Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-05-03

tWltCnlnS aDOuI lne muSCleS VI Ills
mouth, such as I have seen in persons
suffering intense pain. The horrible
truth flashed upon me as I returned
his steadfast gaze. This man was a
mapiac.
am possessed, I fancy, of an aver
age amount of courage, but ut that
moment felt it oozing out of the very
pores of. my skin. I know / turned
deathly pale: and for moment was
utterly unable to think. Then grew
calmer. Doubtless this man had
brought me on the roof of the build
ing with the idea of pushing me off.
As have already said, he was small
man. Physically, I was his superior.
But was without weapon of defence.
Suppose that he was armed!
"AIy good SIR" I said, endeavoring
to speak in natural tone, II can as
sure you that my brain is not large
one, and as my time is limited, I think
we had better go down now."
I made q movement as if to retrace
my steps to the skylight. Quick as
thought the madman sprang in front
of me, and with his eyes glaring wild
ly, albeit he spoke in low, unexcited
voice, he said:
II think your brain is large enough
for my purpose, sir. You must under
stand that 1 have a great mission in
this world to fulfl-a mission which 1
have not as yet begun. The strain
upon my own mental faculties will be
too great. 1 therefore intend to take
your brain and insert it in my head"
"Here he drew from the breast pock-
ct of his coat large-sized clasp dagger,
which he opened, and began to run
the blade up and down the palm of his
hand.
"I have given years of thought to
this subject" he continued, sand l
am convinced that I shall succeed.
With a double brain power shall be
enabled to accomplish double amount
of brain work. 1 have been waiting
long time for q subject, but not until
I saw you did I find one who suited
my purpose. You are the man-the
brain for which I have been watching"
II fear, sir" I said, "that you are
sadly mistaken. Your idea is grand
one-an original one. But I am not
fit to aid you in carrying it out. You
should select q strong, active, healthy
brain. Mine, on the contrary, is weak
and diseased. Why, sir, up to the
age of fourteen I was considered an
idiot. Since then my friends do not
permit me to have control of my own
affairs. am actually little better than
a lunatic. I can neither read nor
write. p
"Nevertheless," he interrupted, you
will answer my purpose, and l am
about to take out your brain with this
dagger, and insert it in my own head.
I have brought you out on the roof
that we may be free from Interrupt
tions. You will oblige me by now
lying down."
If my mind had been stunned by the
first discovery of the mans madness, it
was active enough now. A thousand
schemes rushed through my head; I
took in the situation fully. I was
alone with a madman armed with an
ugly weapon, and he was bent upon
my destruction. To cry out would be
useless; nobody could hear me. The
chances of any aid from those within
the asylum were small indeed. l
could not run away. If 1 attempted
to gain the skylight, I should be GER
tainly killed. The medicine case in
my hand suggested the thought which
saved my life.
"If you are determined to make use
of such an unworthy subject as l." 1
said, "well and good; I shall offer no
further resistance. But I ask that
you will grant me five minutes while
I address, brief farewell to all my
friends I will give it to you to de-
liver to them"
Very WE'LL" he replied, eff you
know how to write, proceed. l Will
wait FIVE minutes"
He took up his position foot from
me, watching every movement l made
with horrible eagerness. lknelt down
with my back toward him, took from
the medicine case bottle of chloro-
form (which I knew it containedD and
saturated my handkerchief with the
liquid. This I succeeded in doing
without his knowledge. Then, rising
to my feet, 1 scribbled some unintelll-
gible words upon the back of an envel'
ope, and said:
"You will do me the honor of read
ing what I have written here"
He came toward me, and while l
held the envelope in my hand, he stood
by my side and looked at the writing.
I had the handkerchief in my right
hand, and the envelope in the left. AS
he bent forward to decipher the words,
I suddenly clutched his hand which
held the dagger, and at the same in
stant clapped the handkerchief over over
his face and mouth. He struggled
fiercely for a moment or two, and
then the fumes of the drug began
to tell upon him. His efforts to re-
lease himself grew weaker, and he
e,,1l, fol1 to tho floor inSensible