People's voice., 1900-08-09
ARTHUR MURLIN Is INSANE.
The hunnewell Editors Mind Gives Way
and He Will be Sent to an Asylum.

sa i'd that Arthur Murlin, the
Hunnewell newspaper man whose er.
ratio actions have been the cause oil
considerable comment within the past
year, had become insane and was iny
pitiful condition. County Attorney
Ready at once instructed Sheriff
Shaver to go to Rome and bring
him to Wellington.
Murliu's actions within the past
year have been snch as TO cause doubts
concerning his mental sOundness. He
was employed on the Mail OF this city
for two or three years, and was re.
garded as a very bright young man
for his age. He afterwards worked
on the Wichita Beacon and later
started the Hunnewell Times, which
gave up the ghost after a itful exist
enCe, and on July 3 he started the
Daily Record at Pond Creek. The
paper suspended after a few issues
and little had been heard Of the pub
Usher since. He was 10 Winfield
yesterday with party Of fishermen
who were camping out on the Walnut.
The telephone message stated that
he was in Rome Thursday; his par.
ents at Hunnewell had beeu notified
and that they requested the authOri-
ties TO take charge Of him.
Arthur Murlin was declared insane
ln probate court next afternoons by
the following jury: DR.. +. g. Emer.
son, G. E. FlandrO, D. c. House, W.
A. Lichtenberger, W. E. Cox and r.
Z. DOwell. He will be taken TO an
asylum as soon as admission is
granted.
There seems TO be little doubt that
MurIin'S mind broke down Thursday
while on his way from Winfield TO
Rome. He was in Oxford the day
before, and called at the newspaper
offices there. Aside from his rough
appearance, there was little TO indi.
cate that there was anything wrong
with him. He said in Oxford that he
was camping out on the river. 1t
may be possible that lie had been
Insane and at large for several days.
A reporter fol- the VOICE visited
Arthur Murlin in the insane ward at
the county Jail Thursday evening
after he was brought up from Rome
by Sheriff Shaver. Murlin was a
pitiful sight. His eyes had a vacant,
half wild look and his face was thin
and covered with weeks growth Of
beard. He was in his bare feet and
his clothes were ragged and torn. His
voice was a little hOarSe and he drOll.
ed out his words and seemed TO simu-
late the actress in the insane scene in
the "Pearl Of Savoy" The reporter
imagined that he could hear the dole
ful music of the hand organ in the
pearl Of Savoy as Murlin tod 10 a
dreamy way his experiences with an
imaginary old woman who had been
chasing him. When the reporter en-
tered the room, Murlin was lying
down. He raised his eyes, and, recog-
nlzing MIN, sat up in bed and extend.
ed his hand, saying slowly as if 10 a
dazed condition: Il know you" In
talking about his hallucination, he
said: "She is an old woman, and
carries one hand here on her pistol,
another hand here on her sword, and
another hand on her bible. | first
saw her in Oklahoma. / was work
ing on a paper there, and she told me
she would kill ne if l didn't quit the
newspaper business and become a doc
tor. | don't know anything about
dOctOring. She run me out and has
been chasing me for two years. ]
don't know If my mother is alive or
not. | have not seen her for two years.
| heard she was sick and wanted to
see her, but this old woman kept
chasing me and wouldn't let me stop.
She run me all the way to Topeka,
Ottawa. Cherryvale and Independ.
eDce. Yesterday l hired a man, his
name was .Eaton-Henry Eaton
to drive me from Independence to
Winfield. We drove through corn
fields TO make her lose our track, but
when we got in Winfield she was
there ahead OF US. A cannon ball
could not stay ahead of her," When
not talking, Murlin hung his head
low and seemed in an abstract state
of mind. Once he looked out Of the jail
window, aud said: 81 have been here
before. | know those houses. Haven't
| got some friends here? How far is
my mother from here. don't know
where she lives" He did not seem to
understand when told that his mother
was at Hunnewell and that that was
his home. He complained of suffer-
ing with a headace. Yesterday he
walked all the way from the Walnut
river to Rome, where he gave out. 1t
is believed that his mind has been
affected for several months, and that
the long walk and hot sun yesterday
caused his mind to give way suddenly.
A few months confinement in an
asylum, with good treatment, will
probably restore bis mind.
II Arthur Murlin continues TO i'm
prove for the Uext three or four davs
as fast as he has within the past "a
hours, be will have fully recovered
his mental health. The light Of in
telligence has returned TO his ewes,
and he Is almost himself again. It is
not probable that he will be taken to
the asylumior several days even iiword
should c1me that he is granted admis-
sion, In the hope Of his ultimate re-
covery.