Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-01-23
DEAD TO The WORLD
Mysterious Stranger at the
County Jail.
PUZZLE FOR THE SHERIFF
"A Man Who Neither Talks, Eats Nor sleeps
No One Knows Whence He Comes.
His Odd Apparel. Re
fuses to Talk.

In the little, room set apart for the use
of the Sheriff in the crampedand anti
quetef structure in this city known as
the county jail, may be seen, by any
VINO take the trouble to cal at the
piacS, picture Of despair the like of
winch mas never before been witnessed
mere. creature with bowed head, clad
in garments which wcslld mark him
among thousand Inen, sits there all
the day long, and through the weary
Tours Of the night, with never a word or
a look FOR those around him Not once
since he came. as suddenly as If he had
dropPsd from a world above. has Sher-
III Curtis been able to induce him to
refresh himself with food or drink.
De features of the man are not east
~ analy2.d. The corehead is slightly
sioplns. but the facial angie is up to the
average, while the nose is broad and
iarge. The eyes. set in deep socax Is.
seem to have lost their color, and ap-
pear TO put forth an appeal for tears to
relieve the anguish pent up in THE Great
ures htnrt. The lips are sensual. the
CHM pointed and inclined to abnormal
promlreHca.
Such is the man who. f,r two dave
past, has sat as Sllenc as death in tba
obflcS OF Sheriff Curtis-cat there thi,d,
ing over the events of u time long frnne
When Fife was bright and hoTa was
ouoyant-thlnklng on through the wears
w
uafknNs IS and the beauty with which
"he SHADES of sunset fringed the golden
SKY lied before the bowling heralds off
tempest and storm. Yesterday his long
arms rested upon his knees and his
hands, bony and bruised and barring
numerous signs OF toll, tangled as If
they had been swung on sNivels A
crowd of men stared at the misera HE
uelnS. some or Whom cIacl. Il jok.s a
ms expense, but he gave 40 heed to a
Word that was said. hut sat with his
col3rless eyes still fixed on the floor.
WhSn ask how and when the
strange being came to the jail Sheriff
curtis declared that he was utterly un-
able to say. Turnkey Wooten was as
much at a loss to answer the QUESTION
as Shsrif Curtis An either cenld say
Was that day before Yesterday when
they entered the Office they found him
there Beyond a tangled inscription in
Which the word "trya." occurs nOthino
mas been found to- furnish an accurate
clue to the mans identity His Dock
els contain neither money nor other
thing of value. His clothing is soilel
and worn and the aims of his co,tn ana
me legs of his trousers are at least thr. q
iilSneS TOO short. 1t is plain that the
enure suit was cut from the same piece
or cloth. but that it was not originally
ihtenfed tor its present owner His
feet are encased in a pair of very larea
shoes. the soles of Which have hem
Worn thin causing the uppers TO spread
out until they APPEAR to be aln1,st as
broad as they are long.
III Is eVlHent that the man Is the vic
I'm OF some severe mental 1naiady The
supposition, bias, j upon thu fragn,rnt nf
manuscript referred to above. is tbo, h,
was charged with. a III perhaps ccnyict-
eo OF, some serious of!enSe, and. being
innocent. was driven insane. But ho4W,
eyer that may be. he has pre-empted a