Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1914-09-04

Now and then 1t put Its hairy hares
to its poor head anc groaned. And
IL they let it loose where there was a
tub of water it would dip its head into
the cool liquid and whimper like q
wounded dog.
The warden or chief keeper, Thorn
as B. Madden, kindly seeming and
urbane old man, who has spent his
life among prisoners, watched this
hurt thing many time, wondering
what might be done.
He called Dr. j. w. Crane, the resi-
dent physician. and asked whether the
thing was not insane. No, 1t was not
insanity in the ordinary sense. It
might be imbecility, but the thing was
not mad. 1t was just brute, speech
less and without speculation.
1t had to go back to its iron house.
There was no help for 1t.
Assuming the Responsibility.
In August of last year Dr. Martin w.
Reddan of Trenton, visiting surgeon
at the New Jersey State prison, had
the thing that had been Jonas Szikely
brought from his cell for an examina-
ton.
The patient could not talk save In
a strange gibberish which no one un-
derstood, with pathetic word of Hun
garian here and there. The examina-
ton and diagnosis had to be made
without aid of the prisoner.
Doctor Reddan found the depression
in the skull readily enough. a big inden-
tation in the external occipital protu-
berance-which is to say, somewhat
behind the top and center Of the head,
where the skull turns downward.
1t was decided that trepanning was
necessary to remove what seemed
to be obvious brain pressure. Ordi-
narily where the prisoner is at all
rational, his consent must be had be-
fore any so hazardous operation may
be performed. In Szikely's case it was
impossible.
The physician assumed the respon-
sibility and proceeded. The skull was
trepanned and the depressed bone cut
out, leaving an opening 2 by IL
inches in dimensions. No artificial
covering was provided. The wound
was simply sewed up and left to heal.
1t had been discovered that no bone
splinter had been pushed through the
dura, or brain covering, SO that it was
not necessary to penetrate to the
brain. In this fortunate manner much
of the danger was eliminated.
The wound had been sewed, the heal
ing and sterilizing materials applied
and the heavy bandages adjusted. The
surgeon and his assistants were bend
ing close, waiting for the anesthetic
to pass off.
Soon the patient breathed hard,
stirred and opened his eyes. He looked
about him for moment or two, dazed
and appalled,. Then, suddenly, he
smiled
Il want milk" he said in plain
enough English.
The recovery of the man was re-
markable. In few weeks he was up
and about his prison tasks like any
other man.
The stoop and the simian arms
we're gone. The eyes were alight with
intelligence, the voice was able to ut
ter Hungarian fuently and English in
phrases and sentences. Jonas Szi-
kelly was no longer a hopeless brute,
but man, with a smiling face and
an almost pathetic obedience and will
lingness about him.
The report of a prison investigating
committee tells it best:
No Man Can Say.
Instead of the brute features and
expression of before the operation, the
man Is now exhibiting bright, kindly,
human countenance, is quite intelli-
gent and has shown one Of the kind
est and sweetest dispositions to be
found anywhere. y,
HE is constantly helping every
body, doing little things for other
prisoners comfort and working with
perfect obedience and cheerfulness, so
that everybody, prisoners and authori-
ties alike, have become particularly
fond of him"
They are likely to pardon Jonas
Szikely. The men who have investi-
gated the operation and it's results
have recommended that the circum-
stances of the crime be gone into thor
oughly with a view to determining
whether the murder was not actually
committed in the brawl in which
Szikely suffered the wound in the
skull. If so he was not rational when
the knife was used, and there has
been no murder.
1t Is probable that the wise Egyp-
tian serpents are soon to see the pitt
able thing that passed into Trenton
prison under their eyes four years
ago emerge a ran and free.
The serpents grow constantly more
erudite. 1t is even possible they soon.
will know mat criminals are sick men-
No man can say to what lengths wis,
dom will go.