Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-26
rErGNED EPILEPSY roR YEARS.
Desperate ENpcdicnt of Man Who
Deceived the Doctors.

Desperate Expcdicnt of Man Who
Deceived the Doctors.
DR.. Robert Saford Newton Of New York
tells an interesting story Of an impoSter who
successfully feigned epilepsy for great
number Of years, in spite Of the fact that he
was watched by the most skillful neurolo-
glsts.
How to fcign epieptic fts forms neces-
sary part Of the education OF many Grim
inals in Europe and Americl. In England
where 1t has been successfully worked fer
a great many years, and 10 well known to
the police, the iegnng of epilepsy is called
throwing Of fits and dummy chuckng.' It
is Invariably worked in threes after this
formula: Two men, evidently friends are
walking along the street, when suddenly one
OF them falls in an cpileptc ut. The friend
cf the sick man pretendS to be greatly wcr-
red and gives all of h5 attention to the
rcsuscitation. Naturally enough, a crowd
gathers around. The third man lifts pocket
books and watches and makes off with them.
There Is one man whose career as
fcigner Of epilepsy is most remarkable. This
mans name was Craig, and my first knowl-
edge of him was when | was connected with
tho White Chapel Road House hospital, the
biggest hospital in England II had been mo-
tiCCd that whenever Craig fell In fit In the
directs of London reports were cent In TO
the police of money and iewelry lost. He
the hospital, beth 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 carefully watched, he escaped de-
lection. He was a valuable man, but per-
haps his pals feared that tho London police
had too close an eve 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 re
ported to the police. He was shifted around
4 a
watch was kept upon him, both when he
was in one OF these fits and In the time of
their intermssion.
Craig began to think that a coup de
theater' was necessary to save his reputa-
tion. 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 thrty.eight feet from the
ground and at it's base there was solid
stone pavement Epileptics are usually
dull, stupid sort of people, even when not
in fits, and Craig feigned this stupidity as
well as the other symptoms of the disease.
He was allowed to wander about the hos
pital pretty much as he pleased and every
once in a while down he would fall in n
ft 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 look, at the same time put
toward the balcony and tumbed over back
ward-down. down, the full 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 other
wise hurt, though wonderful to tell. not
seriously. OF course, this settled in the
minds Of the doctors the doubt that had pre-
yously existed as to whether he was a fraud
or not. The thing worked exactly as Craig
had planned that ii should, and In course
II. 1N,,.
ncurable epileptic. Once again on the out
side, he worked successfully the old game
OF fits and pocket-picking in threes.
"Once more he was taken up and sent to
the hospital. Here a young doctor set for
himself the task of watching this clever
rogue. He had every symptom; he would
froth at the mouth; blood would stream from
his tongue that he had bitten in his convul-
sions; there seemed nothing wanting in real
epilepsy. But this young doctor kept his
vigil and patience had it's reward.
zone day. Just as Craig was going through
the prelimnares before falling-the looking
dazed. the slowly attempting to fight off the
coming spasms, the clinching of the hands
the young doctor who was watching him OBJ
served that. instead of closing the hands
with the fingers over the thumbs. as would
have been the case necessarily in true cpl
lepsy-for the thumb, having the shorter
muscle must feel the contracting force first
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 fraud. You've done your tricks well,
and for long time, but your time is up II
you had been a true epileptc. or just a little
better read in medicine, you would have
closed the fingers over the thumbs With
out single protest, Craig Strengthened up
and said Well knew it as-bOund to come
some time"
what became of the man?'
ooh his talents found a market. He was
so well known, had been so written up for
the medical journals of both Europe and
America, that the doctors hired him TO go
before medical students and demonstrate to
them how epilepsy could be feigned, and
also to explain how these pretenders were
taught in England and elsewhere. To coun-
terfeit the frothing at the mouth. they used
a small piece of soap. If there was any dan
ger of detection, they could swallow both
soap and froth. With little sharp knife
stab could be given to the tongue which
would simulate the biting of that member"