The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-01-31
MATE IN SIX MOVES.

tioulbI
Eyes. Why nota Some of these poor
creatures, although they suffer from vari
Gus forms of madness, are able ut times to
exercise certain faculties Of mind with a
brilliancy TINT is really remarkable"
But surely they are not capable Of
playing rational and sustained gamef"
''Oh, yesl have myself been beaten by
mad patient OF course at times their
play is whimsical and erratic, but even
then, II may say SO, there is often good
deal Of method in their madness. II is
rather curious that Mt the present time I
have under r-y charge roor fellow whose
mental arrangement Is almost entirely the
result of excessive chess playing. He in
dulged in his favorfte pastime to such an
extent that it ultimately affected bis mind.
We do not now allow him even tho sight
of ohessboard, because anything to do
with the game seems to rouse in him the
worst form Of his madness. Sometimes he
will sit for hours playing with an imagi-
nary opponent, and Whenever he has these
fits he always ends by exclaiming, Mate
in six movesl' He then deliberately
counts the six moves aloud, and when, in
his disordered imagination, he has made
the final move he becomes very violent
and is then dangerous to himselfand other
people. He was a remarkably brilliant
blindfold player, but whether he actually
retains the power of mentally working out
u game / am unable to say"
Tho speakers were myself and DR.. Char
ley, the famous "lHnd doctor, whose pri-
vate asylum was generally recognized as
one Of the best institutions of the kind in
the country. was staying a few days
with the doctor, and we had been spend
ing the evening very pleasantly over
game or two of chess. We had finished
our play, and the doctor was telling me
few things concerning his patients, in the
course of which he narrated an anecdote
about game of chess played by two Of
the inmates Of his asylum, which led to
the conversation above recorded.
Shortly afterward the doctor retired for
the night leaving me alono to write a few
letters which was anxious to get off the
first thing tho next morning. For several
minutes / went on smoking my cigar,
turning over in my mind the idea of mad
people playing chess, and then settled
down to my letters
/ had not been writing long when I
heard the handle Of the door turn and some
one came in. looked up, expecting to see
DIR. Charley, but to my surprise a COM
pleto stranger stood before me. "Oh" l
thought, lone of tho Doctors assistants
whom / have not happened to meet be-
fore, but 1t certainly struck mo as rather
strange that he should have entered my
hosts private study at time when tho
rest Of the household were i'll bed, for the
doctor on bidding me good night had told
me was the last up.
l naturally waited moment for my
visitor to speak, expecting that he would
apologize for tho intrusion, or at any rate
explain his presence. TO my surprise,
however, no stood perfectly motionless,
fixed his eyes upon me and remained ST.
lent
who ever you are, thought, "you
are pretty cool customer, and, feeling
annoyed at what seemed to mo the fellows
insolence, / said, with some dignity, II
don t understand
You play chessF" no interrupted with
out apparently noticing that l had at
tempted to speak and all the time keep
ing his eyes fixed upon me. This certainly
was extraordinary, and as / looked at my
strange visitor the truth all at once seemed
to dawn upon me-tho man was madl I
am not naturally nervous, but l must con-
TESS to feeling something akin to fear when
i realized that was face to face with
man who, for all knew, might be dam
gerous lunatio.
My worst anticipations were soon real
lied. Without taking his eyes off me he
walked to the mantelpiece and deliberately
took up the large revolver which the doc
tor always kept at hand In case of O sur
prise, and which knew to be loaded
My unwelcome guest had certainly now
the best Of tho position. What was to
dor To make a bolt of 1t would be to offer
myself as target to this evidently homi-
cidal mailman; to shout for help might BIO
the signal for him to send n bullet through
me, and yet / could not stand still and be
shot like rat in hole. must humor
him, thought, and SO gain time, as his
absence must soon be discovered.
My mind, however, was somewhat re-
lieyod when he repeated in tho same quiet
tone Of voice, You play chest" 1t was
something at any rate to know that was
not to be instantly shot
Yes" l replied in my most winning
manner. Would you like a gamef With
out speaking he sat down in front of me,
carefully placing the pistol on the table
near his right hand.
When the pieces were arranged, no
looked at me with tho most diabolical ex-
play for your life. If l win, shall shoot
you on the spot; II lose, / shall kill my.
self, +" and he deliberately examined tho
revolver, as II to assure himself that it was
loaded.
The reader will imagine what my feel
ings We're on hearing this ultimatum. I'M
agine sitting down to chess table at
midnight with an armed lunatic, who tells
you In terrible earnest that he will murder
you If he beats you. What flendish
whiml Under ordinary circumstances I
knew / was liable to make mistakes and
lose game against nm inferior player but
1t is difficult to describe whit felt at be-
ing Obliged to play when a false move
might cost me my life. a hundred
thoughts flashed through my brain. Could
my grim and terrible opponent really play
an accurate game? If he could, should I
he able to make stand against him till
some one came to my rcseueY Even If
could bsnt him, what guarantee had that
ny life would not still be in danger, and
besides / WIS morally bound to prevent
II possible, the man taking his own life
looked up Mt him. His eyes were fixed
on tho board with terrible stare, and
there appeared to be no escape from tho
awful ordeal of being forced to stake my
life on game Of chess.
Without consulting mo he selected tho
white pieces and moved first He played
what chess players call an irregular open
ing, but there was nothing remarkable or
fantastic about 1t. tried to keep cool,
but as lifted the pieces my hand trem-
bled and my head felt on fro.
/ soon discovered that my opponent
knew perfectly well what he was doing,
and that whatever the particular form his
madness might take it did not prevent
him fom playing the game accurately and
in earnest He quickly forced an exchange
of pieces to his own advantage and secured
vigorous attack upon my king, The po-
sition no doubt was a simple one to do
fend, but my feelings had been wrought
up to such a state OF excitement that
seemed incapable of Analysing tho most
ordinary combinations.
Su1lenly / WINS startled by NV DnnopeDt