Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-15
A REMARKABLY PRISONER.
Ne Slammed URconsciousness While
Ammonia Was Given Him


| From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat
Sam Murphy a negro. was arrested re-
Gently while apparently unconscious and
secured his liberty - a clever piece OF
| acting. Between and O'clock one morn
ing William Burke, a porter, saw a great
big negro carrying away case of twelve
pairs of shoes, which had been left on the
sidewalk preparatory 10 shipping Burke
caught The man and a fight ensued, dur
ing which the negro chewed q chunk OF
flesh off Of HuTlle's hand The porter seiE-
ing small iron bar, struck the negro over
the head with 1t. The thief dropped 10
the sidewalk limp and apparently lfeless.
The police were notified, ard the presum-
ably unconscious body was taken 10 the
CITY Dispensary in ambulance.
DR.. Kearney examined him, gave him
ammonia to smell ard examined him again,
and then told the officers that the man
was shamming, that the uncors C iousness
WAS assumed, and a patrol wagon was
summoned and the negro was taken to the
four courts, where he was locked ia a cell
In the central police station.
he lay on me stone floor Two hours with
out moving muscle, only breathing gently
ard silently. Capt. O'Malley watched The
man for long tine, and then struck him
on The solcs of his shoes repea tedly and
rersisteatly, but to no avail. The captain
LA-.Hl
vas taken back to the dispensers. and Dr.
kcarney sent him 10 the City HOSPITAL
y sponge saturated with the strong
est ammonia was placed over his mouth
ana nostrlls, ard he Was compelled TO
breathe TIE fumes. 1t seemed TO have no
effect upon him Drugs with long names
and worse tastes wee forced down his
throat until The hospital Dilarnacy's stock
II restorauves had been tested His
| clothes were stripped off. ami he vas pat
TED all over the body, each pat making a
loud sound and necessarily 2 painful sting
J ct the patient paid 10 attention to it. HIS
arms and legs were shaken until il was
thought thai The joints would becoma
lcosened. For over six hours every breath
he took inhaled ammonia. When the ply
sicians would raise his eyelids the eve
balls would be turned upward so that the
pupils We're hidle
At O'clock The patient muttared \ few
words, from which il was learned that his
name was Sam Murphy; then the uncor-
scioCs state returned, and il seemed as
profound q 5 ever. AT G o'clock the phvsi-
clans and attendants left him for a few
minutes to go 10 dinner. They had not
been out Of the room five minutes when
Murphy climbed down from the glass-top
operating table and put on his clothes
He tried the door, but it WAS locked. He
tried 20 tear board from the partition
and, finding that impracticaLle, put his
shoulder to one erd of the partition and
showed the whole thing down. He then
walked over it and got to a window, but
IL was locked. He broke out the sash and
climbed through. He ran across the yard
to TIE high board fence surrounding the
hospital, and climbing over it he was at
liberty.
His escape was not discovered until the
hospital physicians saw the wrecked narti-
ton, and then had a hearty laugh on them
selves. Ii Is thought that Murphy VIII be
very sick man because Of the quantity and
variety Of drugs and medicines given him.