Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-10-28
PERRY YBOYCOTTS FOOD
Train Robber Almost Starves to Death to Prove Sanity.
FEED HIM THROUGH A TUBE

Puts Out His Eyes In Order to Bring
 Relatives to His Aid and Refuses to
 Wear Stitch of Outer Clothing.
 AIienists Amazed at Him.
 Plattsburg, N. Y., Oct 2S.-Efforts which are being made by few of his steadfast friends to have the sentence of Oliver Curtiss Perry commuted
 have revealed the fact that for four years the daring criminal who in 1892 startled the entire country with the
 boldnesS of his exploits has not eaten
 a particle of food or worn a stitch of
 outer clothing. They have also disclos-
 ed the fact that Perry is regarded as the most remarkable patient evefacon-
 fined in the State Hospital For the Criminal Insane
 Once Perry was on the verge Of starvation, but he absolutely refused to take a bite or drink anything and the physicians, satisfied that he would die rather than yield, fed him through a tube. Since Nov. 19, 1903, he has re- ceived nourishment through a tube, not because it is necessary, but simply be- cause he was determined to die rather than eat the regular prison fare. Per " declares he will never take a bite of food so long as he is in Dannemora hospital, and Drs North, Townsend and Mcdonald, his physicians, believe him.
 Defies the Authorities.
 Perhaps the most notable feature of the case, which has nothing even ap- preaching parallel in the prison rec ords of the state, is that Perry now weighs more than he ever did and is in perfect physical condition. Although he has done many things which almost clearly indicate an unbalanced mind, there is nothing in his manner or speech to suggest anything but the keenest intellect. He is by no means the imbecile the public has supposed him to be. His memory is almost phe- nomenal, his reasoning is clear, and | the only mania he has is that concern ing food and clothing. This, he subtly 1 argues, is not mania, but a bit of | aimed at what he de- | scribes as unfairness, and he adds that | if the taking of food and wearing of clothes will establish his sanity in the opinion of the experts and get him to a regular prison he will eat solid food and clothe himself.
 His behavior since his incarceration in Dannemora-in fact, ever since his arrest following his sensational train robbery-has been as remarkable as his criminal exploits were daring. He has defied the authorities. He has Jared them to kill him. He has re- yarded his life as mere plaything. As he explained, seated on the bed in his room. with white bandage over lis blinded eyes, he has never had any !. nope of being free, and it has been a natter of complete indifference to him whatever became of him.
 Tells Why He Put Out Eyes.
 He would like to have his liberty. He would like to go to some distant place md make an humble living, as other bind men do-and in fact he could lever do anything else-but he expects O spend the remainder of his life be- lind prison bars unless the two or hree persons who have stood loyal to Jim succeed in the movement they lave recently undertaken to have his entence cOmmuted.
 His relatives deserted him years ago. t was to bring them to his aid, he de- Jared in an interview with a reporter, hat he put out his eyes. He never i eard from them. The two persons l vho have clung to him are the Rev. ; :. D. Warren of the South Presby- 1 erian church of Elmira and Miss Has, ' ell of Troy.