The morning times., 1896-05-31
MANIAC FOUGHT IN 4 BOAT
Edgar Landrum Made a Bold
J ash From 81. Elizabeth
WAS SWIMMING THE RIVER
Seen by Asylum Employees Who Hap
pened to He FisiIiDg-D and
Dangerous Struggle III Mid-Stream.
Young Man Who Recently Paid An
noylng Attentions to Al Young Lady.

Three men struggling madly in an open
boat in rnid-channel was a sight that caused
passengers ON the Anacostia Bridge to
pause yesterday afternoon.
The frail craft rocked periiously as the
plen fought TO and fro in the narrow cos-
fines, and now and then water poured over
the rail rs it dipped with its swaylng occu-
pants.
Backward and forward they plunged now
prostrate in the little skiff and then in IA
bunch lurching from side to side until it
seemed To the breathless watchers that
they would be overturned. As the specta-.
tors gaZed il was apparently a case Of
two against one, and such it proved
Twoof the men were II A. Rebelo and w.
F. Martin, employees of ST. EiiZabeth's
Asylum for the Insane, and the third WAS
Edgar l.. Landrum, an escaped patient.
Landrum is no ordinary patient, neither
is he a stranger To newspaper notoriety.
He is no less d person than the man wlO
recently gained an upenviable publicity
by his impetuous and unsolicited attentions
TO Miss Rena Duvall Il most eStimabie young
lady, to whom he was total stranger.
An unfortunate tendency to write ardent
notes To that young lady and force his
presence upon her i'll the shape OF calls
landed Landrum behind the bars.
WAS DECLARED INSANE.
His actions, coupled with his course
in the cell, caused board of police surgeons
to sit on him, and the result was trip
to the insane asylum.
The doctors without the aid OF the X
rays, readily reached the conclusion that
the gallant and affeCtionate young man
frnp a. C.sd nj
luded to by Mr.. Rudyard Kip!ing in one Of
his rythmic nightmares. q
After occupying considerable attention
in the papers he was placed IN the wagon
and dropped out OF sight within the stone
walls OF the picturesque building on the
Maryland Heights.
Yesterday Landrum was allowed the
privileges of the grounds. With other
inmates he was strolling about the walks
when he eluded the keepers and slipped
| unobserved into the shrubbcry, which, with
the beautiful grove, makes the grounds nf
st. EliZab beth almost a forest. Exactly how
the man managed to escape is not known.
He made a Decline for the river which
flows past the foot of the park. At this
poiD5 tiit flats make out and the water Is
shallow for quite distance, but deepens.
towarIs mid-stream.
LaTGtum plunged in, and wading and
swln:ming, made for the opposite shore and
| freedom. But he reckoned without his.
host. Out In the channel Rebeio and Martin
Were fishing.
SEEN BY KEEPERS.
They saw the head of a man bobbing ON
| the water as he swan boldly out to the
| cEahne: and 1t excited their suspicious.
They perceived that he must have come
| from the asylum shore, and pulling up
| anchor started to investigate.
| Rebelo recognized La ndrum. whom he had
| seen at the asylum. Landrum seemed in
| stinctively to recognize the boats occu-
pants as enemies and diverting his course
! tried to swim away. A few strong strokes
| of the oars put the boat alongside of the
| escaping man, however, and Rebelo graSped
! his man by the collar.
Then the struggle which was seen from
shore began. Landrum Swore he would
| not go back to the asylum unless Il
! corpse. He fought like an animal to
| free himself from the grasp OF kebeio, and
| repeatedly he tried to get his head under
water. but the men held on to him, and
| finally. exhausted by his long swim and
struggles, he was lifted into the boat.
ANOTHER DESPERATE FIGHT.
| His captors imagining that he was too
| exhausted to give further trouble paid
| little attention to him, and started fol
| shore.
Suddenly he sprang TO his feet and re-
newed the attack and for a few moments
| il looked as if all three would be drowned
| by overturning the boat.
Eventually they again suhdued him and
| tieing him securely With the boats painter,
| reached shore.
| 1t took three men to get Landrum to the
| asylum, and there be had TO be lifted
bodily and carried up the hill.