The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-15
WILD RIDE WITH
INSANE WOMAN
Dick Dodd Lost in Oklahoma
Hills With Mrs. Powers.
BLACK AS MIDNIGHT
No Houses in Sight and the
Road Gone.
BLACK AS MIDNIGHT

Deputy Sheriff J. A. Dodds tells a thrill
ing story about his trip through the wild
lands OF Oklahoma with crazy woman.
and of his getting lost in the dark can
yons between Okeene and Fountain.
Mrs. Powers was adjudged insane in
the probate court here. but she could not
be sent to an asylum in this state, be-
cause it was discovered that she was
citizen of Oklahoma instead Of Kansas.
She has daughter living at Mulvane
and one in the north part of this county,
and they employed Deputy Sheriff Dodds
TO take her to their brother in Oklahoma,
so that he could have her treated in the
sane woman. Dan Smith, lives near Foun-
tain.
The deputy sheriff left here with his
charge last Monday morning on the Rock
Island. He arrived in Okeene at 3 O'Clock
in the afternoon, and when he got there
he found himself in trouble. There was
no prison in the town that would accept
a woman, and Mr.. Dodds could find no
one that would agree to keep his pris-
oner all night.
From the best that he could learn it
was about forty miles from Okeene to
where the old lady's son lived. He found
a man and woman with a two-seated car
riage, who agreed to take them to Smith S
place for SO, and the four started on the
long drive.
Mr.. Dodds said when they struck the
Gyp hills ne was so delighted that he
never thought of worrying about his
prisoner. There We're high hills and deep
canyons, fringed with pine and cedars.
and he thought ii was the nearest Par
adise he had ever seen.
They were IN a deep canyon when the
deputy sheriff thought the sun all of a
sudden dropped out of the heavens and
they were in the blackness of midnight.
They were in the allotment country when
they got through the hills and canyons,
and there were no houses that they could
find.
They had a lantern, and would have
tied it in the tongue Of the wagon, but
they were afraid of breaking it on the
stumpS. Sometimes they would lose the
trail, and then Dick Dodds would take
the lantern and hunt for il. They would
sometimes come in sight of Indian tents,
and when he would propose to stop with
the Indians both the women would rebel
against ii. The crazy woman had a hal
lucinatiOn that somebody was trying to
Kill her, and she was afraid of the IN
dams, but more so than the other woman.
When they got through the Gyp hills
the man who was driving threw down the
lines and told Dick Dodds that he was
lost. He said he did not know north or
south, cas- tor west, or even straight up.
Dick too kthe lines and drove and drove.
After a long time 0t was just half an
hour after midnightC he spied a little
house
He went to the door and reused the in
mates and asked to have his party taken
in for the rest of the night. He was de-
termined to so no further, for every time
he would go down a steep hill the crazy
woman would scream and try to jump
out of the carriage. and he was afraid
she would succeed and kill herself before
they got her to Smiths.
a man with - kindly face finally came
to the door wit Ia coal oil lamp in his
hand, and asked what was wanted Mr.
Dodds told him his troubles. and learned
thst the mans name was James \
Dowd. and that he and his family lived in
the house. He said the family would
divide their beds and take in the stran-
gers on such a dark night
Cots were made on the floor for the
women, and Dick Dodds chopped wood
by the light of a lantern and built fires
until morning 10 keep them warm The
next morning the friendly family that
had taken the party In said they had
never heard Of Dan Smith, but the dep
uty sheriff and his party found him about
three miles from where they had stopped
during the night
After getting TO Mr.. Smiths place. he
asked the INTO stay until he could get
some of the neighbors to help take his
mother to the asylum.
: Mr.. Dodds says that is the last trip Of
the kind he ever wants to take with
crazy woman.
Put he said. III YOU say anything
about this in the Eagle, 7 want you to
say something nice about J. A. Dowd and
his family They are mighty nice peo-
pie. and the fellow who thinks the people
down in that new country are not the
very best on earth is OF his base"