The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-21
HIS MIND AFFECTED
Chas. Grower Drives Off John
McComb'S Horse.
PURSUED ON A BICYCLE
Insanity Complaint May Be
Filed Against Him Today.

Yesterday about noon, young man
who gave his name at the police station
as Charles A. Grover, deliberately jumped
into John McComb's buggy at tho City
livery stable and drove away without
taking time to give any account Of him.
self AS q result insanity proceedings will
be Instituted against him and he will be
tried in q few days.
The young mans actions yesterday
were NOVELETTE, extreme. He had been
lettering around the stables all morning,
with practically nothing TO say. His
actions were regarded as rather strange,
but nothing WAS thought of them. About
noon Porter Holmes, new boy at The
stables, hitched up Mr.. McComb's horse,
as is his usual custom, to wait until some
one came after it. Young Grover aided
IN the work and when the animal was
hitched to the buggy the stranger got in.
A this juncture, believing that the fell
low was one Of Mr.. McComb's men, Mr..
Holmes asked him if he was going to
take the horse around.
Yep" was the boys unconcerned re-
ply, ''Pll drive 'em around"
And with that the boy caught the lines
and applied the whip and was gone, but
instead of going 20 Mr.. McCombs place,
he turned south on Lawrence avenue and
kept on going. Holmes began to suspic-
ion that the fellow was attempting to
steal the outfit and Ed Tay6or the pro-
prietor OF the stables, having gone to
dinner, Claude Blanchard, another en-
plOye at the barn, was notified. Blanch-
ard got on a bicycle and Immediately
started in pursuit of Grover. The boy
was driving fast and he was not over
taken until the railroad was reached on
Lawrence avenue. Blanchard asked him
where he was going and what he was do
ing in the buggy.
''Oh, nothing; just driving around" was
the reply.
The horse was in a heated sweat
Grover appeared tohave no qualms of con-
science about what ne was doing, and
when told to drive the horse to the barn
he acquiesced, but he made the animal
90 at a rapid gait and it was all Mr.
Blanchard could do to keep up the pace
on the bicycle. When Douglas avenue
was reached Grover attempted to get out,
but he was forbidden to do so. The at
Market, but was prevented by Mr.
Blanchard who was fully determined to
hold him captive until he could be turn
ed over to the police.
When asked what he had driven the
horse off for, he said that he was only
warming her up a little" His air was
very unconcerned and the people at the
barn began to suspicion that his mind
was not altogether clear and that he was
not wholly responsible for his conduct
He was allowed TO go, but afterward
when the police arrived he was taken in
custody at the home OF his father No 1873
Ohio avenue and taken 10 the hold-over
From his father 1t IS ascertained that
for some time his mind has been impair
ed and that his condition appeared to be
getting worse all the time. The authorit-
les do not believe that he intended any
wrong, but it is more than likely had he
not been overtaken by Mr.. Blanchard
he would have kept on going and would
have killed the horse.
A couple Of weeks ago this same young
man was arrested by the police for riding
a bicycle on the sidewalk on Main
street He was just learning to ride, and
In his attempt ran over a child. The
wheel also threw him and in falling be
bruised his face on the sidewalk He was
afterwards released.
Growers mental faculties are not ser
lously affected, but he is not altogether
right. and proceedings of insanity Will
probably be brought against him today to
determine his sanity or insanity. He is
still at the police station.