The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-07-30
BITTEN BY A CAT,
MAN BECOMES MAD
Kansas Farmer Is Victim of
HydrOphobia, Resulting
From Old Wound.
INJURY WAS INFLICTED
SIXTEEN YEARS AGO
BrOOded Over Prediction of
Physician That He Might
Expect the Result.

TOPEKA, Kan, July 29.-Seth Day
q Berryton farmer, Is raving in tn
padded cell of the county Jail wit
every Indication Of hydrophobia, re
sulting from the bite Of a cat six
teen years ago.
Mr. Day has been resident of Shaw
nee county at different times for th'
past twenty-Ave years. He was II
charge Of the Auditorium for severa
years after its completion. After thi!
he went to Oklahoma md purchased 6
farm, which he afterward lost on ac
count Of the failure Of crops. Prior
to being employed about the city be
owned an efghty-acre farm in Shaw.
noe county. One evening, accompanied
by one Of his sons. he went to the
stable to feed his team and found q
and apparently dead. He lifted the
animal by its tail in an attempt to
throw it out Of the barn when it came
TO and attacked him, and during the
fight bit him through the wrist, at tho
same time severely scratching his son,
who came to his rescue.
Used Maidstone.
A few days after the bite Of the cat
the wrist and arm began to trouble
Day and few days later he suffered
from hydrophobia and was with diff
Guilty restrained from doing himself and
family harm. lie was taken TO Kan
sas City, where maidstone was mp
piled to. the wound and adhered for
application Of the maidstone he became
more at ease and a few weeks later
was permitted to return to his home,
though he was told by the attending
physician that he might expect a re-
turn Of the trouble at any time. Ho
has brooded over this prediction ever
since, sometimes becoming very nerv-
Gus and worrying his family with the
fenr that tho awful calamity which ne
Last Friday was one of the eIces-
sively warm days Of the summer and
he was working in a hay field near
Berryton when suddenly he dropped
his pitchfork and uttering scream
started on run for neighboring
creek. When he started on q run for
the creek the hands working with him
supposed that he had been bitten by
snake and started after him. When
he reached the bank of the stream he
Immediately plunged in and began
throwing water over his head and body
and then throwing himself under the
water. He then started and waded and
swan up and down the creek for half
an hour while neighbors who congre-
gated on tho banks discussed plans for
rescuing him, as it was evident that he
must soon become exhausted and
drown unless taken from his water
race course. Two Of his sons,. with the
assistance Of the neighbors, finally |
rescued him more dead than alive and |
with his mind entirely gone, and took |
him to his home, where he was re-
strained until officers from the city ar !
rived and took him to the county Jail. !
The trip. to the city was made without |
trouble, but he refused to enter the Jail |
entire Jail and Sheriff's force to get
him into the padded CELL
Frenzted, He Attempts Suicide.
AS soon as the door of the cell closed
upon him he tried to wrench it from
the hinges and failing In this he at
tackled the heavily screened windows
efforts Of no avail he began throwing
himself headlong against the padded
sides OF his cell in mad effort to dash
out his brains. The sides Of the padded
cell, as the name indicates, are
heavily, padded and the worst that he
could do was to jar himself in his at
tempt at self destruction.
His rawlings and plungings were kept
when he apparently Slept until nearIy
morning, when he had another spoil and
became violent and again attempted to
dash out his brains.
rms morning he was more quiet. but
as irrational as ever, and failed to recop.
niZe those who called upon him who
were members Of his family. Two of
ms sons called upon him with a break.
fast, which had been prepared for him
by his wife, and while he said that he
recognized ono Of them it was plain that
he did not. Even though his sons of.
fered to eat with him he refused to
touch the food offered him and stood
incoherent sentences while
his sons, young men just out of their
Teens, stood with tears in their eyes
the mad anguish Of their pa
rent.
Water Brought on Fit.
cup of water was offered him nv
the elder of tho two BOYS. but the siobt
IF it seemed to throw him in a freTzv
md he grabbed the cup and dashed It
against the wall, spilling the contents
and for few moments became more
violent than ever
The boys say that they think that his
'rouble has been caused by the bite of
ne cat and the excessive heat in the
lay az held Friday, One of them said:
We did not want him to work and
asked him to stay in the shade and let
IS do his work, but he has always been
hard worker and would not listen to
is, He has had mild touches OF a SINH.
ar attack several times since be was
oltten by the cat but none of them
iave ever been as serious as this,
hough once when IN one of the spells
ie killed one Of his best horses and we
iad hard time restraining him
de VIII be tried in the Probate court
his afternoon and will undoubtedly be
declared insane, and as this information !
vas impaired to the sons, one of them
aid; "Can't we do something so
nat the people who have him in charge
VII be kind to him and not beat and
buse him, for he has always been kind
nd good to all of us and we don't
want to see him abused, though we
an not handle him at home in his