A DRUNKEN MADMAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 1892, 15 May 1890, Page 29

A DRUNKEN MADMAN.

RUNNING AMUCK IN MELBOURNE.

A man Thomas Lee, suffering from drunken mania, caused a great sensation in Elizabeth street shortly after 7 o'clock on the morning of April 29. He had been working on a station, where he met with an accident which neces« sitated his going to Melbourne to obtain proper medical treatment. He arrived there about a week or 10 days ago, and took up his residence at the Carriers' Arms Hotel in Elizabeth street. He attended at tho Melbourne Hospital as an out-patient. In spite of the doctor'e warnings he persisted in going in for heavy drinking bouts. He had never become violent, however, until the morning in question, when shortly after 7 o'clock he made his appearance in tho bar of the Carriers' Arms Hotel. He was dre?aed in a shirt and trousers only, and in his hand he carried a large carving knife, which appeared to have been recently sharpened. Ho seized an empty lemonade bottle, which was lying upon the bar counter, and threw it at a girl named Mary Coughlan, who , was cleaning up the place. The bottle narrowly missed her, and he then attempted to seize hold of her, but she rushed through the back parlour and bcroamed for help. Her cries seemed to increase his drunken fury, for he hurried out into the street and made his way round the corner into Latrobe street, shrieking wildly all the time, and savagely stabbing himself with the knife. He entered the bar parlour of the Duke of Kent Hotel, in Latrobe street, and there saw a young woman named Elizabeth Ronalds, whom he tried to seize hold of, but she also eluded his clutches, and escaped. Information of the occurrence had in the meanwhile been given to the police, and Constables Taylor and Page were soon on the scene. When the man saw the constables he attempted to lock himself in the bar parlour of the Duke of Kent Hotel, but they forced their way in, and as they entered he made a furious rush at them with the knife. Constable Taylor picked up a chnir and knocked the knife out of his hand. The constables then closed with him, and after a desperate struggle, during which the unfortunate man bled profusely, they succeeded in getting him into a waggonette, and took him to the Melbourne HospitaJ. Here the terrible wounds which ho had inflicted upon himself were dressed and every attention shown him, but from the first no hopes were entertained of his recovery, and though he lingered on throughout the day in a marvellous way, he died about 6 o'clock in the evening.