People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 October 1895 — A LUNATIC’S STORY. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A LUNATIC’S STORY.

O ONE BROUGHT into casual contact with Edward Flint would have suspected that he was of unsound mind. None the less he was one of the most danger ou s lunatics that I had in the X asylum.

In his saner intervals no man could have desired a pleasanter companion, and it was my constant habit to spend half an hour or so a day in his congenial company. One day, just before his periodical attack, he told me the following story, which is of such a unique character that I give it just as he told it to me. At its conclusion, wrought up to a pitch of fury, he made a determined attack upon me. and I nearly paid for my tale with my life, being only rescued with difficulty by the attendants. * * * * “I was what the world would call a successful man, and on my fortieth birthday I reckoned I was making over £2.000 a year. I had always been a lonely man and had never had the least inclination towards female society. contenting myself with my work and my books. One day, however, I had to wait upon an old gentleman who had recently come to our town for the purpose of drawing up his will. When this was done I was introduced to his daughter, a girl about 20. Ethel Millikin was not what might have been called a beauty; still, I new at once that I had met my fate. “Il was clearly absurd for me to attempt to win her love in the usual way, the disparity in years was to great, so I decided to win her respect first. “I took time over it and quietly interested myself in her pet projects, subscribed to her sick fund, lent her books, and was of use to her in many ways. Already she regarded me as a very dear friend, and. I have no doubt, would soon have learned to love me. “One night I was to take her and her sister to the theater and had booked three stalls. At the last minute, however. to my secret joy, her sister had a bad headache and was unable to go. We went as arranged and I decided to put my fortunes to the touch during the performance. On our arrival the theater was crowded and, to my intense annoyance, I found a young client of mine. Sir Edward Berkley, in the next stall to ours. I was obliged to introduce him and had the mortification of seeing that Miss Millikin had made an impression on him. What chance had I against a young, wealthy and handsome man? And with jealous eyes I already saw the Chateau d’Espagne of love, that I had so carefully reared, in ruins. “On our return from the play Berkley insisted on accompanying tis to Mr. Millikin’s house and was introduced by me to him. "The acquaintance ripened into friendship, and friendship into love, which I was powerless to prevent; and one day Berkley burst into my office in a great state of excitement and asked me to congratulate him! Me, of all men! How I managed with impotent rage at my heart, to keep a smooth and smiling face on I

do not know; but, to add to the bitter irony of the situation, 1 had to receive instructions to draw up my successful rival’s marriage settlements. I could have cheerfully murdered him as he sat in his chair so bright and cheerful, with the happiness of youth glowing in his face. Suddenly his face twitched, and he hastily put bis hand to his brow. “‘What is it? I eagerly asked, hoping he might be going to be ill. “ ‘Nothing—only neuralgia. I have suffered from it for years and tried everything, and seen all the doctors; but to no avail. So now I make the best of it.’ "So saying, he got up and took his leave, to go and make love —curse him! —to his fiancee. “No one knows what days and nights I spent, although I worked until my body was aching; my brain would not let me sleep. I roamed up and down my room, planning impossible methods of revenge, only to see the futility of it all. The times are not suited for melodrama', and I could only watch and watch and—wait. “One morning I crawled down to the office feeling utterly done up and listlessly examined my correspondence. Among it I noted one from an old friend who was practicing as a physician in Paris. Tossing the rest of the letters to the managing clerk I began to read my friend’s long letter. Suddenly a paragraph in it seemed to stand before my eyes as if written in fire. It ran thus: “ ‘You will, I know, be keenly interested in a marvelous discovery that Dr. Lays of this city has just made. He is our great authority on brain diseases aad also dabbles in hypnotism and other kindred subjects.

