The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-10
MANAGES REASON RESTORED.
He Did Not Forget Thief's Kindness
and Paid His Fine.


week ago Cato Bristow. well-to-do
negro cabman, was a raving maniac in the
county Jail. Yesterday morning he was re-
leased with his mental faculties as strong
as they were before a negro woman evan
gelist made her appearance on the East
side. The story of the negro's stay in
jail is an interesting one and at least one
person was benefited by his having tenn
porarily lost his mind
Frank Davis, a convicted negro thief,
is the man who should fall on his knees
and thank Providence for Bristow's con-
dition. Davis was convicted last week
of entering and robbing a railroad car
and was sentenced by Judge Norwood in
the City Court TO pay fine of $50 or
serve nine months on the county chain
gang. Davis did not have the money, and,
as is the custom, was ordered held in the
Jail for seven days before being sent to
the county works.
The man with a chain-gang sentence
hanging over his head was placed on the
same floor with the crazy cabman. Davis
was touched by Bristow's frightful con-
dition and appointed himself the lunatic's
guardian. He treated the afflicted man
kindly and gently administered to his
wants. Davis was the only one who could
approach Bristow with any degree of
safety. His kind treatment made a last
ing impression on the mind of the luna
tic, and when the county physicians pro-
nounced him well he did not forget the
prisoner who had befriended him when
he required it.
This treatment had been partially re-
sponsibe for his recovery and he did not
feel that it would be proper to desert the
man who had done so much to bring
about the change. He felt that he could
never be happy, knowing that Davis was
working in bitches, with balls and chains
about his person. 1t did not take Bris-
tow many minutes to decide what to do
He drew his check for $40 and the amount
of Davis fine was paid. The court off,
Gals signed a discharge and the convicted
thief left the prison with his newly made
friend. Davis had never suspected that
Bristow would recover his reason, and,
too fully expected to serve his term on
the county works.
Bristow is a well-known cabman and
until he lost his reason was quiet sort
of man. He attended the services held by
the female preacher and lost his mind
completely on the subject of religion. He
agined himself the Holy Ghost and had
to be confined in a padded cell, so dam
gerous did he become. On the day that
Davis was committed to Jail Bristow de-
veloped superhuman strength and man
aged to break the lock that kept him
from getting at the glass window He
then broke the glass and with the pieces
cut the pads on the side of the cell into
pieces. A half dozen men had to re-
move him to an ordinary iron cell on the
lower floor of the jail and he was placed
where he could not harm any one. Bris-
tow tore off his clothing and paced his
cell without a stitch of clothing on his
person.
The unfortunate man was in that
frightful condition when viewed by a
jury from the Court of Ordinary, and he
was adjudged a lunatic and fit and
proper subject for Milledgeville. He was
Davis took him in charge, and with gem
tie treatment helped restore his mind.
Bristow only remembers the treatment
accorded him by Davis.
The negroes ara firmly convinced that
Providence caused the cabman to lose his
mind so that the thief would be saved.
The wise Maker, they say, gave the crazy
man the strength to break the heavy lock
and directed him to destroy the padded
cell. This was so that he would have to
be moved to the same floor with Davis.
The religiously inclined colored people on
the Eastside are not alone in their belief.
The man who so narrowly escaped a long
term on the changing firmly believes
that God purposely caused every incident
connected with the story.