The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-12-09
INSANE STUDENT
|ES0F|NJUR|E
JOSEPH MATTHEWS OF LILY
MEETS WITH TRAIN ACCIDENT
WEST OF BRookINGS
DEMENTED-.- MAKES SUICIDAL ATTEMPT
Is Hit by Passenger Sunday Night and
Passes Away at Hospital Monday
Evening-Body Taken to Home

Il have sold my soul for money and
/ must take the consequences" were
the words Joseph l. Matthews of Lily,
S. D., a student at State College, was
heard to utter as he left the j. w. Linn
rooming house, 61O Third ST., Sunday
night.
A few hours later he was found un-
conscious alongside the railroad tracks
about a mile west of Brookings, with a
broken right limb and internal injuries.
He was taken to the Dakota Deaconess
hospital where he died shortly after
five O'Clock Monday evening.
The young mans father, Spurgeon
Matthews, and brother arrived here
Monday and the body was shipped to
Lily Tuesday morning. Funeral SER
vices and interment were held at that
place.
Had Spells Of insanity
Mr.. Matthews came to Bookings
from his home on a farm near Lily on
November 1 and enrolled as a student
in the school of agriculture at State
College. He roomed at the Linn home
and for some time had showed signs
OF being demented but only at periods,
and it was not thought his condition
was serious. Because Of his actions
Sunday a physician was called to
make an examination but the young
man. when talking to him, appeared
perfectly rational. He complained of
being restless at nights, saying it was
impossible to sleep, and the physician
advised him to take a walk of a mile
or SO whenever he became restless,
which would have a tendency to induce
sleep.
A number of the young mans col
lege Y. M. C. A. friends remained with
him during the afternoon and evening.
leaving about $50. At about 1920.
supposedly following the physicians
advice. he left the Linn home and pro-
ceeded to the depot. There he asked
several strangers, How do look?"
and nothing more was seer of him
until he was discovered along the rail-
road tracks. He was brought back to
the city about four o'clock Monday
morning.
After he had left the Linn home
Sheriff Fred S. MINER was notified
that the young man was at large and
he Immediately took steps to locate
him. He telephoned Night Waterman
w. H. Holmes at the Northwestern
depot to detain him if he saw him but
by that time the wanderer had left the
station.
A Suicidal Attempt?
After leaving the depot the student
proceeded down the railroad track
west toward the Junction and the sup
position is that the east bound passen-
ger, which arrives here at 1870 p. m,
struck him. Whether the young man
attempted to board the train with a
view of riding back to the city or
whether he threw himself under the
WuCCio 10 uot huOWu. Inc euSlQLer
of the train reports having seen a
man standing along the right-of-way.
His body vas seen later along the
tracks by the crew Of a w%estbound
freight, who informed the crew of one
coming east at Volga of having seer
it. The eastbound train was stopped
and the young mar was carried into
the city and rushed to the hospital.
There it was found he had suffered in
ternal injuries and a broken right limb
and no hopes were given for his re-
covery.
Says Not seIf-Destruction
Monday afternoon he regained con-
seriousness long enough to tell his ply
sicians and attendants that he had
walked down the railroad track but
he didn't know what had happened to