for long seldom
/ failed 10 produce sleep, for the prisoner
kept constantly grooming the nsistent
( measures Of a Mexican waltz.
All through the sUltry night the sentry
! on number one could hear the sharp cltcE
of hissteps on the concrete floor of his cell
beating regular accompaniment TO the
accented notes Of this recurrent strain.
Before trial Davis. our surgeon. was or
dered to examine the prisoners sanity,
ana I went with him. He was still pac-
ins his cell and slowly humming Sabre
/ las Olas"
( 1t was during this very waltz. played by
! the Mexican orchestra the night of the
bale that he had brutally butchered
Corporal jenkins with a bowie knife so
il struck me as appropriate that this same
air should now be a monomania in his
madness ana control his brain. As he
paced his cell he was beating time 10 the
| swing of the waltz with a pencil by way
! OF baton. Davis asked the officer of the
/ the general prison room, but the latter re-
/ piled that the man was raving mad and
I that it was folly to think of letting him
/ from his cell or of sending men 60 enter
/ il. Davis then asked for the key. quietly
unlocked the cage and opened it, AS he
+ did SO the prisoner wheeled in his prone
/ made and spraug toward him Davis
stepped quickly aside and struck him
+ half blow behind the ear. which feled him.
Then we carried him into the general
/ prison room. whore Davis made eXamina-
ton, during which the prisoner wrenched
/ for freedom with a nervous, weakening
/ strength as. assisted by a file of the guard,
held him pinioned to the floor. THE man
| seems insane" said Davis, speaking quiet
/ ~ TO the officer Of the guard Does any
one know the exact hour and minute az
which the stabblng Of Corporal jenkins
/ occurred"
officer of the guard. Sergeant Morrow
/ stated in examination before the colonel
that taps We're sounding at the post Just
as he entered the dance room, and at that
moment the stabbing occurred"
Were they playing Sabre las CLOS at
the time" Davis asked. / replied that
Sergeant Morrow had told me they We're.
/ | had mentioned to Morrow that Hender-
son raved constantly in this tune. "Ah,
/ them said Davis, speaking in low tone
J to the officer of the guard. then under
stand his case. This is a very peculiar
/ form Of monCmania. The waltz, the domi-
/ rant sound during the act of murder
will rule his waking hours day and night,
I for il was then the madness struck in
and photographed it on the brain. In this
form Of insanity the brain acts like the
sensitive plate Of a monograph to receive
the ruling sound of the moment, and
will repeat il necessarily until the brain
wears itself out. " the madness be COM
- IL bot mill
occur at exactly II o'clock, when the pris-
oner will cease humming the waltz and
re-enact the tragedy. After a few mo-
ments the impression of the murder will
pass away when he will again resume
the waltz
was impressed by the clear statement
| Davis made on what seemed to me a most
difficult case. Lieutenant --. officer of the
| guard. was also struck by it, for he asked
| if he should send the prisoner into hos
| pital. NO" replied Davis. keep him
confined in his cell. and without being
! observed. watch him closely about u
| o'clock for the completing symptoms. You
can report to me at sick-call in the morn
| ing" Then he replaced Henderson in his
/ cell. who at once took up his musical
/ prom snade
was detailed that night to watch him
and did so from my bunk in the gaurd
room / had cautioned the trumpeter Of
] the guard 10 warn me QuleLlS WHeH ne
/ left the guardhouse 10 blow taps" All
through the evening 1 witnessed the san9
4 monotonoJs movement. and listened to
the same monotonous waltz chant
/ ed slowly as always before. At
7 Intervals would rouse myself
and step outside the squad room
/ and stand in the cool sallyport to assure
myself that | was awake and my vision
unimpaired, so drOwsy would become I'M
( der the effort Of strained attention. l must
( finally have fallen asleep for the trum-
/ peter touched me on the shoulder and
/ startled me. I did not see him enter
/ but 7 could have sworn I was still view
/ ing Henderson's movements in the cage
| placed my face against the latticed
window. looking into his cage, which he
| was still mechanically pacing. Then, as
/ the first note Of taps sounded, he
stopped and reared as quickly as a stag
/ is startled when he hears a hostile shot
/ that has struck wide and knows not
whence it came. The waltz ceased, and
/ in a moment 1 had all but seen in the
stabb!ng Of Jenkins-then, always be-
/ fore, the waltz again.
In the morning 1 reported. 1t was
] .1..r1x- .aea Of ar11fp madness mr. oua