The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-22
LIVED ON GRASS
AND ROOTS
Peculiar Case of a Young Man
in Minneha Township
THREATENED TO MURDER
Relatives By Cutting Out Their
Hearts.

Early yesterday morning Earl Fosdyke
was brought to the county jail from
Minneha township and locked up as an
insane man. He is 1s years of age, and
for the past week has been living with
his uncle's cattle. eating grass and roots
and young shoots from hedge. He has
made threats to kill himself and his rela-
tives and friends. His great hobby is to
cut the heart out Of some one. The lat
ter part Of the week this young man
got large carving knife from the
kitchen Of his uncle's home Mr.. r. ".
Ross. and proceeded to spend much time
sharpening it. Friday evening he walked
into the house and before the assembled
family threatened to cut his heart out
Mr.. Ross persuaded him that this would
be a foolish thing to do and then the
young fellow wanted to cut his throat
He was also disuaded of this.
Then he took it into his head that the
family were trying to kill him by put
ting poison In his food and he went out
into the pasture and lived on grass and
roots and whatever he could find that
vas edible. He stayed with the cattle all
of the time. He did great deal of run
ming around also but he never got very
lar away from the herd. seemingly he
thought they would protect him.
r W. Ross lives about six miles south
east OF the city, near what is known as
-Four Mile creek Saturday evening
his daughter, Miss Ola, and young man
named Schaner came home from Wichita,
and the young man got a COR. knife and
his carving knife and danced around the
buggy, threatening to kill both. Mr..
Ross came out and called Mr. Homer
Smith and the three men began a chase
after the maniac. James Campbell,
another neighbor. also joined the chase.
The young unatic ran down the road
toward the creek. He would often turn
around and drop on his hands and knees
and bark and whine like a dog He got
TO the bridge and here held his pursuers
at bay with his knife. Whenever they
woul come near him, he would strike
wildly at them with the knife and not
one Of the four men dared make an at
chased off the bridge and into the pasture
and here the chase became the real thing. .
The young man would get down on his
hands and knees and run like a dog and
bark and whine. and even in that posi- 1
ton, would outrun his pursuers. Many
times across the pasture ran the pur-
sued and the pursuers. He lodged in
among the cattle and tried to hide
Finally the four men got him cornered /
and the fight began. Mr.. Ros and Mr..
Smith jumped on him and took the knife +
away, but they could hardly hold him.
1t required the strength of the four men /
to Overpower this small lad and tie him. (
He was carried to the house and there /
bound hand and foot Al night Saturday 1
night he was bound and Sunday and sun I
day night and yesterday morning he was t
brought to town and lodged in jail He
refused to eat food offered him at his
uncle's home. fearing, he said, that they
were going to poison him, but he ate a
little bread at the jail
Earl Fosdyke is rather nice looking
young man, and when a reporter for the
Eagle talked with him at the Jail yester-
day, he seemed perfectly rational He
said he did not know Of any OF the occur
FENCES OF the past two or three days. His
home was in Mathews. Ind. where his
parents now live. He came here about
three months ago. His health has been
bad for some time and he came to Kan
sas TO regain it. His insanity comes only
at times and il Is only in the last few
weeks that he has shown any symptoms
g.
last week. He is not very strong during
his rational periods. but it was a good
Job and lots OF work for four men to
hold him during one of MS spells. He
has always lived on farm and has no
bad habits that would seem to lead to
his becoming demented His talk yester-
day was that of man in his right mind.
and 20 look at him one would not think
he was insane, except for the wander
ing eyes.