“ ‘He has established beycrtid any doubt that it is possible to remove the delusions of an inkane person—previously hypnotized—by means of a thin magnetized steel band worn around the patient’s forehead for about a week. This is sufficiently marvelous, but is nothing to the fact that if a sane man or woman wears the band previously used by the lunatic the delusions of the latter pass in their entirety to the wearer, who becomes an echo in every action of his predecessor ’ “At last! At last! Crushing the paper in my hand. I reveled in the exquisite revenge the letter revealed to me. My brain, preternaturally excited, in a few moments planned the whole scheme. Violently ringing my bell, I informed the clerk who came hurrying in that I had to go to Paris at once on urgent business. I told him to ask Sir Edward to meet me at the office in four days' time to finish the settlement. and I started at once for London en route for Paris. "Fatigue was gone. Once more alert and active. I felt as if treading on air. On ’he journey I rehearsed and rehearsed the scheme I had planned out until I thought it perfect. lat once, on arrival, hastened to my friend’s house and pretended that I had not received his letter. After breakfast he took me to Dr. Luys’ clinic, and there I saw that the powers he laid claim to were indeed his. Selecting the neediestlooking of his assistants I gently touched him and drew him aside. In my best French I told him that if he came to my hotel that evening with the band just removed from the lunatic who had been relieved before my eyes, I would give him 2.500 francs, or £IOO. At first he would not listen, but at last he did. and I went back to my hotel, content. That evening I left Paris with my ‘revenge’ carefully packed in a small box. On arrival at my house I slept for twelve hours, a thing I had not done for weeks, and awoke ready to carry my scheme through. “The following morning I was closeted with Berkley for some time, poring oxer deeds of title and old, musty documents. I purposely delayed. in order to fatigue him. Presents I saw the tell-tale contraction of his face, and I knew he was mine. Leaning across the table. I said: “ ‘I had intended, Sir Edward, half ruining myself in giving you a wedding present; but I have altered my mind—l will cure your neuralgia instead.’

“‘What!’ said he, eagerly: ‘l'd give anything if you cotfid; it’s the only cross I have to bear.’ “ ‘Well, I’ll cure you on one condition.’ “ ‘Name it—l'll do anything.’ “ ‘That you give me your solemn word of honor not to disclose to anyone the method of cure.’ “ ‘All right; only cure me.’ “ ‘Well, I'll tell you. first, why you have had to promise. You must know that this office —that is. myself—is the repository of half the secrets of the town. This is because everyone thinks I am a model for solid common sense. Now, if you blurted out that I had advised you to use a half-spiritualistic, haif-quackish remedy, why, my reputation as an embodiment of practical sense would be gone. I used myself to suffer from headaches, and do now, for that matter, and had tried every remedy that the doctors could suggest. At last I was persuaded to try a spiritualist, to whom I went at night. He gave me a thin band to wear whenever I had a headache, and he said it would relieve it if due to overwork, or care it if due to neuralgia. It was to be worn for eight days constantly, and, ter enable you to do it, I suggest that we both take a week’s holiday and go to same small fishing village and try the treatment.’ “I paused and wafted with throbbing heart for his answer. “ ‘How awfully good yon are, Flints I can never repay yon for your kindness; I owe yon more than I can tell already. Why, you introduced me Clothe loveliest ’ “ ‘Stay! stay! Don’t begin that. I will arrange to start next Monday; will that suit yon?’ “So it was agreed, and he left the office in high spirits, while I sat on and thought of Ethel, my wife in the future.

“In the little vflTage of Ancorn T bound the fatal band round his forehead. I coirfd not hypnot're him, but I felt sure that my intense desire for the success of the band wrnrld be as good as any other mm’s hypnoticpower. And so it proved, for, on the eighth day. T found Sir Edward Berkley—Ethel’s promised husband —in his bedroom, a gibbering lunatic. I at once secured the steel band, which was: soon destroyed, and then summoned assistance. With great diflicirlty we had’ him removed to an asylum, and I went back to break the news to his financee.. I did it. 1 flatter myself, well, and then left her alone for a month. Theis I gradually began once more to frequent the house, until I stood again in my old position. Berkley had been away for five months, and I thought the time had arrived to speak my mind to EthrP. I went one afternoon to see her, and, if possible, to win her. Sitting at her side, I was just going to speak, when I heard a step on the stair and turned round, and to my amazement saw- Sir Edward Berkley himself. Then I saw all was over —a blind fury seemed to seize me. In a moment I was on him. ‘Ah! I have you now—l have you at last ’ ” ***** With a bound Flint was upon me. I fought for my life, but fortunately assistance was at hand, and, fighting, yelling and struggling, the maniac was secured. Over 85 per cent of the working people of this country axe males.

WITH A BOUND FLINT WAS UPON ME.