Year: 1872

a days labor well performed, the con


versation turned, among the little group


assembled, upon a melancholy case Of
insanity which had recently been de


veloped in the vicinity of the town, the


unfortunate victim of which was then


confined in the city prison ready to be


conveyed the following morning to the
of the valley for a number of years,
| and was possessed of a comfortable prop
erty.


The sympathy and kindly feeling
toward him expressed by all who knew
him of the number of gentlemen pres


ent, aroused my curiosity to know the
cause of his present lamentable con-


dition and Mr.. Tower, whose business


led him into contact with great many


people, and who, Ike all live men con


nected in any way with newspapers, had


the faculty of knowing little about


everything of general interest that was


going on, related for my satisfaction all


that was known of the causes which led


to the insanity of George Beale, that


being the name of the unfortunate man.


"About three years ago." said Mr..


Tower, Mr.. Samuel Beale, the father


his only child, in possession of number


of city lots which have since become


valuable, and which even at that time


yielded no inconsiderable revenue.
George was intensely selfish where per-
sonal indulgence was concerned. What
he wanted he would have, and it mat
tered very little to him whose rights
were trampled on to obtain it. At that
time there lived near town a family,
whose daughter Eva was one of the
brightest, fairest, Ii ost winsome daugh-
tiers of the valley. George Beale became
acquainted with Eva just after she had
finished her education at the convent,
and after season of the most devoted
attention on his part, it became gem
orally known that they were engaged to
be married. She had friends in San
Francisco to whom she would pay oc-
casional visits, and it was noticed with
a quiet smile by his friends that George
generally had pressing business in the
city at such times. After one of these
visits to San Francisco, Eva had returned
home suddenly, and on the following
day, while seated at the window reading
a city paper which her father had just
brought in, she fell shrieking from her
chair in a fit, from the effects of which
she never recovered, and died in few
days without having recovered con.
sciousness.


"The effect of her death upon Beale
was fearful. From being hale, rosy
checked young man he rapidly became
a shattered, prematurely old one. He
would start when any one approached
him, and his bloodshot eyes betokened
sleepless nights. From that time to the
present he has been gradually approach
ing his present state. For the first five
or six years his condition was simply
hot Of To
Latterly he has become
violent at intervals and needs constant
In his paroxysms he will
break up and destroy the furniture of
whatever room he may he in, and it has
become necessary to send him to the
asylum. where he will be properly cared
for"


The romantic interest which attached
to the history of this poor fellow who
had become crazed through that love
for q woman which is, after all, the
handspring in every mans action in all
the walks of life, fingered in my memo
ry, and the next morning, upon taking
the train, I saw the sheriff enter the
express car, having in his care hag-
gard-looking man, whose wearied ex-
preston of countenance and sad half
vacant look awoke a sympathetic chord
l.
me the man of whom we had been talk
ing the night before. Being pretty well
known on the road, and having slight
with the sheriff, 1 took an
early opportunity of entering the car
where the insane man was, and calling the
officer aside, asked the privilege of tax
ing seat beside the man for time.
The official made some half:jocular
remark about "these reporters being
ready to interview anybody for an item,"
and gave his willing consent.


AS sat down the man looked at me
for a moment with queer look, and
his eye frightening up and a sad smile
over his face as he caught sight
of my reporters badge, he said: Are
you looking for something to put il
for reply he said, I" 1 could tell you a
sigh, "You wouldn't believe it, and it
wouldn't do him or her any good.''


told him of my entire willingness
to listen to him, and suppose showed
an unusual degree of curiosity or interest,
for he continued:


"Do not think that am not fully
aware of why am here, and where 1
am going Il know both, and am entirely
satisfied, and as the doctors and the
judges have agreed that am insane,
am willing that they should think SO.
They don't punish insane men for MUIR
der; do they?" and he turned his eyes
full upon me with look that made me
quail.


told him, certainly not, and tried to
turn the current of his thoughts, but in
vain. The thought of murder was up
permost in his mind, and would not
down. AT last thougt it better to let
him talk as he would, expecting some
fapciful theory. Imagine then my sur
prise when he suddenly asked me, "Do
you remember the murder of Billy the
Cabman?"


OF course, answered in the affirma-
tive. When he continued: ayes, all
your fine policemen and your smart re-
porters never found out who did it,"
Then seizing me by the arm with wise
like grip, he Kissed in my ear: Il did
it."


1 began to be alarmed, but thinking
it wiser to let him go on than to check
him, 1 sat still, more like one in a dream
than wide awake and listening, while
he poured into my ear in language seeth-
ing with the fires of insanity, yet not
wholly obliteratinC the truth, the story