The evening times., 1896-04-18
LUNAT|C TURNED KEEPER
He and an Attendant We're A.
lowed to Come TO Town.
BOTH GOT VERY DRUNK
The Asylum Official Drank Huge
Draughts of Liquor, and tn. Insane
Patient Had fO Care for Him--wild
Fight in BarroOnI Case of
Cupt. White.

queer case ofneGlect ofduty on the part
| of an attendant at the Government Asylum
| for the Insane is being Investigated by the
authorities OF that institution. 1T is Il case
| in which lunatic and attendant prac-
| tically changed places, the insane patient
playing attendant and taking care of his
keeper while the latter was crazy drunk.
The matter has been kept very quiet by
the asylum physician, but today 1t was
| learned by The Times. 1t appears that
among the many patients at st. EliZabeth's
| is Capt. White, whose family, III the West,
are both rich and influential. The cap
| tain is suffering with occasional mania.
For a long period, at times, lie is traCtabic
| and apparently sane. Then lie has wild
spell, and it requires the combined efforts
OF five or six muscular attendants to handle
him, and frequently the keepers tear all
the captains clothing from lis body Ill their
efforts to subduc him.
TREATED AS 4 TRUsTY
For the past two weeks capt. White
has been passing through one III lis tract
able periods and has therefore been treated
by the authorities as "truStr." on these
occasions he is sometimes permitted TO
come TO the city in charge of me pf the keep
eTs. Thursday afternoon the captain re-
/
permission from Supt. GOdding ln come
to Washington. have the draft c.ished and
purchase some necessary articles.
The permission was granted, and, &C
companied by au attendant. n stout young
man, Capt. White entered Washington.
Before the bank was reache the captain
and lis keeper stopped at several saloons
and took copiouS draughts ofliquor to"wet'
the money draft he was going TO have
cashed.
Under the enthusiastic influence OF the
liquor they had drank the keeper became
confidential with his insane charge and
eXacted from him promise 10 purchase
for the keeper n suit of clothes. shoes, and
hat. They then proceeded arm in arm to
the bank and had the paper converted
into grecnbaCks.
By this time both men were very much
under the influence of the liquor they had
drank. Finally the odd couple found their
way into the owen House bar room.
THE INIMODERATE DRINKER.
Drinks were called for, and the keeper
persisted in taking his shell glass brim-
ming over with red liquor. He was be-
coming very drunk, and Capt White called
attention TO his condition, and said:
Drink like a gentleman. Don't take
such big slugs of whisky. Be moderate,
and take a gcnlicman's drink. have
This remark made the keepes angry, and
he roared at the captain:
You shut up; I'm in charge OF YOU
Yes" returned the luDatic. land If you
take many more Of those baths, l will be in
charge OF you. Why, you are as drunk dis an
owl now, and ugly with it,"
"Shut up again roared the keeper.
Capt. White is man over fifty years Of
age but he is stoutly built. and his we'll
knit frame is supplied with muscles of steel.
He rlared at the drunken keeper moment
and like a flash his wicked mania returned
under the combined influence Of the whisky
and excitement. Again he was mailman.
As the keeper yelled at him for the third
time the lunatics strong right arm shot
Out and his fist landed squarely on the
young mans eye. Down he went like
shot, a great black and blue lump appear
ing over his injured optic.
Then the fact dawned upon the owen
House attaches that White was maniac.
and telephone message was sent to the
Twelfth street police station. Precinct
Detective Sutton responded, and found the
madman in the saloon attached to VIII
lard's Hotel. The injured keeper had fol
lowed his charge. and White was trying to
get place for the attendant to sleep off
his jag.
Both men were drunk, and when De-
tective Sutton approached the captain the
latter swore at him like trooper and
threatened to clean out the hotel.
WILD WITH WHISKY.
"You cannot take met he shouted.
There are not men enough here TO do
anything with me. lam a muscular giant"
Detective Sutton telephoned to the asy-
lum, and soon two young physicians on BIZ
cycles came dashing up to the hotel.
Capt. White was frantic when they ar
rived. but soon cooled down.
II will return to the asylum with you,' he
said, "but only on one proviso. that is
that you will promptly discharge that in
competent keeper. Here he came to town
in charge of me, and l have had to take
care of him.
The doctors promised to attend to the
attendants case, and he was ordered to
report to DR.. Stark. Then Capt. White
apologized to the lobby loungers and guests
for being fractions, and went to the asylum
vehicle, which was in waiting. with the
smiling remark:
"Another case of the blind leading the
blind