Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-04-06
Insane Man
CutsUp Antics
In Libby Jail
Was Put Off Train at Troy
When He Became Too
Bothersome.
EMPLOYER SAYS HE
WAS AL WORKMAN

Passengers aboard Great Northern
train No. 2 last Saturday were treated
to unusual entertainment by the an.
tics OF an insane man. The lunatic, Ed
Weinsel, boarded the train at Spokane
In spite of the fact that he had nc tick
ct and could not have gone through
the gate at the depot 1t is believec
he must have caught the tail end oil
the train as it was pulling out of the
station.
The mans mania seemed to be to
strip naked and to tear up his cloth
ing He had made such a nuisance of
himself by the time the train reached
Troy that he was put off the train
there and turned over to officers. Sher-
lit Baney went to Troy and brought
Weinsel to Libby and lodged him in
jail that night And Baney doesn't
care for any more guests of his type.
Fearful of what the man might do to
himself, Baney was up and down all
night long, investigating every un-
usual noise from the Jail. The man was.
OF course, locked in the steel cage. He
repeatedly stripped to the skin and
would proceed to tear up his cloth
ing A favorite pastime of his was to
pile the mattresses and bed clothing on
the floor and lie down on top Of the
pile with all clothing off and then COM
plain he was cold. Baney spent con-
siderable time in trying to keep the
man clothed After quiet interval OF
short duration, the sheriff was again
called to the Jail by unusual noises.
When he opened the door to the cells
he was met by cloud of dense smoke.
The lunatic had gotten hold of long
stick, around which he wrapped part
of comforter. He then reached
through the bars of the cell and held
the comforter against the hot stove
until it was just bursting into flame
when the sheriff arrived. He tore
everything down in the cell that was
loose and poked old match4. into the
cell lock until it could not be worked
Going into the cell one time, Baney
found the man with his feet and knees
on the cot and his head and shoulders
resting on mattress on the floor.
Asked what he was. trying to do, the
man replied that he was looking down
a hole. Another Of his favorite pas
times was to tear the mattress open
and pull out the stuffing. He complete /
ly wrecked his own clothing. He tore
the uppars off pair of new shoes and
he tore into strips fine new over /
coat.
The next day Baney started for Kali
ispell with Weinsel to turn him over
to Douglass, the highway contractor.
The sheriff had learned that Weinsel
had been employed by Douglass for
eight years as superintendent. Enroute I
to Kalispell he caused no particular
trouble except that he had to be
to keep him from undressing. /
He was placed in hospital at Kalis-
pell for observation and treatment
Douglass reported to Sheriff Baney
that Weinsel had been in his employ
for about eight years as superinten-
dent and that he was an exceptionally
high class man. He also said he did not
drink or dissipate in any way.
Weinsel claimed while in Libby that
he had $1,000 worth Of bonds in a
safety deposit box in the Old National
Bank in Spokane. Douglass said he
knew that to be true. Weinsel made
some remarks in a somewhat dazed
manner that led officers to wonder
If he might have been doped in some
manner and that he might recover
from his insanity under treatment.
Weinsel had spent the winter in Spo-
kane stopping at the Halliday Investi-
cation brought out the fact that be- |
fore leaving there he had sowed money
right and left around his room. He is
44 years old,