The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-23
BY A CAT.
Seth Day, BerrytOn Farmer,
Victim of HydrophObIa.
Raying Mad in Padded Cell at
County Jail.
FROM AN OLD WOUND.
Sixteen Years Ago Was Attack
ed by Mad Feline.
Several Times Since He Suffer
ed Slight Attacks.
FROM AN OLD WOUND.

Seth Day a Berryton farmer, is raw
ing in the padded cell Of the county jail
with every Indication of hydrophobia,
resulting from the bite of a cat 16 years
ago.
Mr.. Day has been a resident of Shaw
nee county at different times for the
past 25 years. He was in charge of the
Auditorium for several years after it's
completion. After this he went to Ok
lahoma and purchased a farm which he
afterwards lost on account of the fail
ure of crops. Prior to being employed
about the city he owned an so acre farm
in Shawnee county. One evening ac-
: companied by one of his sons he went
to the stable to feed his team and found
a cat having a fit in one of the man
gers and apparently nearly dead. He
lifted the animal by its tail in an at
tempt to throw it out of the barn when
it came to, and attacked him and dur
ing the fight bit him through the wrist,
at the same time severely scratching
his son who came to his rescue.
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 diffi-
Guilty restrained from doing himself and
AtlIAlS udtn. he was taken to KAN
sas City where a maidstone was ap-
piled to the wound and adhered for
nearly IS hours. After the application
Of the mad stone he became more at
| ease and a few weeks tier was per
mitted to return to his home though
he was told by the attending physician
| that he might expect a return of the
trouble at any time. He has brooded
over this prediction ever since. some
times becoming very nervous and Wor-
rying his family with the fear that the
awful calamity which he feared would
return.
Last Friday was one of the exces-
sively warm days of the summer and
he was working in a hay field near
Berryton when suddenly he dropped
his pitchfork and uttering a scream
started on a run for a neighboring
creek. When he started on a run for
| the creek the hands working with him
supposed that he had been bitten by a
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 the 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 dea d than alive and
with his mind entirely gone, and took
him to his home, VIII ere 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
and it took the combined efforts of the
entire Jail and sheriff's force to get him
into the padded cell.
As soon as the door to the cell closed
II, !, 1a1 to z,-17
the hinges and failing in this he at
tackled the heavily screened windows
and tried to smash them. Finding his
efforts of no avail he began throwing
himself headlong against the padded
sides of his cell in a mad effort to dash
out his brains. The sides of the pad
ded 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
up until he was completely exhausted
when he apparently slept until nearly
morning when he had another spell and
became violent and again attempted to
dash out his brains.
This morning he was more quiet but
as irrational Is ever and failed to recog-
nize those who called upon him who
were members of his family. Two of
his sons called upon him with a break
fast which had been prepared for him
by HIS wife and while he said that he
recognized one 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
mumb1ing incoherent sentences while his
sons, young men just out of their teens,
stood with tears in their eyes watching
the mad anguish Of their parent.
A cup of water was offered him by the
elder of the two boys but the sight IF
it seemed to throw him in frenzy and
he grabbed the cup and dashed il
against the wall, spiiIing the contents
and for a few moments became more
violent than ever.
The boys say that they think that his
| trouble has been caused by the bite of
I hay field Friday. One of them said:
we did not want him TO work and ask
/ ed him to stay in the shade and let US
] do his work but he has always been q
/ hard worker and would not listen to US
! He has had mild touches of a similar
attack several times since he was bitten
/ by the cat but none of them have ever
/ when in one of the spells he killed one
of his best horses and we had a hard
/ time restraining him.
He viii be tried in the probate court
4 this afternoon and will undoubtedly be
/ declared insane. and as this inforlna-
ton was impaired to the sons one of
| them said: Cant we do something SO
that the people who have him in charge
will be kind to him and not beat and
abuse him for he has always been kind
and good to all Of us and We don't want
] to see him abused though we can not
| handle him at home in his present con-
dition we know
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