MADMAN BREAKS' FROM HIS PADDED ROOM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 244, 9 July 1919, Page 7

MADMAN BREAKS' FROM HIS PADDED ROOM

A sensation was caused in the little village of Hillingdon, near Uxbridge, recently, by the escape of a madman .from a padded room in the infirmary. The man had been transferred from Southall.

Making his escape by climbing through the skylights on to the roof, 'he began tearing off slate 3 and hurling them at men working below. The men ran for assistance, and the lunatic—who was olad only in his shirt—leapt to the ground, seized a chopper, and boarded a passing coal-cart. The driver was 60 affrighted that he deserted his vehicle and ran at top speed down the lane. The madman seized the reins and drove off, flinging lumps of coal right and left. • Tiring of this, he suddenly alighted, and made a dash for the Windsor Castle publichouse. Finding it closed, ho smashed the door, entered the bar, and Bwept the 'counter clear of glasses. Mrs. Owen, the landlady, rushed out of a back room to find herself confronted by a man in his shirt.

"Whatever do you want?" she stammered. "I want clothes, and all your fljoney," replied the lunatic, trying to seize her across the bar.,

Mrs. Owen pluckily caught the man by the throat and pushed him backwards across the, room. There was a fierce struggle, and the man released himself.

At'that moment, a number of workhouse officials arrived, and the madman, catching sight of them, made a spring and jumped through the window. Tho landlady dashed out after him and seized him as he was scaling a wall, and—in her own words—"eat on him" till Help reached her. The lunatic was eventually overpowered, taken back to the infirmary, and placed in another padded room. Less than an h-iur afterwards, howeved, he escaped again, but this time was secured before getting out of the grounds.