The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-10-30
HELD BY A MANIAC.
Mrs. HI. U. Mudge's Thrilling
Experience With a Crazy
Woman.

An insane servant girl had possession
Of the home of General Superintendent
II. U. Nudge of the Santa Fe for near
ly an hour yesterday.
Her maniacal actions frightened Mrs.
Nudge from the house, and she sat on
the porch waiting for a physician and
officer she had sent for while the girl
paced back and forth through the
rooms, stopping now and then to glare
fercely out of the window or door.
The girl is Emma Horner, and she
had been working at the Nudge home
but few days Thursday Mrs Nudge
censured the girl for a lack of neatnesS
in the kitchen, and yesterday when she
happened into that portion of the
house she noticed that Emma looked at
her in a ScOwling manner, and that she
went about her work in a sullen sort of
q way.
She credited the girls manner to the
''scOlding" administered the day before
and said nothing for some time. But
the girl continued to appear sullen and
angry, and finally Mrs. Nudge said:
This will never do, Emma; if you
can't get along without sulking, don't
Want you to stay"
At her mistress words the girl left
her work and walked toward her She
attempted to say something, but was
only able to mutter incOherentIy. Mrs.
Nudge never thought of the possibility
Of the girls being insane, and attribut-
ed her actions to anger. She left the
kitchen and walked through the house
to the parlOr A moment later Emma
followed her.
In the parIor she advanced to Mrs.
Nudge and commenced to gesticulate
franctically, all the time muttering in
her attempt to speak. Her eyes glared
fiercely, and suddenly the thought came
to Mrs. Nudge that possibly the girl
was deranged. Whats the matter,
Emma?" she said kindly.
The girl made an effort to answer, but
only incOherent mutterings resulted.
Il believe you're crazy, Emma said
Mrs. Nudge.
Then for the first time the girl found
power to speak. I believe I am crazy
she blurted out. I won't go back to
the kitchen because I can't stay there"
Mrs. Nudge was by this time thor
oughly frightened. The girl is large
and strong, weighing 200 pounds, and
the thought Of staying alone in house
with lunatic of such proportions was
by no means a pleasant one to cOntem-
plate.
You stay here and will get a doc
tor for you" said Mrs. Nudge as she
started for the front door.
The girl did not seem to mind staying
in the house alone, but followed Mrs.
Nudge to the door gesticulating wildly
At the door she stopped and did not Of
fer to leave the house.
Mrs Nudge went to the residence of
T. F. Carver, next door, and there
found that Mrs. Carver was just ready
to start for the city in her carriage. She
told her of the girls condition, and
asked her to send DR.. H. K. Tefft and
an officer to the house. Then Mrs.
Nudge went back and sat down on the
front porch of her residence.
From the time Mrs. Carver left for
the city until the time DR.. Tefft and
JaiIer Frank Leech arrived nearly an
hour had passed, and during the inter
val the insane servant continued to
walk through the rooms of the Nudge
home while Mrs. Nudge sat on the
porch. She did not attempt to come
out of the house to the porch, or do
Mrs. Nudge any harm.
Dr. Tefft attended the girl several
weeks ago when she suffered from an
attack of brain fever, and when he saw
her condition he at once said that it
was probably a temporary arrangement
due to the previous illness and cOun-
seled her removal to the hospital.
She was taken to the StOrmOnt hos
pital in POtwin. Her home is in Abb
lene and news of her condition was
telegraphed her father last night. She
has shown no violent symptoms today,
but is suffering from nervous prostra-
ton.
The girl is a Swede. 26 years of age,
and has worked in number of promi-
nent families in Topeka.