The times., 1897-09-26
(To Be Concluded,
LOCKED UP WITH A MANIAC.

1t was on the fifth day or our voyage, as
we were amusing ourselves on deck, that
message was brought TO Inc to say that
MI. A would iket see HE in his cabiC.
had no difficulty in finding his room,
aLdwas met aGthedoor by SIR. A - himself.
lie saool: hands very cordially and in
vited me To enter and take a chair. No
sooner had / dene so than he carefully
locked the door. Thinking this rather
strange, l inquired as to his illness. He
did not reply for some time and then said
~ am not i'll. l sent for you" laying
his hand on a large knife, to cut your
throat.
He was man ] had not before particu-
larry NOTICED, bat now, as / looked up, /
fully made up my mind that he was
maniac.
am not coward, yet even now the
Thought OF IL at momeutmakes me shudder
There was. in a remote part Of the ship
alone with a madman of twice my
strength, without a chance to escape or
rleansto givcau alarm, and being gunarmtd,
quite at his mercy.
rad heard o1 other Somewhat similar
cases, and, though a tyro in the profes.
sion. he'd had some experience among the
insane. ] knew, therefore, that resistance
wculd be of the least service to nae, and
that apparent acqliescefce would be best.
All this quickly flashed through my mind,
and, accordingly, feigniug the utmost in.
difference l could, said
''Ah, yes, Nh A., to besure 1t won {
take long, will it?''
''oh, no." said he, caIWly surveying the
knife he now held in his hand 'soh, no,
tho job is quite light one"
Here he poured out glass OF wine and
legged nae "a drink il, As | did so an iGea
struck me, and | said:
by The hy, Nj. A., your knife doesn' I
| look very sharp the trachea is tough, you
! know, and VIII want some cutting"
| lie looked hard at mt, as If to read ny
| thoughts, hut after a time, conviced that
my suggestion was good one, and exam
ming his Knife more closely, he said:
YES doctor l think you are right 4
little grinding will do no harm; so, if you
don't mind waiting l viii just run to the
! carpenters shop"
| This was exactly what wanted, as feel
! ing sure that he would not lock the door
after him. l thought my escape would be
| easy. What " as my dismay, then, on his
/ departure, at finding that it was locked
! as securely as hefOre.
l passed up and down in despair; tore
| at the door; flung open the portfolio win.
! dow and shouted with all my might; bus
| all without avail.
Time went on, minute by minute and he
| could not be long now. In the frenzy oi
! despair l groped about, from corner %
| corner, in search Of some weapon Of de-
| fense: tut no. not even the merest stick,
not the smallest thing upon which to lay
! hands. And then I heard footsteps ap,
! preaching in the distance
felt my pulse quicken: my brow grow
hot. Impulsively | threw off my coat
| get to the farthest end OF the room, and,
standing as defensiyely as possible, re
| solved t. fight 30 the last
| remember, then, the door bursting open
! and the entry Of A., not alone, as
thought, but securely pinioned and at
tended by two of the ships crew, in
charge of the second officer.
The relief of the moment was so great
that 1t completely prostrated me, and m
nervous system was much shaken for
some time, while the intensity and real
ity Of my situation often now makes m,
feel something akin to what the con
! demned, about to be hanged, must expert
ence
learned afterward that the peculiar
and excited manner of the maniac, tht
large knife in his possession, and his anx-
Iety TO sharpen it drew suspicion on him
which, with the fact that 1 had beer
called to see him, induced the officer tt
secure him and come to his ca bin.
Fer the remainder of the voyage he was
| kept securely confined and watched daX
and night, and, on arriving at New York
was handed over to the proper authorf
ties who, on investigating the case, foun6
that the man had escaped from private
| luuatic asylum near Liverpool, and haG
| by strategy and cunning eluded the vigi
lance of his keepers and taken pasSag,
in our vessel. He was, believe trans
ferred to England again, though, hap
| PLY, not under my care. London New S