Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-13
ESCAPED AND RECAPTURED
General Oliver Gooding Brought Back
..- From Alexandra.
Got Away From st. EliHabeth's-An
Interesting Character From
st. Louis.

r.
Mo. one Of the most rcted of the inmates
of the government HOSPITAL for the insane,
escaped from the grounds, where he was
permitted to exercise, yesterday.
AS soon al the abse ice of Gen. Gooding
was noticed by the attendant in charge the
matter was reported 20 DR.. Charles H. Lat
inner, the physician who has the direction
Of the building Of which Gen. Gooding is
an inmate. and in very short time word
was sent to the police authorities Of the
District, through DR.. w. w. Godding, SUI
perintendent Of the asylum.
Officers from the institution were also at
once sent in pursuit Of the fugitive, but
failed to fird any trace of him whatever,
and returned to the asylum.
Last night about 8 o'clock Gen. Gooding
arrived at Shepherds Landing, just above
Alexandria, on the Maryland side OF the
Potomac, and requested Capt. Albert Fair
who has charge of the Baltimore ana OHIO
barge, which is used in carrying cars across
the river, to allow him to go to Alexandria
with him on the barge Upon arriving in
Alexandria he asked Capt. Fair to direct
him to a hotel where he could spend the
night He was directed to the old Braddock
House, but upon arriving there the clerk re-
fused to give him lodging, as he had no
money with which to pay for it. Gen. Good
ing then went across the street to police
headquarters and asked Capt. James F.
Webster If he could not arrange for him to
get nights lodging, at the same time stat
ing that he was a Mason and that he desired
to see some of the prominent Masons of the
city, and that there would be a check for
him in the post Office today from his brother,
who is in the west
The captain sent him back to the Brad
dock House with Officer Atkinson and gave
him a room for the night. About 80
o'clock a telephone message was received
from police headquarters in Washington
requesting the Alexandria authorities to
lock out for the escaped man, giving his
description. Capt. Webster Immediately
recognized his visitor of the early part of
the night and so telephoned the Washing
ton authorities. The captain then placed
Officer Atkinson on guard to see that Gen..
Gooding did not escape. and this morning
he was brought before the mayor. who iii
structed Officer Atkinson to take him back
to the asylum. The officials of the asylum
were notified and requested to have a car
riage meet the officer at the train arriving
in Washington at 1870. They were met
at the Baltimore and Potomac depot by
DIR. w. E. Brown, one of the resident ply
SicianS of the asylum, with a carriage. In
few minutes they were on their way to
the asylum. AS the carriage was passing
tie Capitol he general became very mucn
excited and tried to escape from the car
rage but was soon quieted and without any
further incidents he was safely returned to
the asylum. DIR. Latimer stated to The
Star reporter that In future Gen. Gooding
would not be allowed the of the
grounds without an attendant.
Interesting History.
Gen. Gooding has an interesting history.
For a number of years prior to and at the
| time he became insane, during 1893 he was
a member of the board of police commits
sioners of St. Louis. Nothing had occurred
| to make people suspect that his mind had
become unbalanced until one day he made
| the announcement in the most public man
ner to his friends that he was about to
marry Miss January, one of the leading So
| ciety bellies of the city, and member of
one of the wealthiest families. The state
ment made by the general soon reached
| Miss January, and she promptly and en-
phatically denied the assertion.
The friends of the lady also took the mat
! ter up and an investigation resulted in the
| discovery that Gen. Gooding had become
partially insane One Of Gen. Goodng'
| colleague on the police board was Mr.
| James l.. Blair, relative by marriage OIL
| Miss January, and the general conceived
1 an idea that Mr.. Blair and Messrs. John T.
\ and Arthur Lee, other relatives by mar
riage with the January family, were II
| conspiracy to kill him, and he openly made
| threats to kill them If he met them on the
street
| When the announcement reached the ears
of the Lees and Mr. Blair they Appealed
| to the court for protection. An inquiry
| as to General Gooding's mental condition
was made, but before he could be taker
into custody ne left st. Louis.
/ The next heard of General Cooling HI
had come to Washington and was stop
| ping at the Hotel Oxford. Here hi
| strange actions soon attracted attention
but nothing was seriously thought of thu
matter until he declared publicly tha
| there WIS a conspiracy between Presiden
| Cleveland and several Senators to ruiz
him. He also made many other wild as
| sertions, and at last became 50 violent tia
| he was subjected to medical examina
ton, which resulted in his being commute,
| to the government hospital.