The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-01-29
A PRECIOUS ROGUE.
HE WAS EXCEEDINGLY CLEVER IN
FEIGNlNG EPlLEPTlC FITS.

His Desperate Expedient to Maintain His
Standing = Carefully Watched by Ex-
perts For a Long Time-Finally Betray-
ed In Simple Manner.
DR.. Robert Stafford Newton tells an
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 epileptio fits forms
necessary part Of the education OF many
criminals in Europe and America. IN
England, where it has been successfully
worked for a great many years and is
well known 70 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 eplieptlc Mt The
friend of the sick man pretends 70 be
greatly worried and gives all OF his at
tention to the resusGitatiOn. Naturally
enough, 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 a fit in the streets
of London, reports were sent III 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
fraud, but he was SO we'll up III his act
inc that though he was most carefully
watched he escaped detection. lie was
a valuable man. but perhaps his pals
feared that the London police had toe
close an eve on their movements. AT
all events Craig was next heard of il
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, and a
careful watch was kept upon him, both
when he was in one Of these fits and IL
the time of their intermission.
Craig began to think that coup dc
theatre was necessary to save bis repu
| tation He was at this time confined II
! hospital and was n one Of the upper
wards in the front part of the building
| There were doors that opened out ON
! balcony. This balcony was SO feet from
! the ground, and at its base there was
solid stone pavement Epileptics are US
ually a dull stupid sort of people. ever
! when not in fits, and Craig feigned thi
stupidity as we'll as the other symptoms
of the disease. He was allowed to wan
der about the hospital pretty much a
he pleased, and every once in awhile
down he would fall in fit The doctor
had not discovered his fraud, but Crai|
felt more than uneasy at the way he wa
watched and suspected. One morning b.
got up from his chair, and, with a daze'
sort of look, at the same time puttini
his hands up to his head, he staggere
toward the balcony and tumbled owe
backward-down, down, the full 80 fee
to the stone pavement below. Whe
he was picked up, it was found that on
of his wrists was broken and that he wa
otherwise hurt, though, wonderful t
tell, not seriously Of course this settleC
, in the minds of the doctors the dout
{ that had previously existed as to whethe
/ he was a fraud or not. The thing work
l ed exactly as Craig had planned that
should, and in course Of time he wa
discharged as true but incurable ep.
leptic Once again on the outside. h
. worked successfully the old game Of fit
and pocket picking in threes.
r "Once more he was taken up and sci
to the hospital. Here young doctor ST
r for himself the task of watching th
clever rogue. He had every symptom
He would froth at the mouth, bloc
would stream from his tongue that
had bitten in his commissions, and thel
seemed nothing wanting in real epilel
y sy. But this young doctor kept b
vigil, and patience had its reward.
g zone day, just as Craig was goir
through the preliminaries before fallir
y the looking dazed. the slowly attemp
v ing to fight off the coming spasms, Il
clinching of the hands-the young do
u tor who was watching him observe
! that, instead Of closing the hands wi
i the fingers over The thumbs, as won
J. have been the case necessarily in tr1
epilepsy-for the thumb, having 81
Is shorter muscle, must feel the contrac
d ing force first-Craig shut his han
&, with the fingers on the inside of Il
il thumbs. The doctor gave him a gent
= kick in the side and said: 'That'll d
ls Craig I've caught you. You are frau
J. You've done your tricks wei! and for
long time, but your time is up. If Vt
D. had been true epileptic or just lit
better read in medicine, you would ha
n closed the fingers over the thumbs
- Without single protest Craig straigf
= eped up and said, Well, knew it W
bound to come some time. :"
70 "What became of the MANI"
a. 'Oh, his talents found market.
It. was SO well known, had been SO writ
re up for the medical journals of both E
= rope and America, that the doctors hi'
him to GO before medical students a
demonstrate to them how epilepsy COT
:, be feigned and also to explain how the