Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-30
JOKE WAS ON THE FARMER.
His Alleged Insane Patient Proves to
Be Quite the Reverse.

A Johns Hopkins medical student who
sought the rural solitudes near Mattawo-
man swamp, in Charles county, Md, last
week as a place to spend a little vacation,
enforced upon him by severe study, will
doubtless long remember his brief stay in
that section. His conception of the gin
pie life as portrayed in the rustic environ
ment of that community, was just begin
ming to be realized, and in his daily mean
derings 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 ap-
pearance, accompanied by a robust son of
the soil, at the Government Hospital for the
Insane.
II am in search of the identification bu-
reau, was the way the young farmer an
nounced his business when he entered the
big building devoted to the transaction of
business at the institution. II mean" he
added, in explanatory sort of manner,
THE place where the patients pictures are
kept"
1t took but a few moments for the young
man who waited upon him to learn that he
had In custody one presumed to be an es-
capped patient. The proper officials were
thereupon called on to take charge Of the
matter 1t took but an instant to determine
that there was no inmate in the institution
of the name given by the meek-lookng young
man who stood by the side of the farmer
visitor. Further inquiry brought out the
fact that the aforesaid young man was in
full possession of his mental faculties, and
that he had given evidence of a healty 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, know
ing when he reached the hospital he would
be released.
at was no use to object down there" he
said to one of the officials before leaving
the asylum. Those people saw me going
about each day, interested in the birds and
MOWERS, sleeping at farm houses by night
as best L could, and roughing it after a
fashion, and they supposed there was some
thing queer about me- and it ended in my
detention at the last farm house where I
applied to take nights rest"
Turning TO the man who had brought him
all the way from Mattawoman swamp in a
vehicle the young student laughing heart
lily, said:
Il haven't a thing in the world against
you. 1 had a good nights rest at your
| house. fine dip in a cold spring this morn
| ing, followed by splendid country break
fast, and now you furnish me with trans
pOrtation to this place. where | obtain my
| liberty, just as l knew l would
| The young tiller of the soil was non
| plussed by it all for while but finally re-
marked TO one of the officials present:
Mister. L did this just for humanity 8
| sake. l wanted no reward, and such n
| thought never entered my n nd / believed
| this young man acted as if he had come
| from here, and | considered ii my duty to
| take him ard find out"
Such incidents, while not common in hos
| pital 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 otherwise punished for as
| sault on persons the street whom they
| forced 10 accompany them to the govern
| ment asylum on the presumption that the
| pedestrians, who may have been dressed
| strangely or in some other way become con-
| spicuous, were escaped lunatics from the
| institution.