Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-01-22
XVI
On the Potomac!

On the Potomac!
THE "princely home provided for his
mad wife by Captain Grant-otherwise
the insane asylum Of DR.. Grim, stood
upon the left bank of the river, and close
to the descent by which the water could
be reached.
1t was not a picturesque building.
There was a something dark and forbid
ding about its exterior that seemed to
speak in thunder tones of the secrets it
contained. A gloomy pile Of masonry,
with small iron-barred windows, and sur
rounded by a high wall--there it stood, a
curse upon the face of nature.
In one OF the little cell-like rooms was
Nora Warner. They had brought her
back senseless, and when she awoke to
life once more it was to find herself with
in the confines Of the hated asylum where
she had already spent so many months
of weary agony.
Up to this time Doctor Grim had not
been very particular about inficting any
of the tortures Of the place upon her,
for his orders had principally been to
hold her a prisoner. If she went insane,
overcome by the horrors that surrounded
her, well and good-in fact, so much the
better-but so long as he received his pay
and the Captain was satisfied, the Doc
tor did not waste his time in dealing Sc
verely with Nora Warner when he had
his hands full at any rate.
Every now and then new patients ar
rived at the asylum, which was always
full, and it might be noticed that Just
preceding each new arrival, a corpse was
carried out of the back door. There was
nothing secret about this matter of
burial, and the people living in the vi
cinity had little idea of the hotbed of
iniquity they were fostering in their
midst.
1t seems they had not given Nora War
ner credit for the sagacity she possessed.
She had escaped from the house and
fate had assisted to throw them off their
guard by sending the poor girl with whom
Nora had exchanged her shawl and hat,
to her death in the river.
The Doctor was enraged when he re-
turned home, though he did not show it.
Indeed, the more furious his anger as a
general rule, the more smiling became his
face, but there was death in that smile.
He realized that by the escape of Nora
Warner his institution had been placed
In very great danger, for had she gone
to the proper authorities they would have
adJudged her perfectly SANE and then be-
heved her story, which would have meant
ruin, financially, to him. He trembled
with fear and anger whenever he thought
OF the narrow escape he had had, and in
wardly swore that it should never occur
again.
Nora Warner was the first sane person
to escape from the walls of his domain.
and she should be the last. Before a
month went by he would cause her to
lose her reason, and then if she should
manage to get out, her talk would be
an incoherent tumble of nonsense.
From the glowing description Of the
mad-house doctor of the "princely home"
he provided for his poor patients. one
could imagine much that was pleasant.
from padded cells to elegant furniture
and Brussels carpet.
The cell of Nora Warner was a fair
sample of those in the institution. with
the exception Of a few comfortable ones
that were occupied by those whose rela-
ives really cared for them, and who had
not suspected what a den they were
sending the poor un%fortunates to.
With the exception Of a small iron cot,
fastened to the floor, and a chair. secured
in the same way, the cell was entirely
destitute of furniture. The walls were
damp and cold, and from the barred win
low one could look down into the grounds
of the asylum.
Beyond the great stone wall the pris-
oner could see the waters of the Poto.
mac glistening in the afternoon sun. as
she stood there one day, her white hands
crossed, and n strange look upon her face.
CTo be c"ontinued.)