The herald., 1898-11-24
LANDLADY FRIGHTENED
PECULIAR ACTIONS OF A TURK
IsH BoARDER
THEY THOUGHT HIM INSANE
Hailed to Court as Lunatic, Mutual
Explanations Soon Set Things
Right Again

Among the boarders at the Clarendon
hotel. 4O5 South Hill street, asibeen lurk
named Thomas II. Solaghan and Mrs W. H.
Burgess. the proprietress, thought last week
that he had become insane. His actions
nerhaps justified such an opinion, Tor all at
once he discontinued coming to his meals
and. wher addressed, would point to his
throat without making verbal response.
Food sent to his room, Solaghan sent back
scarcely touched, and DR.. Hagan was called
in. He found the man on his knees with his
hands at his temples, but was not able to get
any answer at first to his questions. AT
last the Turk sprang up, went to desk Tor
paper and wrote, You bother me too
much" Presenting this to the astonlshed
doctor he resumed his kneeling posture, but
finally got up and tumbled into bed.
It looked like a clear case of insanity,
and two deputy sheriffs were detailed Sat
urday to take the man to the county hos
pital. where his actions could be better OBJ
served. They found him in bed, pulled him
out and he quickly found his tongue. AT mis-
request they left him while he put on his
clothes to accompany them.
At the hospital he seemed rational but
indignant because of his restraint. Iester-
day he was brought in for examination as to
his mental condition and the facts as stated
above were related by various witnesses,
the Turk maintaining silence during the
narration.
When all the rest had spoken. Solaghan
asked leave to make an explanation. which
was coherent and reasonable He said 1t
was true he had been despondent of late,
having been out of work for sin months. A
salesman in the drug business, he had ex-
pectation soon of being re-empioyed, but
letter from his home in Turkey had trou-
bled him. These things, doubtless, made
him appear downhearted, but the cause of
his peculiar actions was in no wise related
to his mental trouble.
Last week he had been attacked by dis
tressing soreness of the threat. which made
speech all bud impossible. This was com
picated later with pain in the stomach,
for the relief OF which he had assumed the
stopping position on his knees. When the
doctor came he 'smelled medicine and
feared they were about TO administer an
emetic to him, which in his weakened con-
dition he could not endure; so he got rid
of him as quick as he could and went to
Ueu. Iue arrival Ol TIE OlllCeTs was Il sur
prise to him, but he had made the best of
the case and gone with them when he found
there was no way to avoid doing so. The ex-
citement and indignation he felt because of
the annoyance of their visit impelled him
to make an effort to speak and he had sue
ceeded, inspite of his sore throat, in making
himself understood.
Drs. H. G. Brainerd and H. G.. Gates, the
medical examiners, were interested in the
case, and probed it thoroughly, but the
Turk, who spoke English very well, made
such lucid explanations of all his acts that
they had no difficulty in deciding that he
told the truth Examination of his throat
revealed much inflammation. but Solaghan
said they should have seen it few days ago;
it was now nearly well.
After frightening the landlady and the
other boarders, who thought he was laboring
under acute religious melanchola, he ex
planned the whole thing away in the most
satisfactory manner. Everybody thought
his silence was assumed in penance for
imaginary sins, and that his pointing to his
throat was to indicate that he would not
speak, not that he could not do so.
Because of his only partial recovery of
health and admitted depression, the doctors
recommended that he go to the county hos
pital for a week as a free patient, to which
he consented, but the insanity charge was
quickly dismissed.