A REMARKABLE CAREER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6811, 15 September 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

A REMARKABLE CAREER.

At the ordinary meeting of the Rotherham Board pf Guardians, the Clerk (Mr. J. Barras) stated that he had received a pamphlet containing extracts from the books of various public institutions—chiefly prisons and lunatic asylums—respecting a man who wan in 1876 an inmate of the Rotherham Workh.ou-e. These records, which were compiled last month by the steward of the Leicester Borough Lunatic Asylum, disclose incidents of a life so strange and remarkable that We venture to submit them in as condensed a form as possible to our readers. The name of the person in question is Daniel O'istilj: but, besides this name he had been knoWu under 13 aliases, The first record of him is at Liverpool, in ISaS, when, apparently about three years of age, he was found wandering in the streets and taken to the Weit Derby Union Workhouse, Walton-ou-the-Rill. Nothing was definitely known of his parentage, but the previous workhouse master said the caild had been in the charge of a man and woman, Who, for being drunk and fighting in the streets, had been sent to prison fur a week. He remained in the union Until ha was between ten and eleven years of age, when he was put out to service with a bo jt and shoemaker, at Preacot, but returned to the workhouse in a fortnight. In the following year, 1866, he Was sent to a c dlier, near YVigau, and, returning, was afterwards sent to a bobbin manufacturer, at Cunsey Mills, Windermere, Kven at that early period of his life he had a bad character, being addicted in a great degree to petty pilfering and feigning idiotcy and epileptic fits. On one occasion, while at Cunsey Mills, he threatened his naast-r's life with a loaded gun, uml it was here that he lost two joints of the middle finger of the right band by a circular saw. He was then described as b itig "a tolerably good comic singer, and so uutruthful as never to be believed." He remained at Cunsey Mills until IST2, and from that time to near the middle of 1874 he was in numerous situations as farm servant or labourer in the neighbourhood of Windermere and Kendal, several of which he left under circumstances which did him ' no ore dt. In May, 1574, he was committed for trial for obtaining goods at Ulverston by faise pretences, and whilst awaiting his trial at Lancaster was sent as a lunatic to the asylum of that place. In January, 1875, he Was tried at Lancaster Sessions, and acquitted. The same year he was admitted to the Carlisle Asylum as a vagrant lunatic, having beeti found wandering about the Kendal district in a. nude state, but waß discharged a few months later, having earned the character of being a " most ingenious liar." In December of the same year he was admitted to the Wakefield Asylum, and after bring discharged in January of IS7G (the year following), was admitted to the Wadsley Asylum fiom Rotherham, where he had been found misconducting himself in the streets. While at this asylum he paid great attention to one of the kitchenmaids, and, having managed to Steal an attendant's Uniform, eloped with her from tho institution in August. The same month he was admitted to tue Prestwich Asylum, being described ;is "suicidal and dangerous." On the 21st of October he was discharged, and three days later wan apprehended at Glasgow, and being certified insane was admitted to the Woodilee Asylum. In January, 1877, he Was removed t.i Carlisle Workhouse nnder : he was discharged on 2nd Fcrbuary, bus was admitted to the Dumfries Asylum on the 3rd. It is at this place that his case appears to . have attracted particular attention, aud Dr. Munroe, speaking of it, says it "has addi- : tiouai interest as being one in which acute I ideational insanity has been again and again feigned with success for the purpose of procuring admission to lunatic asylums all over the country. On the 2nd February, 1577, he had been found in the market place of Annan, where he wsi entirely unknown, stripping himself naked, and capering with all the antics of a monkey. The medical certificates set forth that he had an insane appearance, was restless, refused to answer questions, talked incoherently, and that he was chewing coals whilst being examined. On admission his condition was as follows :— Of middle height, strongly-built, and broadshouldered, weight 12stalbs, muscular system , excessively developed, fatness considerable. He is a typical example of the sanguinoneurotic temperaments complexion ruddy, teeth white and regular, fate fringed with luxuriant brown whiskers, hair brown, looks like a well-conditioned farm servant, age apparently about 24. Our conception of the case was that it was one of acute dementia, succeeding mania d potu. He had a frank, open, pleasant face,,and most ingenuous air, was obliging anil cheerful, sang comic songs with considerable effect, and distinguished himself as the most agile dancer at the weekly ball?, and soon became a general favourite in the house. He read and wrote with ease, and was fond of reading; Was alert and intelligent, and had some musical talent, playing mostly by the ear however. He had, nevertheless, no taste for steady work, and on one occasion entirely rebelled against it. It Was observed that he had great personal vanity, and was extremely fond of decorating his person, and eager for admiration.. As. time passed, a. singular and emotional temperament discovered itself. He shrank from pain, even that of a acarifieed gum, in abject fear ; While the extraction of a tooth was an impossibility. . I believe he would have died from the shock. His inveterate mendacity could not be restrained, and be luxuriated in the fictions he created. He exhibited no *hame when detected in falsehood, but coolly, as if playing a game at chess, withdrew it and replaced it by another equally unfounded. The climax of his mendacity was reached in a ' History of my Life,' which he volunteered, to write. Here his extraordinary talent for inter weavinff tact and fiction was displayed to the best advantage. From this chr nicle it appeared he had been pretty nearly everywhere iti Great Britain and France, every whera distinguishing himself at athletic sports, attending which he had made his profession. So Skilfully was this done that it was impossible to find a single discrepancy or inaccuracy. There is not the least doubt that he feigns insanity, and though I have described bjs case as. ono oit moral insanity, I do not mean that there is such insanity as the law recognises or asylums, should admit. In August. : 1877, he was admitted to the Wakefield Asylum, from Leeds, and later in. the year was committed for trial, from Ulverston, for 1 obtaining goods by false pretences. The next month he. was sent to the Lancaster Asylum as a criminal lunatic, and in the'

