The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-04-23
VDad}adqda.
A HALF-HOUR IN A MADHOUSE.
Paper Read by Member of Glass B.

1t was Saturday afternoon in st. Louis, Bill
and were patrolling the corridors of the old
Southern hotel wondering what we should do
till train time. After being out on the road for
six long weeks, and being anxious to get
back east, it was not to be wondered at that we
were impatient. But just here happy thought
occurred to me and | mentioned to Bill that
had an acquaintance who was guard in the
state insane asylum down at CarOndoet, only
a short way out from st. Louis. and that if he
should wish we would go down there and take it
in, just to kill time. Bill was agreeable. and
soon we were on South CarOndOlet car on our
way to the asylum.
The institution is built on quite an elevation
and it being very stormy day the wind was
blowing and shrieking around the corners of
the buildings in way that only March winds
have.
Calling at the Office of the asylum, we asked
for my friend Mr.. Smith, the guard, and while
we waited for him we were ushered into large,
comfortable parlOr. Mr.. Smith coming in pres
emily, stated our errand and he seemed pleased
to show us all there was to be seen in the big
madhouse. Each department was visited in
turn, dining rooms. dOrmitOres, laundry, kitch-
ems and all with great interest for it was truly
interesting to learn how great institution of
this character was conducted and all with so
much of order and method. One might expect
and does expect to find things in somewhat of
the chaos into which the minds of the inmates
have fallen, but nothing of disorder was here APP
parent. Having started from the first floor we
made tour of each of the several floors and
were just ascending the stairway to the top floor
as Mr.. Smith was telling us that on this top
| floor were the padded cells in which were kept
these patients who were dangerous and incura-
| BILE, and that in one of these cells was man who
| had been so confined for fifteen years, having
neither been shaved, washed, or had his hair
cut in all that time, and that he was most vi
cious subject. By this time we had mounted
about half way up, when we heard shrek that
almost frOZe the blood in our veins. Smith ran
quickly up, we following. The mailman Smith
| had just been telling us of, had gotten out of his
cell and was standing in the corridor. Such a
sight hope shall never see again. There he
stood in all his rags, his great shock of black
hair and beard matted and dsheveled his eyes
glazing and his whole aspect that of some ferO-
cious wild beast, instead of human being.
Glaring at us for moment he seized an ak. that
was on the side of the wall to be used for break
ing off locks in case of fire, butinstead of coming
directly for us as we had expected. he ran to the
|
der that led through a trap-dOOr in the ceiling
to the clOck-tOwer on the roof, and was soon out
of sight in the tower though we could yet hear
his blood-curdlng yells. Smith rang the alarm,
and soon the principal keeper and several of his
deputies were on the scene. The principal
keeper ordered Smith to go up and bring the
man down. but Smith said he had little family
at home, and as he wished to see them again he
must refuse to go, for to enter the tower through
that trap-dOor was seemingly going to certain
death. as no one doubted that the mailman if
mOleSted would use the AK with deadly effect.
The other deputies also refused to go up. My
friend Bill here requested the principal to give
him a gun, saying he would bring the man down;
so, securing the gun, he started up the ladder,
while did my best to dissuade him from so mad
an errand. l even hung on to his trOuSer legs in
the vain endeavOr to have him reconsider. but
all to no effect for he still insisted; and the
poor fellow went upI could see the madman's
eyes glazing at him like tiger about to spring
on its prey. called to Bill to say little prayer
for himself, but his only reply was a laugh.
| Then came the end just as we had anticipated,
for as poor Bill thrust his head through the trap
door, the maniac drew the big AK back over his
shoulder and in doing so he broke out a large
light of glass that inclOsed one side of the tower
land the wind blew through his whiskers