The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-06-08
JOKE WAS ON THE FARMER
His Alleged insane Patient Proved
to Possess Perfectly
Sound Mind.

A Johns Hopkins medical student,
who sought the rural solitudes near
Mattawoman swamp, in Charles coun.
ty, Nd, as place to spend little va
cation, enforced upon him by severe
study, will doubtless long remember
his brief stay In that section. His
conception Of the Simple life," as
portrayed in the rustic environment
of that community, relates the Wash.
ington Star, was just beginning to be
realized, and in his daily meanderings
about the woods and farm houses he
found much of interest to the student,
when an unexpected climax shortened
his stay In that locality and ended In
his appearance, accompanied by ro-
Hospital for the Insane.
II am in search of the Identification
bureau" was the way the young farm.
er announced his business when he en-.
tered the big building devoted to the
transaction of business at the institu
ton. Il mean" he added, in an ex.
planatory sort of manner. the place
where the patients pictures are kept"
II took but few moments for the
young man who waited upon him to
learn that he had in custody one pre-.
sumed to be an escaped patient. The
proper officials were thereupon called
on to take charge of the matter II
took but an instant to determine that
there was no inmate in the institution
of the name given by the meek.looking
young man who stood by the side of
the farmer visitor. Further inquiry
brought out the fact that the afore-
said young man was in full possession
of his mental faculties, and that he
had given evidence of healthy state
of mind from the very moment that
he had been detained at the farmers
house, miles down in Maryland; for,
as he said, he took the matter of his
detention quietly. knowing when he
reached the hospital he would be re-
leased.
1T was no use to object down there"
he said to one of the officials before
leaving the asylum These people
saw me going about each day, inter
ested in the birds and flowers. sleep.
ing at farm houses by night as best
I could, and roughing 1t after fashion,
and they supposed there was some
thing queer about me, and IL ended in
my detention at the last farm house
where applied to take nights rest"
Turning to the man who had brought
him all the way from Mattawoman
swamp in vehicle, the young student,
laughing heartily. said:
Il haven't a thing in the world
against you. had a good nights rest
at your house, a fine dip in a cold
spring this morning, followed by
splendid country breakfast, and now
you furnish me with transportation to
this place, where obtain my liberty,
Just as ! knew would"
! The young tiller of the soil was non.
plussed by it all for while, but finally
Teparked to one Of the officials pres
ent:
J. Mister, I did this just for human.
ity's sake. I wanted no reward, and
such a thought never entered my
mind. believed this young man acted
as II he had come from here. and I
considered 1t my duty to take him and
find out"
Such incidents, while not common in
hospital life are by no means unusual,
as may be CLEANED from the police
books of the city, where are recorded
cases of persons being fined or other
wise punished for assault on persons
on the street whom they forced to ac.
company them to the government asy.
lum, on the presumption that the pc
destrians, who may have been dressed
strangely, or in some other way be-
come conspicuous, were escaped luna.
tics from the institution.