The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-09
STORY OF A MAD PRISONER.
He Attempted to Dcrall a Passenger
Train Friday.
NARROW ESCAPE OF THE PASSENGERS
Tho Grassy Train wrecksr Captured by
the Train Crew and Placed in the
Custody of Local Oncers.

past ~ years Of age languishes behind
tho bars In the county jail, suffering from
violent attack of insanity. His quarters
Is known as the Ipnltic cell and is sit
uated on the second floor, directly over
the main entrance to the prison. From
whence he came or where he belongs, no
one seems to know. The only person who
recognized the Youthful unfortunate was
visiting sheriff, who assisted In his ar
rest. and who vouched the information
that the young man had worked .or him
some months ago but that he had lost
all trace of him since leaving his EN-
ploy.
Gagged IN his iron cell, into which no
man dare enter for fear OF his life, the
insane prisoner has spent two days sur
feiing all the ngonies OF a maniac while
awaiting hearing of the court. which
vii. undoubtedly adjudgc him crazy and
order his Incarceration In the state asy-
lum for the insane. He is lucid at inter
walls, however. and during these few mo-
ments when his mind is free from the mad
delirium. It Is n pitiful sight TO witness
the young iubecie as he attempts to
revive his lost memory ana scanning his
gruesoms surroundings begs of his keep
ers to know what place this is and how
he came to be there While suppiicating
an explanation from those who may
chance to be nearby and before he can
b. made 20 grasp the understanding OF
the m,sintormation given him, he sud
denly rcapses into that state Of mental
distraction and resumes his mad destruc-
ton of whatever he can lind In his iron
floorcd cell. TO the last scene preceding
his arrest and the preparation of which
was the cause of his detention and colt
finement in jail. he has never referred,
and he will perhaps never remember his
daring attempt to wreck passenger train
laden with human freight.
That tho train on the International and
Great Northern was not wrecked and
the horrors of several fatalities added was
not the fault of the demcnted perpetrator,
and the narrow escape of the i'll destined
train Is hardly short of u miracle.
About 43O o'clock Saturday morning,
while the southbound local passenger
train on the International and Great
Northern was speeding along at a lively
rate near Spring a station twenty-thrcc
miles from Houston. the engineer d!scov-
cred something on the track just ahead
and Immediately applied the brakes and
reversed the engine. After running n
short diStLuce the train was bro ight to
4 stop and an Investigation revealed a
good st1cd telegraph pole street he'd 'ens IL
wise between tho rails. The pilot had
s,ruck the pole, which was lying butt-eni
toward m" engine, and pushed IL along the
roadbed N was a clear case Of attempt ed
tram wrccktng. and while the crew were
engaged In removing the heavy pole The
form pt "A man appeared from the woods
near by aud aatOnlshcd the traiumcn by
throwing pebbles and mud at them. This
most sudden and extrnordlnary turn or
AFFAIRS for u moment bewildered 'he I iin-
mon and they gazcd IA open-mpgth ID AS
constituent at the stranger from .Ec
woods, Recovering themselves. a 'ty
council OF wa WAS held and IL was AZ rcd
70 capture the unknown and perhaps
learn something Of the promoters Of thc
dcrd As n surmislng the Intention OF
lbs puTsGorS the unknown disap 1carcd
and - search of the Immediate w. rity
failed 70 disclose the hiding pln e Of tho
mysterious Individual. Tho search was
about 20 hc Abandoned. when one az tho
hunnhg party suggested that they scarf n
tho train Boarding the train, they START
ci "A systematic hunt for the fugitive ard
the appearance OF the trainmcn in n BODY
WAS the FIRST intimauon many OF the as
senWers had Jhat anything mad happened.
Ihe object of the crew was mado know n
ANA ono OF the passengers immn llately
pointed out man who had Just entered
the coach and taken n seat. - Gr ,cn-
ductor stepped up to Tho stranger aud 1T
q glance saw that he was not tue q tho
about TO PUT him through i 'at ltlsm
when tho strnngc actions OF his n"'T pas
scnEcr told The stoiN-he was rrn2y, H'hc
members Of the crew came 10 he ass T.
upce Of tho conductor and 81 mLt,
difficulty scvcn men We're able TO own
the raVing maniac. The man was bro, Z, (
to this city and turned over 10 the ice.
From the police station he vas taken
70 the inhrmary, where Ire phvst ANS
ordered his commitment - iail on Il 1naI Re
OF luuaCy.
This strange prisoner Is E,dwaIls. the
mad prisoner In the county jail. AT tive
other points this side OF the first attempt
! nj truln wrecking obstruct.ors in the
shape OF ties were found lvins across the
| track. Fortunately the engineer was Oh
| the lookout and running slow AMI the dan.
| ger was seen in time 10 prevent an acct.
don't.