Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-21
ALONE WITH A MANIAC,
Quick Wit md SeIf-POsscssion Saxes
the Intended Victims Life.

Quick Wit md Self-POsscssiOn Saves
the Intended Victims Life.
From the London News
1t was en- the fifth day of our voyage as
we were amusing ourselves on deck that
message was brought me to say that Mr..
A would like to see me in his cabin
had no difficulty in finding his room
and was met at the door by Mr.. A. himself
lie shook hands very cordially, land invited
me to enter and take a chair No sooner
had done so 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:
Il am not ill. l sent for YOU laying his
nand on n large Knife, Ito cut your throat"
He was a man l had not before particu-
larly noticed, but now, as l looked up, l
fully made up my mind that he was
maniac.
1 am not a coward, yet even now the
thought of that moment makes me shud-
der. There was. in remote part of the
ship. alone with mailman of twice my
strength, without chance to escape, or
means to give an alarm and being UNI
armed. quite at his mercy!
L had heard of other somewhat similar
cases, and, though tyro in the profess
sion. had had some experience among the
insane. / knew therefore, that resistance
would be of the least service to me- and
that apparent acquiescence would be best.
All this quickly flashed through my mind,
and accordingly. feigning the utmost in
difference 1 could, 1 said:
'Ah, yes, Mr.. A, to be sure 1t won't
take long, will it?'
knife he now held in his hand "Oh, no;
the job is quite light one
Here he poured out glass of wine and
begged me to drink it. AS 1 did SO an idea
struck me. and l said:
'By-the-by, Mr.. A, your knife doesn't
look very sharp: the trachea is tough, you
knew. and will want some cutting
He looked hard at me, as If to read my
thoughts. but after time, convinced that
my suggestion was a good one. and exam
lining his knife more closely, he said:
Yes. doctor. think you are right.
little grinding will do no harm, so. if you
carpenters shop
This was exactly what I wanted. as, feel
ing sure he would not lock the door after
him, L thought my escape would be easy.
What was my dismay, then, on his de-
parture. at finding that it was locked as
securely as before!
1 passed up and down in despair, tore at
the door, flung open the portfolio 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 frenzy of
despair / CROPPED about from corner to
corner, In search of some weapon of de-
Tense: but no. not even the merest stick,
not the smallest thing upon which to lay
haTds- And then l heard footsteps ep-
preaching in the distance
1 felt my pulse quicken, my brow grow
hot. 1mpulsively 1 flung off my coat, got
to the farthest end of the room and stand
ing as defensively as possible, resolved to
fight to the last.
l remember then the door bursting open.
and the entry Of A, not alone as 1
thought. but securely pinioned, and at
tended 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 intensity and reality
of my situation often now makes me feel
something akin to what the condemned,
about to be hanged must experience.
/ 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 l 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 arriving at New York
was handed over to the proper authorities,
who. on investigating the case. found that
the man had escaped from a private luna
tic asylum near Liverpool and had by
strategy and cunning eluded the vigilance
of his keepers and taken passage in our
vessel. He was, 1 believe, transferred to
England again, though, happily, not under
my care.