following April was sentenced to seven day's imprisonment. In the aamo month ha was' . admitted to the' Macclesfield Asylum fromAltrincham; ' and in Jiiiy, 1873, to the Mickleover Asylum. In October be was in prison at Kimtsford for stealing a watch, and . afteir serving, serving seven days was admitted to the Leicester Borough asylum, from Nottingham Union workhouse. Discharged ' ' thence in February, 1879, ho was admitted to the Nottingham Couuty Asylum in March and being on the 2nd Afrjl,. he was apprehended at Leicester oil the 3rd for obtaining, goods by fahe pretences, from the. wife of aa attendant at the Leicester Asylum, anoffence for which, he was committed to prison for nine months, but wa3 after-

wards sent .to Leicester .Asylum again, as a criminal lunatic. Its January, 1880, hfe was again liberated, and nothing more was he.ard of him. until April, 18S1, when bo presented himself at one of the large machine works at Keighley apparently suffering from delirium tremens. He made' .the proprietor b.-lieve that he was a companion, of his son at seh -01, : and persuaded the doctor wht> attended him that he was one of his college churns, bat the fraud was ultimately exploded by the mperintendant of the police. In May he wa3 taken to 1 the Stiptpn workhouse and afterwards to the. Wakefield .Asylum, In August he.stayed a few days at a temperance hotel at Kilmarnock, and on leaving took with hins aquant ty of jewellery, and. committed a robbs'y in a similar manner at BerWick-on-Tweed a few . days later,. On the 12t;h .August, be. was admitted to the .Newcastle Lunatic Asylum, and discharged the. following month. On the llth September, at Hull, he created quite a sensation by feigning insensibility in the street, and afterwards alleging that he had been drugged and plunde red. In that town he w- nt first by the name of Merceron, and afterwards Hector M'Neill. His last public appearance) Was at .{he winter A-sizes at NewcaStle-on-Tyne, on the 25th October, 1831, when he pleaded guilty to a charge, of forgery, and was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment. It would be interesting to know what the country has had to pay for his maintenance and for hia Various escapades.