The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-06
TERESA PATTON'S RAZOR.
YEy PHASE OF TEE sERTAyT-e IR1
QUESTION IN MOUNT VERNON.

Mrs. Chester l.. Kotcham's Housem.id,,
Midnight MeanderinEs in the Fami,v
bedrooms Followed by Two Attempt. ~
suicide and Trip to PouRhkeep.,e.
MOUNT VERNON. Sept. Snow chat Teresa
Patton has been formally declared insane and
committed to asylum. the family Of Chester
I. Ketrham OF this city 10 IN an easier frame OF
mind ,han II has been since Sunday. This ia
because the Ketchams haven't known at what
moment Teresa might return to her place as
b,uspruad and repeat some O: the perform
uu,os which filed them with surprise on Sat-
urdnv night. The girls commitment to tn.
poughkeepsle State Hospital for the Insane ia
due 10 the fact that she twice atom pted
suicide by jumping into the river at Yonkers
on sunday.
Mr. Ketchum. who 10 in the dairy business
lives at 1919 West Lincoln avenue with hi.
family. Teresa has been a servant there for
SOM months and has been regarded by Mrs
Tet hum as a good enough girl, though
SUBJECT to Ats OF moodiness during which
,hc was absent minded and frequently
mqds strange replies to remarks ad-
dressed to her. Her eccentricities were
mt sufficiently marked, however, to sug-
scst 10 her mistress that there was anything
wong with her mentally. On Saturday oven
ing she sat up late. and Mrs. Kotcham thinks
was up after the family had gone to bed
About midnight Mrs. Ketcham was awakened
by hearing somebody moving around In her
room. At first she was alarmed and was about
70 Try for help when she saw that the late visi-
tor was the servant girl
What do you want. Teresa7" she asked.
'Sh- h-h-h-h" Missed the girl In long drawn
ont warning Of silence.
She walked over to the window and began to
flourish something which she held in her hand
and which flashed in the ray OF light that
entered the window. She seemed like person
walking in a dream and conjecturing that
It might be a case Of somnam bulism, Mrs
Ketcham again called to the girl,
but got the Same reply as was given to her first
question. This time Teresa advanced toward
the bed. but stumbled against q chair in which
rested the family cat. Thus disturbed. Pussy
demonstrated mildly by mewine. Instantly
the girl caught her by the nape OF the neck and
flung her over upon the bed. then stalked ma
jestically from the room while the indignant
EXPLANATIONS OF Mrs Ketcham an the cat Usre
mingled.
The noise awak ed Mrs. Ketcham 3 son. who
sleeps in the next room. and as he was about
to rise to find out what was the matter his door
opened and Teresa walked in. Much amazed
at this visit. the young man lay quiet with
his head upheld on his elbow to sec what was
going to happen. 1t wasnt long in happening
The visitor walked over to him and
stretched out her hand to his face. Then
he felt the rounded surface Of cold metal
against his skin. 1t passed down over the side
OF his face and was withdrawn. Between
amazement and alarm he kept perfectly quiet.
which was. In all probability q very good
thing for him. After moment the girl left
his bedside and wandered over to the window
where he could see her dimly brandishing her
arm. This lasted for only few seconds when
she went NJ tina n Ouiatlv "a
had entered and returned to her own room.
The young man called to his mother and they
compared experiences. coming to the conclu-
sion that Teresa had probably been dreaming
and had wandered in her sleep. In the m orn-
ing quite early she came to Mrs. Ketcham. and
said
I'D like to 60 away for the day II you please.
maam l want to 60 on a trolley ride"
Mrs Ketcham told her she might go and
asked her II she had been looking for anything
the night before. The girl looked blank and
said that she had not. After she had left they
found on the kitchen table razor be-
longing to Mr.. Ketcham. which he had
not used for some time and which had
they saw this weapon Mrs, Ketcham and
her son felt Gnalmish She ssec9Il!ecte d
the blade in the light. and he remem hereh the
cold pressure on his face and was glad that the
razor rather than the keen edge-probably a
matter OF entire indifference TO her and mere
chance. The consensus OF opinion in the
ketcham household was that II Teresa was a
somnambulist she was particularly unpeas-
ant variety Of that nocturnal species. and that
il wouldn't conduce to the health of the house.
hold to have her around.
II was something OF a relief when Teresa
failed to return on Sunday night. 1t was also
amatter Of some apprehension. as there was
no telling when she might come back and in
what frame OF mind she might be when she
did arrive. Mr.. Ketcham, senior. who
had been told OF her exploits. sat up
late waiting for her and made arrange
ments to he ready for her in case she
did come after he had gone to bed In the
morning he saw in a local paper that girl
named Patton had tried to drown herself In
the Hudson River at Yonkers The first time
she jumped in she was rescued byIa young
man, whom she thanked. saying that she had
fallen in while looking for something she had
dropped. As she was again found struggling
in the water near the same place before her
clothes had time to dry. however. this story was
received with scepticism and the girl was
turned over to tho police Medical examina-
zion established the fact that she was insane
Mr.. Ketcham went to Yonkers and identified
the girl. When he learned that she had been
pronounced insane he returned in haste to
escape they had had The physicians who
examined her cannot say certainly whether
her mania was Of a homcidal kind. but one OF
them said yesterday that insanity OF that sort
is likely to take homicda trend at any time.