The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-30
DIARY TELLS OF
COMING MADNESS
Educated Mans Struggles
Against Impulse to Kill or to
Commit Suicide.

Especial Gable TO The Times Dispatch
London. July 2s.-An educated
mans diary OF growing madness and
struggling against the impulse TO kill
or commit suicide was read at tho
Old Bailey, when the mystery OF the
cyclist highwayman was solved.
1t Will be recalled that Mr.. Saul
splitter motorcyciist, riding towards
Barnet late one night. was overtaken
by man on bicycle, with whom
ne conversed, and who suddenly sho,
at him several time. shouting. your
money or your life." Tho assailant
George Douglas Hay. aged twenty.
-FOUR. was brought to trial on Sa,ur-
day. when Dr. Dyer. of Brixton Prison.
who described the case as uniou.
read passages from Hays life story.
written by himself.
Dr. Dyer presumed that HAY wa,
an illegitimate child. inhcriting high
intellectual faculties He had mo
doubt now that he was of unsound
mind. The diary. divided into periods
OF years, ran as follows:
70 io-6esin TO develop aversion
70 society and tendency to withdraw
INTO smell pass through short un-
healthy period Of most perfervid re-
ngious devotion: take special treat
ment for stammering. resulting in
temporary cure. Return of stammer:
consequent sense of something quick
ems my longing for isolation, and
1 take situation as postman in tiny
remote village
10 to 22-Become depressed as
stammer gets worse. Continue TO live
In village as much stranger as
entered; hypersensitiveness becomes
exquisite; mediate constantly on the
faulty Of life. Live now absolutely
alone.
% TO 2i-The suspicion begins to
grow that my stammer is not the roo,
OF all my trouble. but is merely the
manifestation Of some deeper psychic
malady Placed myself in the hands
OF specialist for treatment by Pro-
fessor Trends system of psycho-an-
slysis. and return apparently cured.
Mortified to detect after few months
OF first normal existence | ever en-
toyed--namely my immunity from
mental ailments. etc-signs of return
OF my atfliction.
Discovery OF certain things bringa
close 'introspectionist," and forthwith
begin 10 practice II consciously with
an intensity never known. To master
my enemies. had 10 compel myself.
through agonizing mental exercises.
the least drastic OF all OF which was
daily an hour or two's intensest auto
suggestion. So eXcruciating became
the nervous tension, when in the pres
ence of other people. that l was now
rl,-ar ,,.ft
1t was necessary for me. in the con-
fict OF personality. absolutely to
dominate myself. That was the only
test OF whether l WAS succeeding in
killing my psychic enemies in the in
ternal struggle. And 1 knew or in
st!nctively felt that II l stayed in the
presence OF any one. the conflict at
first subconscious. would inevitably
end in his killing me or my killing
him
During these terrible months j
spent hours daily in the innermost
self dissection and self-susgestion.
bedroom in semi-trance, with every
faculty suspended save my thoughts.
which wrestled till seemed to
agonize. The very quivering tissues
of my inmost being seemed to be laid
so open and exposed that / actually
experienced physical pain from sounds
AS a football.
To the prisoners counsel. Dr.. Dyer
said: 1t is possible for a man to be
conscious that he has mental in
6rmity, and that 1t Is growing on him.
and to struggle against 1t. 1t Is pitt
able. the details the prisoner has told
me of-the impulses which have been
yelling up in his life during the last
eighteen months. and the terrible
struggle he has had to keep them
down.
The jury returned verdict OF
guilty. but insane, and the prisoner
was ordered to be detained during
His Majesty's pleasure.