DUTCHMAN'S STRANGE DELUSION.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12765, 5 February 1910, Page 1

DUTCHMAN'S STRANGE DELUSION.

_The latest topic of conversation : n . .Rotterdam is the "man who caught the devil." Late the other night a man who was behaving in a very strange manner was turned out of a I small hostelry in the sailors' quarter, ins peculiar conduct won drew upon mm the attention of a policeman, who questioned him, but could only get J from him the reply that he had caught ■; the devil. As he said this the man ' kept his fingers tightly clenched, say- ' ing that he dared not release tho ' 1 rince of Darkness except in the presence of a Roman Catholic priest. who '' would be able to pronounce the pre- i ' scribed exorcisms. ■ ; Clearly the poor man was a prey to some fantastic delusion, and as nothing else would satisfy him, it was decided to request a priest to come to the police station. A priest was foundi and, despite the early hour of I the morning, he consented to do what- '■ ever lay in his power to tranquilise tn.e sufferer. :But--fiere a new difficulty arose, as ! the devil-catcher said the work •&. quired an exalted member of the hier- i archy, such as an archdeacon or a bishop ; a mere priest, he said, could not settle the matter properly. The ]

man was accordingly conveyed to the hospital, where he now remains, still keeping his fists tightly clenched, and muttering, "I have, caught the devil. Why don't they send a man of God to the hospital who can take over the Evil One from my hands?"