A LUNATIC'S FREAK.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2993, 28 January 1881, Page 4

A LUNATIC'S FREAK.

One day last month, as the insane patients of the great Chante 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 cab-driver of herculean strength, contrived to slip away from bis companions and to clamber up the trunk of a huge elm tree. Having reached one of tho topmast limbs and armed himself with a stout branch, ■which he snapped assunder 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 hia capture by force, so, after a couple of hours had elapsed, the medical authorities, having obtained permission from tho district lieutenant of police, summoned to their assistance a detachment 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 firemen summoned him to parley, but could get nothing out of him save a frantic and high-flown speech of thanks for their "refreshing attentions." Another and still more protracted deluge proving equally ineffectual in inducing him to descend, the warders aud 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 throe rounds of enthusiastic applause, he would como down. His terms were promptly accepted, and he descended to terra firma amidst the vehement cheers of policemen, warders, and firemen, honorably capitulating after a siege of five hours and a half duration.