The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-29
THE sroRY OF 4 PRECIOUS ROGUE.
His Desperate ExpedIent 10 Main
tain HIS Standing as an EpiIepttc.


tain HIS Standing as an EpiIepttc.
From the New York Tribune.
DIR, Robert Stafford Newton tells an in.
terestlng story of an imposter who sue
cessfully feigned epilepsy for a great num-
Der Of years. In spite of the fact that he
was watched by the most skilful neurolo-
gists.
"How to feign epileptlc fits forms a me-
cessary part OF the education OF many
criminals in Europe and America. In Eng
land where 1t has been successfully work.
ed for great many years, and is well
known to the police, the feigning OF epi-
lepsy is called throwing Of fits and dunn
my-chucking.' 1t is invariably worked in
threes, after this formula: Two men, evil
IDENTIFY friends, are walking along the
street, when suddenly one of them falls
in an epileptic Mt. The friend Of the sick
man pretends to be greatly worried, and
gives all of his attention to the resuscita-
ton. Naturally enough, a crowd gathers
around. The thNd man lifts pocketbooks
and watches and makes off with them.
There is one man whose career as a
feigner of epilepsy is most remarkable
This mans name was Craig, and my first
knowledge of him was when l was con-
hospital, the biggest hospital in England.
1t had been noticed that whenever Craig
fell in a fit in the streets of London re-
ports were sent in to the police of money
and jewelry lost. He was more than sus-
pected, and was sent into the hospital, both
TO be treated and watched. This man was
a perfect fraud, but he was so well up In
his acting that, though he was most care
fully watched, he escaped detection. He
was a valuable man, but perhaps his pals
feared that the London police had too
close an eye on their movements. At all
events Craig was next heard of in America
The old formula was repeated; he fell in
fits and valuables stolen were reported 20
the police. He was shifted around from
hospital to hospital, and a careful watch
was kept upon him, both when ne was IN
one of these fits and in the time OF their
intermission.
'Craig began TO think that coup de
thaater' was necessary to save his repu-
tahon. He was at this time confined In a
hospital, and was in one OF the upper
wards In the front part Of the building.
There were doors that opened out on
balcony. This balcony was thirty-eight
feet from the ground, and at its base there
was q solid stone pavement. EpilepticS
are usually a dull stupid sort OF people,
even when not in fits, and Craig feigned
this stupidity as we'll as the other symp-
toms of the disease. He was allowed to
he pleased, and every once in while
down he would fall IN a fit. The doctors
had not discovered his fraud, but Craig
felt more than uneasy at the way he was
watched and suspected. One morning he
got up from his chair. and, with dazed
sort of a look, at the same time putting
his hands up to his head, he staggered
toward the balcony and tumbled over
backward-down, down, the fun thirty
eight feet to the stone pavement below.
When he was picked up 1t was found that
one of his wrists was broken, and that
he was otherwise hurt, though wonderful
to tell, not seriously. OF course, this set
tied In the minds OF the doctors the doubt
that had previously existed to whether
he was a fraud or not. The thing worked
exactly as Craig had planned that il
should. and In course of time he was dis
charged as a true, but incurable, epileptic.
Once again on the outside, he worked
successfully the old game of fits and
pocket-picking in threes.
"Once more he was taken up and cent
to the hospital. Here young doctor set
for himself the task of watching this clev-
er rogue. He had every symphonic he
would froth at the mouth; blood would
stream from his tongue that he had Bit
ten in his commissions; there seemed moth
ing wanting in real epilepsy. But this
young doctor kept his vigil, and patience
had its reward.
zone day, just as Craig was going
through the preliminaries before falling
the looking dazed, the slowly attempt
ing to fight off the coming spasms the
cnching of the hands-the young doc
tor who was watching him observed that,
instead of closing the hands with the
fingers over the thumbs as would have
been the case necessarily IN true epilepsy
for the thumb. having the shorter mus
Gle, must feel the contracting force irst
Craig shut his hands with the fingers on
the inside of the thumbs. The doctor
gave him a gentle kick In the side, and
said: 'Thatll do. Craig. I've caught you.
You are a fraud. You've done your tricks
well, and for a long time, but your time
is up. If you had been a true epileptic.
or Just a little better read in medicine,
you would have closed the fingers over
the thumbs Without a single protest,
Craig Strengthened up and said, We'll. I
knew II was bound 10 come some time.'"
what became Of the man7''
"Oh, his talents found a market He
was so well known, had been so written
up for the medical journals OF both Gu
rope and America, that the doctors hired
him to go before medical students ana
demonstrate TO them how epilepsy could
be feigned, and also to explain how these
pretenders were taught in England and
elsewhere. To counterfeit the frothine
at the mouth, they used a small piece of
soap. II there was any danger of derec-
ton, they could swallow both SOAP ana
froth. With little sharp knife a stah
could be given to the tongue which would
simulate the biting Of that member"
"A little girl who was in the habit Of
using the word guess Unexpectedly was
reproved by her teacher. Don't say
guess Mary; say presume" Just then
playmate camc up, and, feeling Mary's