Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-12-16
WANDERS AT LARGE.
Insane Student at I.w.U. Reported
Found Near Donnelson.
DR.. HANCHER WAS HELD PRISONER

James Clark, of CantriI, Becomes De.
ranged .on Religious Subjects
Signs of UnbaIance as Remembered
BY Companions.
Suffering from a state of mental I'M
balance, James Clark, the student of
the Iowa Wesleyan university, who is
said to have held President Han
cher, Thursday evening, prisoner in
his office, is reported to have been
found in the vicinity of Donelson af-
ter wandering about through the
storm all day yesterday. DR.. Hancher
is well known in this city, and the
graduates Of the university and many
friends of DIR. Hancher and the school
will be interested in the story, which
is, told. by the Mt. Pleasant News as
follows:
Hard Study.
Hard study and insufficient food
seems to be the basis of the mental
disturbance that possesses the young
man. Young Clark entered the school
at the beginning of the fall term. He
is of an excellent family, his father
being a prosperous farmer living near
Cantril. He is about twenty years Of
age, of excellent habits, a little above
the average in scholarship. His col
lege course was preparatory to enter
ing the ministry. Young Clark first
appeared here last summer making
inquiries about the course and the OPP
portunities of securing work to assist
in crnttino fhrn,rnI, fo1l
with seven others from his town, he
entered school. He and another young
man roomed together and Clark did
his own cooking. He was industrious
and was always on the look out to
secure odd jobs. making specially of
saving wood.
There never was suspicion of
mental disturbance entertained until
last night, when it manifested itself
in violent form, although now his
colleagues remember many queer
things that indicate that insanity has
been slowly developing.
Signs of Deraneement.
During the football season he be-
came interested in the game and went
SO far as to purchase new suit and
played several games. Then he sud-
denly stopped practice and sold his
suit. He became convinced, he stat
ed, that the game was not right. 1t
was also noticed that he was becom-
ing intensely interested in religious
subjects and read his Bible much of
the time.
During the last few days his room.
mate noticed that something was
wrong with him. He was restless,
would get up nights and read his Bi.
BILE; and pray and gave other indica.
lions of religious excitement, For the
last week he lived exclusively on oat-
meal, declaring that it was sin to
eat meat
Details of Outbreak.
about o'clock last night Clark
took his books, his saw and saw buck,
an axesand Bible and took posses.
sion of DR.. Hancer's Office in the chap
ell. He then locked the door and piled
the loose furniture against it. Then
he called up DR.. Hancher by telephone
and pre-emptorily demanded that
he at once come up to the
office on matters that would
not brook delay. Fearing trou-
BILE of some sort, DR.. Hancher
went up, and finding, his door locked
demanded admittance. Clark, upon
learning that the person at the door
was DR.. Hancher opened the door and
allowed him to come in. DIR. Hancher
at once realized the gravity of the
situation and acted accordingly. Clark
was laboring under great excitement.
He announced that it had been reveal
ed to him that he and DR.. Hancher
were to go forth and save the world.
This, was the trend of his insanity.
He had mapped out nearly all the
countries of the globe. DR.. Hancher
acquiesced to all that was said by the
insane student. Finally, the young
man, after satisfying himself that DR..
Hancher was with him in his mis-.
sion of saving mankind, accepted the
suggestion of the doctor that he go
home and have good nights sleep
in order that good start might be
made in the morning.
Returns to Room.
'Dr. Hancher was then allowed to
go and few minutes afterwards the
young man shouldered his sawbuck
and with his books returned to his
room. In the meanwhile DR.. Hancher
believing it prudent to keep away
from the young man sent another stu
dent over to call on Clark to see how
he was getting along.
He was entirely calm and collected
and gave no special sign of insanity.
Later in the evening one of the ply
sicians made a call on Clark and
found him in an apparently normal
condition. Some medicine was left to
ensure good nights sleep. A watch
was kept on Clark.
Down the tx" Line.
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