The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-02-22
STRANGE MAN INASYLUM
Man Thought to Hail From
Caswell County Wants Dr.
Picot's Place
Thinks Superintendent Has Treat
ed Him Unfairly by Not at Least
Making Him One Of the Attending
Physicians.

| DR.. Picot, superintendent of the
Insane Asylum at Raleigh, has a very
strange patient in his charge.
| 1t was only a few weeks ago that
| DR.. Picot was elected superintendent
| to succeed the late DR.. Mckee. 4
man who called himself "Dr. Wat
kins" heard there we're to be some
new appointments Of physicians at
the asylum and he went over to ap-
ply for DR.. Picot's place, and this
fact convinced DR.. Picot that the
man was crazy and he had him COM
mitted to one of the wards in the
asylum for treatment.
A reporter of the News and Obser-
yer heard OF the strange man at the
asylum and went over to see him.
and gives the following account of
his visit:
Doctor" Watkins is one OF the
most recent additions to the State
Hospital for the Insane, and to date
Superintendent Louis ]. Picot has
found nobody who knows anything OF
this strange character. And he Is
held while DR.. Watkins, in his per-
verted mind, believes himself the vic
tim Of intrigue.
Some time ago this stranger al
peared at the institution and asked
for position as physician In the
hospital. At that time there was
some electing to do and as RESPONSE
bilities always gravitate to the man
who will wear them, Doctor Watkins
was on the spot ready for that grav-
itation. He asked for an assistants
place. DR.. Picot saw in second his
trouble He told the man that he
had no position for him and the
stranger reappeared the following
day. Again he wanted a position as
thing for three days. DR.. Picot took
him away, went through the legal re-
quirements and committed him to the
hospital from the county Of Wake.
Meanwhile he has grown restive.
He has heard that somebody has
been given his place. He believes
that Doctor Picot has toted unfairly
with him and that a perfectly compe-
tent alienist has been shelved for a
political favorite. He cusses the su-
perintendent, doctor, and there isn't
in all Of the range Of insanity. thing
in worse form than cussing Doctor
Picot. ..
ago. Where are you from, Doctor
Watkins?" he asked with solemnity
enough to spring the knee joints OF
an archangel standing up under its
burden.
None of your d business,
Doctor Watkins replied as he turned
to Doctor Picot And you have told
me id lie, that's what you done,
as he looked at both interviewers-
Each effort to pull him out resulted
in peremptory demands to talk out
the window. Doctor Picot pacified
him by making his interviewer keep
quiet. He drew from the confined
doctor" that the ancestral home or
Watkins was in Caswell County, but
the gentleman confessed himself an
expatriate, If indeed not an ascetlc,
caring nothing for home ties or
brethren and living unto himself He
could not talk long without rever-
sion to the perfidy of DR.. Picot in
choosing somebody to take his place
while he must stay there and brood
over the unattached job.
Where did you study medicine,
Doctor Watkins?" the reporter again
asked. The doctor looked as il he
meant to talk again, but he looked
up again and snorted: II thought
told you to keep your d mouth
out of this. This is me and the doc
tor. He is responsible for this.
D a newspaper man anyway.
CONTINUED on page 3D.