A Lunatic’s Freak.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 2, Issue 244, 17 January 1881, Page 2

A Lunatic’s Freak.

One day last month, as the insane patients of the great . Charite Hospital at Berlin were taking their accustomed exercise in the, garden of that establishment, under the supervision of several attendants, one of them, a lunatic cabdriver of herculean strength, contrived to slip away from his cornpanions and to clamber up the trunk of a huge elm tree. Having reached one of the topmost limbs and armed himself with a stout branch, which he snapped asunder as easily as though it had been a mere twig, he announced in stentorian accents his intention of “ staying there for ever,” In vain did the perplexed warders alternately coax and threaten him ; he ' laughed at their blandishments and defied their menaces. No one dared to attempt his capture by force, so, after a couple of hours had elapsed, the. medical authorities, having obtained' permission from the district lieutenant of police, summoned to their assistance a de tatchment of the fire brigade and an engine, which forthwith commenced to play upon the 'deranged' gymnast. Having drenched him with a ten minutes’ spell, the fireman summoned him to a parley, but corild get nothing, out of him save a fantastic and highflown speech of thanks for their “ refreshing attentions.” Another arid still more protracted deluge proving equally ineffectual in inducing him to descend, the warders and policemen recurred to friendly negotiations, and their persuasions at length moved the triumphant madman to declare that if they would pay homage to his gymnastic skill and heroic endurance by three rounds of enthusiastic applause, he would come dtnvh.' His -terms were promptly-accepted, and. he descended to terra 1 firma amidst the vehements of policemen, warders, and firemen, honorably capitulating* after a siege of five hours and a half duration.