The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-01
is VAUGHN CRAZY
Doctors Puzzled by q Prisoner
in County Jail.
He Started Out By ShammIng
Insanity.
HAS BECOME REALITY.
Gives Every Evidence of Being
RaYing Maniac.
Fellow Prisoners Frightened
the Weak Minded Negro.
AS BECOME REALITY.

sherin's force as we'll as the doctors
who examined him.
Vaughn is a little black, thick Tipped
negro about thirty years of age who a
few months ago quarrelled with his
lover and she left him and started for
the home of friend He armed him
self with q. revolver and shotgun and
pursued, oVertaking her on Crane street
| in the bottoms district of the city.
She broke away from him and ran down
the street while he emptied his revolver
at her, and finally after she had reached
such a distance that the shot did but
little damage he fired both barrels OF
the shotgun. The shot did nothing more
than sting and hasten her flight if such
a thing was possible.
He was arrested Immediately and ia
ken to the county jail, and since that
time from weak minded criminal
he has gradually grown worse until he
is now bowling maniac, or else IS
a success as an actor When first con-
fined he was hauled before the ''kanga-
roo COURT and tried for the murder Of
his lover and Jury Of his peers found
him guilty and sentenced him to be
hanged by the neck until dead.
The, scenes incident to the trial and
subsequent were too much for his weak
mind and acting on the advice of his
I fellow prisoners he agreed to feign in
sanity to escape the death penalty he
| irnagines has been Inflicted on him. he
was placed on a diet of. soap by the
| prisoners who were confined with him
/ and instructed 10 fall in fit whenever
the tailor or any of his assistants were
/ about and rave while hefrother at the
mouth from the effects of the soap
which he held between his teeth.
He then recalled that one of his
brothers is now confined in the insane
asylum and this was carried to the ears
! Of the force about the jail who had
charge of the prisoners. Strange noises
- ---4-. omar
| confined with him and awakened from
/ his sleep he would set the midnight
| echoes reverberating about the jail.
These little anHoyances we're kept up
by the prisoners until the insanity
which he had been shamming probably
became real and his companions began
/ to be afraid of him and asked that he
/ be confined in a. separate cell SO that ne
/ This was. Naughn7S inning for the jailer
| refused their request and they were kept
I in the same apartment with nm ana
| they feared to sleep lest he might muir
! der them during the night ana the joke
was turned on them.
His insanity grew on him, and now
the thoroughly frightened prisoners
\ begged and pleaded that he be taken
from their midst but they had insisted
from the first that he was shamming
and Jailer Larson believing them then,
i now refused to think differently of the
matter
1
the prisoners were startled by the sound
of q struggle IN Vaughn's cell and they
rushed in expecting that he had at
/ tackled one of their number. They found
him suspended from the slotted ceiling
/ Of his cell by a piece Of wire which hao
/ been used as q support of his bunk and
1 his feet clear of the floor and in his
/ death struggle. Not one of them would
| touch him so great was their fear and
4 superstition. though they finally man
| aged to get the attention Of the jailer
and his deputies, who loosened the wires
/ and pleased him more dead than alive.
/ AS he regained consciousness he be
/ gan to rave and he has kept at 1t al
/ most constantly since then, at intervals
( and for the past week almost continu-
ally. He was taken from the cell room
and has Deen confined most of the time
/ in the padded cell where he has alter
| nately shrieked and moaned, as he
/ threw himself about on the padded floor
| or dashed his head against the sides
/ of his cell.
( Doctors Eastman and Nicou were
called and examined him to determine
| as to his sanity and each pronounced
/ him sane His heart action was good,
as was his physical condition and the
pupils Of his eyes were not dilated as
is generally the case with insane pa
tents.
For the past week he has crouched
In the corner Of the padded cell night
and day or spraWled about the floor
moaning that he Is to he hung for a
! crime which he never committed. al
ternating the means with shrieks
which have driven the women prison
ers confined on the same floor to the
verge of nervous prostration.
Sometimes he Is quiet for a few
moments While he claws at his kinky
hair with his bouy fingers apparently
.tryiDg to understand what it is all
about. Then lie shriels again: They s
4 got the poorh niger locked up and
theys guine to hang him and Inebbey
( theys guine to burn him up When
night comes can see EN- with their
faces at the windows and doors a
tryen to get In to me. Use innocent
and nevah named nobody but its
myself. They's goin' to hang ma
fathar and mother and they amt done
nothen at all only they's jest ma
i folks
So he means and shrieks night and
day never appearing TO either tire or
rest. and If he IS shamming he has
II earned his liberty. A commission has
been appointed consisting of Doctors
N O. E. Taylor and X. f. Johnson, who
will try him for his insanity today
4 and settle the matter as far as the
y law is concerned and the sheriff 8
/ force and the prisoners in the county
jail will have a chance to sleep and
/ rest. as he will be taken either to the
+ asylum or reformatory.
Upton a Guest Of Honor.
Boston. Nov. 1.=sir Thomas Upton
was the guest OF honor today at the
annual meeting of the Massachusetts
state board OF trade at the Hotel Ven
dome Earlier IN the day Sir Thomas
was the guest at~breakfsst of the Bos-
TO- oh