The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-03-21
A PRIVATE
INSANE ASYLUM

the first breath of suspicion was ,aisa,
against il. The editor of the Daily A.
gus was Il personal friend Of tho ,o.
tor He regarded il as one of th,
model institutions of the cuun,rv ,,a
had lime and again commended il in
the most favorable terms.
One day n Young woman esc,,o,
and told such tales as led to an inv.s
LEGATION
The trick If getting q reporter into =
prison or an asylum for Il few weeks
to report on the condition Of affairs
was u new thing then. though old
enough now. On the city staff Of the
Argus WAS y man named Green ua
suggested the plot that was carried
out. lie was I" he sent to Or Treats
asylum for treatment. The editor took
up the idea not because he douhted
the doctor. hut from newsroper
standpoint Green would find nothing
to criticise during his stay. hut his ar
ticles on life in an insane ASYLUM
would make good reading 1t would he
n stroke Of newSpartD enterprise to
show that the Argus was wide awake
The details 70 the plot were worked
out. and then Green Suddenly disar-
pearad It was learned from the editor
afterward that his friends had him
incarcerated in the asylum as ''trou-
blesome person" In plain English
that meant that he stood between
somebody and property. Two doctors
were foul9 to certify to the fact that
he was "ba0lessly insane That
meant he was in the way. hut not OK
actlv given to chopping w people with
an ak. His examination By these doc
tors lasted less Chan half an hour.
The editor continued TO visit the
doctors retre;G and to assure him
that he believed in Bis Integrity. but
each time he went out there he man
aged to secure brief interview with
Green. In fad he was handed writ
ten report of what had been seen and
heard Why noto Of these reports
twelve In all-were never published
will he explained latcS Green had mo
gone to the asylum to dissemble. Je
announced on his arrival that he was
perfectly sane. and he continued to
talk and act like any sane man.
For the frso three Gays he was Vell
treated Then he was called into the
DOCTORS office and told that if he con
tinued to play the hynncrite he would
bring down punishment on himself.
The doctor meant by Chat that if
Green still continued to act like n sane
Elan he ti..-'lt expect trouble lie re
fused to make any change and was
placed in dark cell for three days
As he was still rational when he came
out, one Of the keepers knocked him
I down with club
That was the beginning Of the mans
~ rcution. He could have been re-
leased Mt any time by tipping the wink
to the editor. but he had determined
to make his Investigation thorough
one One Of the punishments was be-
ing tied down on n cot. face upward,
and n dish Of water suspended from
the ceiling in such manner that a
single drop struck his face every sec
ond. At the end Of an hour each drop
seemed to have the force of sledge
hammer Another was to tickle the
soles Of his feet until he went into
Mysteries. There was a ferocfous
great hound Mt the asylum. the proper
u Of one Of the attendants. Green ana
other patients would he tied In chair
and the dog tied to n ring In the wall
and left together for half an hour The
rope on the dog would he tied 80 that
be could g<t his teeth within an 1ncn
of his victims legs. On several occa'
1 sions the rope stretched and enabled
him to ipf]ict terrible bites. Green con-
eealed pencil and paper and managed
TO write Of these things and pass them
to the editor After month hao
PASSED he had made good case
AGAINST the doctor and was told to
chop 1t of there. This he refuseo 20
DO. He wanted to get the whole OF II
! down to the last detail.
When he refused to play insane 10
please the doctor. who must nave
known that he was perfectly sane
man. Green was starved for two DAYS
!. at Z time. and the punishments num-
heref q score. One of the worst was
00uOlU& 0lID W. Ill u UdI'S' "A'A
him around the back yard for hai1 an
hour at a time The food he descrlb-
{ "a a. not fit for dogs. though the Ar
gus, to oblige the doctor. had PUBLISH
Cd a bill of fare fit for wealthy peop'e
10 cit down to- Sane or insane. ever!
Datient had program to go thro"e"
With when visitors were being SHOWN
through the place. They must SPEAK
Of the doctor rs God and bless him lol
his goodness. II asked what they mao
to eat they must mention list ol
twelve articles. To fail In tnese
things meant a brutal beating Inc
editor could see ut each weekly visit
how Green was failing. and at last d
certain day was set for the expose
and his release Before that u"'e
came word was received that he hao
made his escape. Just after the wor"
came he entered the office and wake"
over to his desk without speaking ~
any one. There he sat for hai1 u.