Evening journal., 1897-01-02
A PRECIOUS ROGUE.
he WAS EXCEEDINGLY CLEVER IN
FElGNlNG EPlLEPTlc FITS.

Interesting story of an impostor who
successfully feigned epilepsy for great
number Of years, in spite Of the fact
that he was watched by the most skill.
full neurologists
How to feign epileptic fits forms a
necessary part of this education of many
criminals in Europe and America. In
England, where it has been successfully
worked for great many years and is
well known to the police, the feigning
Of epilepsy is called throwing of fits
and dummy chucking 1t is invariably
worked in threes, after this formula:
Two men. evidently friends, are walk
ing along the street, when suddenly one
of them falls in an epileptic fit The
friend of the sick man pretends TO be
greatly worried and gives all of his at
tention to the resuscitation. Naturally
enough, "A crowd gathers around. The
third man lifts pocketbooks and watch
es 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 was
connected with the Whitechapel Road
House hospital, the biggest hospital in
England 1t had been noticed that
whenever Craig fell in fit in the streets
of London, reports were sent in TO the
police of money and jewelry lost He
was more than suspected and was sent
into the hospital, both to be treated and
to be watched. This man was perfect
frap1 b,1t i,o xtrac cp mall -, kta ,ot
ing that though he was most carefully
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 to the police. He was shifted
around from hospital to hospital, aud a
careful watch was kept upon him, both
when be was in one Of these fits and in
the time of their intermission.
"Craig began to think that coup de
theatre was necessary to save his repu-
tation. He was at this time confined in
q hospital ard was in ono Of the upper
wards il the front part of the building
There were doors that opened out on a
balcony. This balcony was 3S feet from
the ground, and at its base there was a
solid stone pavement. Epileptics are ps-
ually dull, stupid sort of people, even
when not in fits, and Craig fcigned this
stupidity as well as the other symptoms
OF the disease. He was allowed to wan
der about the hospital pretty much as
he pleased, and every once in awhile
down he would fall il afit 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 a dazed
sort Of q lcok, at The same time putting
his hands up 10 his head, he staggered
toward the balcony and tlmblcd over
backward-down, down, the full 80 feet
Ito the stone pavement below. When
he was picked up, it was found that one
Of his wrists was broken and that he was
otherwise hurt, thozgh, wonderful to
tell, not seriously. OF course this settled
in the minds Of the doctors the doubt
that had previously existed as to whether
he was a fraud or not. The thing work
ed exactly as Craig had planned that it
should, and in course of time he was
discharged as a true but incurable cpl
leptio. Once again on the outside, he
worked successfully tho 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 tho 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 convulsions, aud there
seemed nothing wanting in real epilep-
sy. But this young doctor kept his
vigil, and patience had its reward.
"One day, just as Craig was going
through the prel!minaries before falling
tho looking dazed, the slowly attempt
ing to fight of the coming spasms. the
clinching 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 muscle, must feel the contract
ing force frst--Craig shut his hands
with the fingers on the inside Of the
thumbs. The doctor gave him a gentle
kick in the side ard said: 'Thatll do
Craig. I've caught you. You are fraud
You've doEo your tricks well and fer a
long time, but your time is up. If you
had been a true epileptic or just little
better read in medicine, you would have
closed the fingers over the thumts.
Without q single protest Craig straight.
ened up and said, We'll, ! knew it was
bound to come some time.
"What became Of the man?"
"Oh, his talents foand a market He
was SO we'll known, had been SO written
up for tie medical journals Of both Eu-
rope and America, that the doctors hired
him to 60 before medical students aud
demonstrate TO them how epilepsy could
be feigned and also TO explain how these
pretenders were taught in England and
elsewhere. To counterfeit tic frothirg
at the nouth they used a small piece Of
soap. If there was auy danger Of detec-
ton, they could swallow both soap and
frofb with n firfiN eharn t-nifa n D.