Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-09-25

HE 1MB1BED TO MUCH PoPuL1sM.

HE IMBIBED TO MUCH POPULIsM.;
DR.. Adams Has an Exciting Experience
With . Custer County Lunatic.
DIR. Adams, of this city, relates al
exciting experience had by him with {
maniac in Custer countyon Tuesday ol
this week.
On Monday he received telegram
from NJ. F. Smith, of Fairburn, asking
him to come to that place by the
first train. Arriving at Fairburn Tues
day morning the doctor was met at the
train by Mr.. Smith, who informed him
that his professional services were
needed in caring for or trying to sub
due a crazy man, in the person of
Howard Westover, who lives five miles
west of Fairburn, near the head of
French creek. Procuring a team DIR.
Adams and Mr.. Smith drove to the
Westover ranch. On arriving there
they were met in the front yard by
Westover who Immediately siezed his
two little girls, one in each hand, and
threw them violently into the buggy,
in front of DIR. Adams and Mr.. Smith,
meantime talking incoherently and
threateningly. "After hitching our
team" relates the doctor, tive at once
directed our efforts to attempting to
pacify the frenzied man. His poor
wife, with five small children had been
with him alone for four or five days,
and their feeling of terror was pitiable
in the extreme. The maniac had made
all sorts of threats against his wife and
children and it is remarkable that he
had not butchered the whole family.
On going into the house Westover COM
manded me to watch the door, while
he and Smith guarded the win
dows, evidently imagining that some.
body was after him. He said great
wrong had been committed and it was
his duty to correct it. It suddenly oc-
CURED to him that he had urgent busi-
ness at Fairburn and declared his in
tention of hitching up his team and
driving down there. Mr.. Smith sug-
gested that he would better take his old
team as the roads were rough and
muddy, but Westover declared with an
oath that he would take his team of
colts. So we helped him catch his
colts and hitch them up. Heloaded his
wife and children into the buggy
and started for Fairburn at rapid
pace. We followed him as closely as
possible and all reached Fairburn safe
ly. It was not generally known that
Westover was crazy and his friends
gathered around to converse with
him. They soon discovered, however,
that he was mentally deranged, and a
close watch was kept ON him. He let
his family out at the hotel, tied his team,
went into store, and engaged in q
game Of checkers with an old friend.
He suddenly called for q revolver, and
said he had immediate use for one. He
said he had an important matter to
settle with the Elkhorn agent and
went over to the depot to see him. He
met the agent on the platform, and
after conversing with him short time
suddenly and without warning threw
his arm around the agents neck and
tripped him up. The agent, who is a
young man Of less than medium size,
fell heavily on his side with Westover
on top. The maniac struck the young
man repeatedly and tore his clothes
nearly all of, before the bystanders
could interfere. Soon after our arrival
in Fairburn I managed to get West
over to take alittle whisky, freely doped
with opium. The crazy man now be-
gan to wilt under the influence Of the
drug, and he was soon gotten under
control and securely tied. Hewas then
taken to Custer where the commission
ers of insanity will take action on the
case. don't know what was called
to attend the case for. It seems to me
that it is . proper case for the sheriff
to care for. I never want another such
experience" DR.. Adams sayst that con-
tinued political discussion and inces-
SAINT reading of campaign literature
have unbalanced his mind. He was q
delegate to the popocratic county con-
vention held at Custer last week and
his peculiar actions and unusually wild
and incoherent talk were the subject of
much comment. Westover has i'm
bibed the idea from constant reading
of populist literature that there is a
gigantic conspiracy against him and
imagines that it is his duty to over.
throw it. He told his wife that if he
failed in this he would blow up his
house and family with dynamite.
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