Arrest of a Luna ic.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 100, 24 March 1884, Page 2

Arrest of a Luna ic.

| " .XFetftiins? jStrt-1 ■» 'I ■ '• ■ '-' Some comment; has ;been> made bii j the nianner or o she farces bi of i-tlrfe itiSn Keen| at Awah.uri,.a;nd who was'sir&e committed to the^ Wellington Liinatic Asy lum. We haye jnade ehq|uivies, and fiad that Ketn, had been" 66iifiucd ui-. Aickland and in.v Wellington as a dange'ous lunatic. On ; ottei occasion when le was being escorted^ from Picto^ to 1 the steamer on boards of which 'tte l was to be forwarded ito Wellington, the cohstable m whose chavge he was, out of a mistaken kindness, omitted to manacle him. Too consequence., was tbatr*"Kße t it''''pT.cke3''\ip a "stone,, and all most brniupd' th 4 constable. At AJ^aburi on Saturday., he used threatfi of violence to Mra knight, to her great alarm. Shortly "afterwards he throw him^lf do 4 wa]qn, the road ia front (|f a hiob of horses, apparently desirous that they sbtxiild trample upon Miim and, do ., him. bodily .injury.'' His ; general conduct . was so ouorageou^ that the Awuhuii people were m :greatf fear of him,. and it .was., deemed ;advisable to send fycthe constable* Onithe arrival jof Constable Price-on- Sunday morning Keen; was inra bediio&'m m the Endymion Hotel. M.r Samuelinformefl the countable that Keen had threatened to kill iin> (SamueJ) and the servant' girl. Having this knowledge, of the : violent char.act.ar_of,the madness of the unhappy man, Qonsdable Price deem.cd ~&t wise ana kincl that every precaution should \>e taken to prevent any harm being d6neT to any of the persons near. He desired Mr Samuel to induce {Keen^to come downstAirsl After spline paiiley this wasxldnG. When- ' Keen" wps standing quietly,-, encircled by several persons > ( wh,q w ere attracted from curiosity tdthe spot, jthe constable dipped on .the r han»lcuf|B. ; , I^een . was then, broiigfit into the yard" of the libkelJ" He Knocked off his, liat,. and, as. he refused to tbmsiii covered tjie cQn^ stable attempted to lead lura under the shade of |an. adjacent gum .tree. >When doing so; Bte^ti 1 ma'tle a Wow,, at th,e f . constable, which struok on tlie head, knocking' off his hat. , Hc.^eu junapefl.. as tHotf&h attempting to escape. At this tjime Messrs' Norman, Hodge.", and Jacqnuin, rushed to assistance^ of the cohs_bables and he] d.'.Keeu until a rope waa~produoed. The. ropo- was bound rouiid'his legs/ •and m such a man : ,er as to prevent' : him ' doing vio4e^n"efetir himself or others. He was tied securely but twichbut 'any pressure tb cause paib. A medical man saw him An this condition, and was satisfied that no undue' hft.reH»}eSß wa.3 being «xer-' cised. Ap Xh ose ; uritortunate 'persons whosuffei'.fi"om r Jieligious mania are generally! more : idangei'pus than any other class of lunatics, it does not appear that Uny undue means of restraint wei'e appliedt jn this case. [This is 1 a,ivo^w; different version. from that given by a letter which appeared iii our local contemporary some days -ago, which some of our : readers may ipeKhaps have read. There ; have beejn, unfortunately, too iiiariy cases of late . showing the danger of giting lurjatics with honucidftl" tehdeni cies any latitude. Those who know Constable Prieoju olf a 'Fef ldingi know that he is not -the man td' ■tre'at'a pri--' soner with unnecessary cruelty. m fact, lie ha>,tthe reputation of beins; -almost too lenient,, and humane.— Ed. M. S.] '_.: ,s-i <■•■> ->■ *■• ''■■■