The Press., 1912-12-11
:. -A fss.. A THEOR'E|I:'TIC
 MEDDLER
 He Needed a Lesson. and
 ~ He Received 1t ...
By F. A. 1ITcHEL

FEOLeSSOr van WlnKI0, an 8uCnOr1Cy on brain diseases, had a theory that the greatest liberty should be granted to insane patients. The professor claimed that shutting up patient az gravated the disease. It happened that the college In which Van Wrinkle lee, tured was located in the same town with the state lunatic asylum, and, as was natural, considering his speciality
 his opinions on the treatment of the insane confined there had great weight with the townspeople, from whom they were reflected upon the board of. direc. tors of the asylum.
 Dr. Swinbourne, the superintendent not only had the confidence of the stan of doctors and nurses-indeed. all the employees-but was very much below ed by them, and they were always in terror lest some visitor to the institu ton witnessing necessary severity should, with the aid of Professor Van Wrinkle, cause the doctor to be repri- manded and that he would resign Finally this very thing happened. A mother saw her son put in strait jacket. She 'complained to Van Wrinkle l The professor talked The directors I illuminated law against unnecessary severity and recommended the use of patients, so far as possible, for what ever work about the institHtion. they were fittel. When these orders were received by Dr. Swtnbourne he handed 1 in his resigha ton.
 While the matter was pending the directors invited the professor, who had made all the trouble to go to the asylum, make an inspection pertaining especially to the treatment of patients and report.
 l During the. professors visit he was given every facility for the perform ] ance of Ilis work, the staff were not disposed to regard his presence there ! favorab1 He had been there about 1 half an hour when he was shown to padded room wherein was confined man who showed no signs of mental or any other disease. The professor asked him why lie was there.
 ''I can't understand" replied the pa 1 Hent. "why l am detained here. The management might better avail them selves of my services and save some l of the money they have been wasting. was for yeaFs chef in one of the largest hotels in America and could do all the cooking required here, Instead of that am being driven really insane by being confined alone with no occupa- l ~Hon.'' . -..,.. -.... Nothing could have conformed more nearly to the professors theory.
 "Why don't you give the man a chance?" he asked of the attendant who was conducting him.
 1 "He has been under surveillance, pro lessor was the reply, "and we have ! about concluded to grant his request. What do you think about 1t? If you say the word we will put him in the kitchen at once"
 ee 'T will assume the responsibility of your doing so," replied the inspector. ES The patient was at once let out of confinement and went below while the professor continued his inspection. There was great relief felt by the staff when the great mental expert mehter finished his work and was ] ready to depart. While standing in l the hall waiting for his carriage to drive up to the door the patient he had released from the padded room ln the white apparel of cook stepped up to him and whispered in his ear that if he would come to the kitchen he would show him something he should see. The professor went with GL4s N-SAA R.A sooner entered than the patient locked the door and put the key in hlsSpocket.
 "I don't propose" he said, 'that any of these villains who have kept me a prisoner shall interfere with my show ing you what miserable rotten stuff they have been feeding us. If gave them chance they would come in here and on pretense that show signs of relapse. &lke me back to that mad room. Mad room! That's what 1t is a room in which to make some people mad. Come herey'
 Now. the locking of the door was in itself not especially grateful to Pro lessor Van Wrinkle, but when he saw the chef getting excited he felt cold chill run down his back. He went with the latter to the enormous range, capable of cooking meals for a couple of hundred persons There was a hot fire within. and the noon meal was being prepared. On the range a large cnuldron of soup was boiling.
 ""How many cooks do you suppose they had here when came i'm" the patient asked excitedly. ''There were ten cooks, and each cook had an as- sistant Besides these fifty cooks and assistant cooks. there were twenty sculIions. Just think of it-a hundred cooks and scullions to get the meals for not over 15O persons, and the pec, ple of the state taxed to pay lem! I seized this''-taking up cleaver-"and drove 'em all out'' -'T .''<' "@'
 Professor Van Wrinkle had a theory as to the infringement of nnaticS when they became dangerous. It was to hutnor them The chef was grow ing more and more excited, and the professor thought it. high time to ln- vent some way of getting out.
 "Whas tlcor did you drive them thr6uEh ?'' he aSked -. SS>-
 '~That one,'' said the chef, pointing to a door opposite the one through which they had entered.
 Let us go and find tbem,'' said Van Wrinkle, starting for the door. But when he reached 1t his heart sank with in him. It was locked. Turning, he saw the chef holding up the key, laugh ing and dancing.
 You didn't think I would let 'em' come back, did you? Not I. Suppose the whole lot of 'em should come down on me armed with carving knives. I'd have to cut then heads of with the cleaver.'' And he brought 1t down degcely on h huge block used for cut ting meat on.
 The professor looked at the windows with a view to bolting through one of