The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-10-16
FIELDS OF ADVENTURE,
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DARING
DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.

A Farlli5r Has q Terrible Experience.
1t was on the fifth day of our voy~
age, writes a ships doctor in the Lon
don News, and we were amusing our
selves on deck when q message was
brought to me to say that Mr., A
would like to see me in his cabin.
had no difficulty in finding his
room, and was met ct the door by Mr..
A himself. He shook hands very cor
daily, and invited me to enter and
take chair. No sooner had 1 done
50 than he carefully locked the door.
Thinking this rather strange, I in
quired as to his illness. He did not
reply for some time, and then said:
lam not ill. I sent for you," lay
ing his hand on large knife, "to cut
your throat"
He was man I had not before par-
ticularly noticed, but now, as looked
up, I fully made up my mind that he
was maniac.
I am not coward, yet even now the
thought Of that moment makes me
shudder There I was, in a remote
part Of the ship, alone with mailman
of twice my strength, without chance
Of escape, OF means to give an alarm,
and being unarmed, quite at his
mercy.
had heard of other somewhat SINH
lar cases, and, though o tyro in the
profession, had had some experience
among the insane. T knew, therefore,
thatresistance would be of the least
service to me, and that apparent &C.
quiescenoe would be best. All this
quickly flashed through my mind, and
accordingly, feigning the utmost in
difference I could, I said:
"Ah, yes, Mr.. A, to be sure. It
won't take long, will it,"
ooh, no." said be, calmly, survey
ing the knife he now held in his hand.
ooh, no; the job is quite light one"
Here he poured out glass Of wine
and begged me to drink it. As I did
so an idea struck me, and I said:
"By-the-by, Mr.. A, your knife
doesn't look very sharp; the trachea
is tough, you know, and will want
some cutting"
He looked hard at me, as if to read
my thoughts, but after time, con-
WINGED that my suggestion was good
one, and examining his knife more
closely, he said: =
''Yes, doctor, think you are right.
A little grinding will do no harm, so,
if you don't mind waiting, I will just
run to the carpenters shop"
This was exactly what I wanted, as
feeling sure he would not lock the
door after him, thought my escape
would be easy. What was my dismay.
then, on his departure, ct finding that
it was locked as securely as before!
passed up and down in despair,
tore at the door, flung open the port
hole window, and shouted with all my
might, but all without avail.
Time won't on, minute by minute,
and he could not be long now. In
the frenzy Of despair I CROPPED about,
from corner to corner, in search of
some weapon of defense; but no, not
even the merest stick, not the smallest
thing upon which to lay hands. And
then I heard the footsteps approach
ing in the distance.
I felt my pulse quicken, my brow
brow hot. Impulsively l flung
off my coat, got to the farthest end Of
the room, and, standing as defensively
as possible, resolved to fight to the
last.
remember then the door bursting
open, and the cry Of A, not alone,
as I thought, but securely pinioned,
and attended by two of the ships
crew, in charge of the second officer.
The relief Of the moment was so
great that it completely Frustrated me,
and my nervous system was much
shaken for some time, while the inten-
sity and reality Of my situation often
now makes me feel something akin to
what the condemned, about to be
hanged, must experience.
I learned afterward that the peculiar
and excited manner of the maniac, the
large knife in his possession, and his
anxiety to sharpen it, drew suspicion
on him, which, with the fact that ]
had been called to see him, induced
the officer to secure him and come to
his cabin.
For the remainder of the voyage he
was kept securely confined, and
watched day and night, and on arriv-
Ing at New York was handed over to
the proper authorities, who, on inves-
tigating the case, found that the man
had escaped from private lunatic
asylum near Liverpool, and had by
strategy and cunning eluded the vigi-
lance Of his keepers and taken pas
sage in our vessel. He was, believe,
transferred to England again, though,
happily, not under my care.