Mexico weekly ledger., 1905-04-13
MEMORIES OF THE oLDEN TIMES
In the State Lunatic Asylum Some
Thrilling Experiences.
BIZ H. X. aINDE.

Correspondence OF the Ledger.
Some Of the best friends | have ever
had In my life were recovered patients
whom | have treated in the lunatic
asylum. | have scarcely gone into a
county in the State that l have not
found one or more such lasting friends
either the patient himself or herself
or some OF the family. They never
forget a kindness shown them when
insane, and with equal fidelity harbor
the remembrance OF any unkind
| treatment by word or deed, and scarce
ly ever forgive it, hence the Importance
OF uniform kind treatment on the part
OF those in charge. In modern times
it has gotten to be well understood
that insanity is a physical disease
amendable to treatment as other dis
eases Of the body, aud not a disgrace
or a penalty for some evil done "Neith-
er has this man sinned nor his parents
but that the works Of God should be
manifest In him." were the words Of
Jesus. This great afilction OF insan-
ity offers opportunities for doing great
good, both by individuals and by the
government 1t is only under the au-
spices OF Christian civilization that
the insane have been kindly cared for.
1t has been a long time since | have
met with anybody that regarded in
sanity a possession of the devil"
During the early years OF my connec-
tion with the asylum provision was
made for regular preaching service for
the patients, and it is n Of the most
gratifying reflections TO me that at
my suggestion and request the men,
beers OF our board made an appropria-
| tfon for a small amount to pay to the
ministers of the different denomina-
lions, preaching alternately in u
chapel every Sunday afternoon, and
this custom is kept up to this day. But
| could never get Father Theodric
Bolivar to preach at at our asylum
He would not preach to people
possessed OF the devil That a nan
OF such imperial intellect should have
such a conception as this was to me
an ~unsolvable mystery, but there is no
accounting for the excentricities OF
genius. For a long time / had a regu-
lar Sunday school class of patients in
the asylum. One Of the most eloquent
preachers l ever heard vas a patient
by the name of Linderman, who oc-
casionally preached for us in the
chapel and often lectured for me as |
exhibited Bible pictures from the
magic lantern. A favorite text with
him was: "Ephriham is a cake In
turned.' He had a mania for strong
drink.
Another remarkable preacher was
Elder J.. T. NJ. johnson, n Of the
most insane men in the asylum, and
yet when at his worst could go into
the pulpit and preach a good sermon.
And this suggests a good story to tell
on my old asylum associate, DIR. Mac
farlane. Few men have ever success
fully simulated insanity, but | knew
one case to succeed. A mar was ar
rested, Ia Lafayette county | think 1t
was for horse stealing, and showing
symptoms Of insanity, vas sent TO
Fulton to be tested by physicians In
the asylum. He was put on the same
hall with Bro. johnson, and played
his part we'll. DIR. Smith and DR..
Macfarlane we're his attendant ply
sicians. l had nothing to do with
him, having charge Of the female pa
tients. He adopted the only success
full mode Of stimulation, that Of entire
silence. He would never speak in the
presence Of the attendants or physic-
ians, but as soon as they YER out Of
sight and hearing he would talk rat
ionally TO Bro. Johnson, and Bro.
johnson would not give him away.
One night, however, the horse thief
managed in some way to get on the
roof Of the house and made his escape
down the lightning rod and has not
been heard Of to this day. | think DR..
Maefarlane is now Of the opinion that
the man was not insane. And this
reminds me of another thrilling scene
l witnessed on top Of that same build
ing. The man was from Monroe
county and had strong suicidal i'm
pulses. In some way in broad day
light he managed to get on the roof
and was discovered running at full
speed along the entire length Of this
four-story building. DR.. Smith and l
were standing watching him with
amazement expecting to see him jump
to his death when he reached the end
Of the building, but from some cause
changed bis mind and swung himself
from the cornice till his feet reached
the sill of the window below, but in
that position he could neither get up
nor down, and hung suspended there
from that upper four-st0ry window as
long as his strength held out calling
piteously for help. A man ran with a
rope as rapidly as he could along the
roof, but before be could reach the
poor fellew, his grasp relaxed,
and be fell on the pavement at our
feet and was dead In a moment.
Irecall another incident which came
neal proving fatal to myself. The man
was a convict sent us from the peni-
Tertiary at Jefferson City. He was a
giant In strength, and considered a
very dangerous man. 1t was late in
the evening Of a hot summer day and
a number Of US had been reclining on
the settees out in the yard in front of
the main building, but all had gone IN
but myself. The man evidently had
been watching his opportunity from
the fourth story window on the fourth