Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-08-06
SURGERY TAMES
Wild MAN Slayer
Bran Operation Cites Vicious
Brute New CharaCter.
DISPOSITION NOW The BEST

UlSPUSl Jun MUW InE bESI
Described as a Human Being of the
Lowest Order When Put In Prison,
Undergoes Magic Transformation and
May Get Pardon-Blow Held Re-
sponsibIe For Condition.
At the direction Of the New Jersey
court Of pardons a full investigation is
being made into the strange case OF
Jonas Szikely, confined in the state
prison ut Trenton, and as a result 1t Is
possible that at the next term of court
the man may receive a pardon. The
account Of the operation on Sz1kely's
brain d few months ago caused a SEN
sation in the medical world. The story
is best told in the official report:
THE cast Of Jonas Szikely. who Is
serving u sentence Of thirty years from
Oct 10, 1910, for murder, is one of ex-
traordinary interest 1t is reported to
us that when he was brought to the
state prison he seemed little more than
Il giant brute, with u savage, forbid
ding countenance. uncouth habits,
grabbing his food, spilling it over him.
self while eating, and in general of
about as low an order" as it seemed pos
sible for a human being to be.
Blow on Head Caused Injury.
He had received IL terrible blow on
| the back Of his head neal the top.
| which had been inflicted, as the prison
authorities understood, in the struggle
| during which the murder was commit
ted.
During nearly three years after be-
ing received at the prison he was kept
under close guard, and, while he SEEM
| ed never to have exhibited any dispo-
| sition to injure any M he looked and
acted like such a typical brute that the
authorities never felt disposed to take
| chances with him. During all Of this
time the prisoner would frequently and
suddenly cry out, although he gave no
other indications Of having any local
lied pain.
about six or eight months ago the
visiting physician. DR.. Martin w. Red
dan, decided to operate by removing
part Of the skull to see if there had
been a splinter Of bone driven in at
the time he received the blow on the
head so that it pressed upon the brain.
The operation was performed. the
splinter Of bone was found and remov'
ed. thus relieving the pressure. and as
the patient was coming out of ether
the attendants were aStounded to hear
him utter fragments Of the English
language, which. since he had come to
prison, no one had eve heard him
speak. and upon his entirely coming
out from the influence of ether and re
covering the surgeon and all the pr1s'
on authorities were wonderfully sur
prised to find that, instead of the
fore the operation. the man now ex
hibited Il bright. kindly. humane coun
%tenance. quite intelligent. and has
since shown one of the kindest dispo
sitions to be found anywhere.
Ignorant of Subsequent Events.
He is constantly helping everybody
doing little things for the other pris
oners' comfort and working with per
feet obedience and cheerfulness. 81
that everybody, prisoners and authori
ties alike. nave become particular,
fond Of him.
HE has no recollection of anythin:
which has happened since he had tn
= impression. as be was going hom
from his work. that he was beini
held up until he came out of the ethe
} after the operation.
He knows nothing of mis- trial. moth
ing of the struggle at the time tn
t murder was committed, never hear
t the name Of the man who was killed
+ does not know how many men too
part in the struggle nor anythin
about the events Of his arrest. tria
conviction and incarceration.
From the representations made b
the surgeon and by the prison author
ties, your committee think it was quit
possible that this man may. by til
! blow received at the time the struggl
l commenced wherein a man was killet
have been at once transformed from
t conscious. responsible human bein
f into the irresponsible condition undo
which be has existed up to the tim
of the operation and that while in tbs
condition may have killed a man an
been tried and convicted without an
n realizing his mental irresponsible
ity. If this is SO. Of course no murde
was committed, and now that the ma
has been restored to himself he shoul
Z receive a full pardon"