The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-18
LUNAoY OF THE STOMACH.

I
| their tops.
LUNACY OF The STOMACH.
Strange Case Of a Denver Man Who Eats
Nine Meaisa Day.
Denver, Colo, Oct 17.-No trace has
yet been found by the police of Delvin
Gordon, the man who disappeared last
| Tuesday from his home at 1901 Market
street and his wife is much worried
/ about him. Gordon is of a rather veal
thy jefferson City, Mo-. family, having
several relatives who hold his official
! positions there. His father, William
| Gordon, is the owner of a valuable farm
near Jefferson, besides other property.
He is very old and the only direct heirs
TO his riches are son who resides in
Jefferson and the man who is being
searched for here.
The history and nature Of Delvin
Gordon mental disease is rather inter-
esting, a psychological study in fact.
While he and his wife were living IN
Missouri, where they were married
against the wishes of his family, Cor
don was stricken with la grippe which
confined him TO his room for some
weeks. On getting out again he showed
evidence Of having become pronounce
ed eccentric during his spell of sickness.
His most marked oddly was an alb
nomral increase of appetite. Before
the grippe seized him ne was a moder-
ate eater, but when convalscence came
there seemed TO be no limit to his crav-
ing for food. His wife says he ate nine
hearty meals a day when he could get
them. She says he also manifested an
unbalanced mind by selling and prop
erty she gave him chance to get hold
of, mortgaging their belongings over
and over again, deceiving her very cum
ningly and with powers worthy of a
Munchasen.
She had him examined by physicians.
who diagnosed that the after effects of
the grippe in his system were respon-
sible for his condition. and advised that
he be removed to a climate of light air
and plenty Of sunshine. Mrs. Gordon
selected Denver and after disposing of
the grocery store and effects that the
couple owned she moved with her hus-
band TO this city three years ago. In
steady of improving with the change
of residence Delvin Gordon appears to
have grown worse. He still wanted his
nine square meals per diem, invented
new forms Of mendacity every new day
and continued to mortgage and sell
property which was now his wife's
borrow money in Mrs. Gordon's name
from all the people who knew and trust
ed her.
Two years ago he told his wife that an
uncle OF his had settled in Colorado
City and had offered to set him up in
business there. On this pretense he got
all the money his wife could spare and
went to Colorado Springs. Nothing
YVES heard of him for several days and
then Mrs. Gordon set the police to hunt
for him. 1t was found that on reach
ing Colorado Springs he had put UP at
the Antlers hotel, where he remained
until mis- funds began to run low. Then
he engaged a room to sleep in at a res
taurant he got the nine meals daily, or
as many as his purse would afford. But
he soon went broke on this style of liv-
ing and when this time arrived he wan
dered outside the limits of the town.
where an Odd Fellow, seeing that he
was member of that order, took him
in and cared for his wants. His wife
located him here and brought him back
TO Denver.
After that she had him examined by
three Denver physicians each OF whom |
declared him TO be insane Little hopa
was held out to her that he would be- |
come easily cured. so on the advise of |
all the physicians Mrs. Gordon swore |
to an insanity complaint against him. |
Pending his trial Gordon was remanded |
to the county hospital where he was |
pronounced cured at the expiration of |
three days. The hospital authorities |
released him and Mrs. Gordon again /
took up her wifely burden.
For some time she had been Obtain
ing livelihood by doing work in tailor |
shops. In this way she had managed |
to save some money and hoping that |
the vacation would be beneficial in two /
ways she bought her husband a horse
harness and wagon and found him a jof,
at collecting for a grocery firm. He
had been in the business only a short
time when he mortgaged the teaming
outfit five times over. and then sold it
AS the man was deemed insane none OF
those who lost money by the transac-
ton cared to go to the trouble and ex-
penSe OF prosecuting him
On several occasions Mrs. Gordon an
pealed TO her husbands relatives TO do
for him. but she saws they
never sent her anything more substan-
tial than sympathy. Recently she DUR
chased another rig for him but he had |
hot made much use OF IL before she was
taken Ill and compelled TO enter the !
county hospital about five weeks ago.
She got out last Tues day. only to End
her home at 1907 Market street broken
up and her husband gone-no one
knows where. He rad sold all the fur |
niture- scrap by scrap. IN order 10 pro-
VIDE money with which 20 purchase his
requisite nine meals a day. and wound |
up by disposing of the teamiDz outfit.
Horse. wagon and harness were given
to an auctioneer who claimed to have
sold them for the raunificient sum Of
"a 81 Two dollars Of this he retained
Tor fees and the remaining 80 he gave
70 Gordon. who ate IL up as speedily az
possible and ths1 made tracks for paris
unknown Unless he has feIlOw-ed he
example OF NeOuchadnezzsr DsIvir
Gordon IS likely TO have died Of starva-
ion ere now.
Broken IN health. DISCOURAGED IN
lssrt and penuilsss n pocket Mrs Ad-
lie Gordon. the missing mans wife. Is
low being cared for by a kind-s1ear-eis
acquaintance AT 1895 Twpn ty-rhsrgf |
street To her. a. Wei as 20 the police I
ne fate or Deiv1a Gordon Il
/ deep mystery
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