The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-09-01

- WOO VA Jan "AoA ~
age, as we were amusing ourselves on
| deck, that a message was brought me
to say that Mr.. A. would like to
| see me in his cabin.
I had no difficulty in finding his
room, and was met at the door by MI.
A.. himself. He shook hands very
cordially, and invited me to enter and
take a chair. No sooner had I done
so than he carefully locked the door.
Thinking this rather strange, L in
uuired as to his illness. He did
not reply for some time, and then
said:
II am not. sent for you," laying
his hand on a large knife, "to cut your
throa.."
He was a man I had not before par
ticularly noticed, but now, as I looked
up, Ifully made up my mind that he
was a maniac.
I am not a coward, yet even now the
thought Of that moment makes me
shudder. There I was, in a remote
part of the ship, alone with a mailman
Of twice my strength, without achance
to escape, or means to give an alarm,
and, being unarmed, quite at his mer-
cy!
I had heard Of other somewhat SINH
lar cases, and though a tyro in the
profession. had had some experience
among the insane. knew, therefore,
that resistance would be of the least
service to me, and that apparent ac-
quiescence would be best. All this
quickly flashed throughmy mind, and,
accordingly, feigning the utmost in
difference I could, l said:
"Ah, yes, Mr.. A, to be sure. 1t
won't take long, will it?"
sob, no." said he, calmly survey
ing the kuife he now held in his hand.
ooh, no, the job is quite a light one
Here he poured out a glass Of wine,
and begged me drink it. AS [ did so,
an idea struck me, and | 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 a time, con-
WINGED that my suggestions was a good
one, and examining his knife more
closely, he said:
eyes, doctor, I.think you are right.
A little grinding will do no harm; So,
if you don't mind wait, I will justrun
to the carpenter shop"
This was exactly what [ wanted, as
feeling sure he would not lock the
door after him, [ thought my escape
would be easy. What was my dis
may, on his departure, at finding
that it was locked as securely as be-
forel
I passed up md down in despair,
tore at the door, flung open the port
hole window, and shouted with all my
might, but all without avail.
Time went on, minute by minute,
and he could not be long now. In the
frenzyof despair, | CROPPED about, from
corner to corner, in search of some
weapon of defence, but no, not even
the merest stick, not the smallest
thing upon which to lay hands. And
then [ heard footsteps approaching in
the distance.
7 felt my pulse, quicken, my brow
grow hot. Impulsively I flung off my
coat, got to the farthest end Of the
room, and, standing as defensively
as possible, resolved to fight to the
last.
1 remember then the door bursting
open, and the entry Of A., not
alone, as I thought, but securely pin
toned 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 in
tensity and reality of my situation
often now make me feel something
akin to what the condemned, about to
be hanged, must experience.
I learned afterward that the peculiar
and excited mannero of the maniac, the
large knife in his possession, and his
anxiety to sharpen it, drew suspicion
on him, which, with the fact that I
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 watch
ed day and, night, and on arriving at
New York was handed over to the pro-
per authorities, who, on Investigating
the case, found chat the man had es-
capped from a private lunatic asylum
near Liverpool, dnd had by strategy
and cunning eluded the vigilance of
his keepers and taken passage on our
vessel. He was, I believe, transferred
to England again, though happily not
under my care.-.London Times.