Finding this to be the case, the attendant wheeled his patient to a quiet part of the building, where we had a long interview with him. But John remained excited, and talked almost constantly about McMullin, the veritable William of the Fourth Ward, of murders and burglars, and coffins, and kindred subjects. We asked him a number of questions, but apart from now and then giving us a semi-intelligent glance, he took no notice whatever, until in the midst of it the attendant stepped suddenly to one of the insane patients, who, manifesting unusual excitement, required prompt securing. This was done by the attendant passing his arms round the man, drawing his hands forcibly down and securing them behind, as he coaxed him along to a cell.
John Herriges’ face instantly lighted up with great animation as he exclaimed, pointing to the two:
“Ha! that’s the way they kill them, that’s it, Mully, Mully good fellow!—he! he! he!”
He constantly has this idiotic laugh.
From a gentleman at the institution we gleaned the following in relation to the victim and his family, which he assured us was the correct history of the affair. In some essential points it seems to conflict with the sister’s statement made to the reporter of the Sunday Dispatch.
The father’s name was Bernard Herriges, who went to Oregon in 1843, and settled in Walumet Valley, and there died and left land worth about $400, in the executorship of Mr. Glasson and Dr. Theophilus Degan. The will is recorded in the probate court of Clarkamas County, Oregon, and explicitly directs what is to be done with the property. By some means or other no claim was established, and the land referred to was occupied by General Abeneathy for twenty years. This information was given in reply to a letter that was written in 1868, by Hon. Leonard Myers, member of Congress, and sent by him to Oregon.
The mother’s original name was Barbara Miller, and she is now in her seventy-ninth year. The oldest son, Joseph, is fifty-six. The sisters names are Mary Ann, Sophia, Hannah and Ann Margaret. This gentleman states that John, the victim, is now forty-five years old, that he was twenty-five when he received the injury that resulted in his imbecility, and that consequently the confinement has extended more or less over the period of twenty years. On the night of the great fire at Vine Street, in 1850, he received his hurt as he was returning from a lecture, by being pushed over a railing down into an area by the rushing crowd, striking his head violently in his descent.
In 1847, the family received a letter from Caspar Rudolph, in Oregon, asking them to give him a power of attorney to take control of the father’s possessions there. This document was drawn up by the Hon. William D. Baker, signed by all the members of the family, approved before Alderman Benn and sent out to Rudolph.
Great praise is due to Doctor Richardson of the Almshouse for the speedy improvement his careful treatment has made in John, who is, beyond doubt, naturally a very powerful man, has a fine frame and a capitally shaped head. But it is certain he will never recover from his imbecility.
The officials in charge of his case from the commencement, also deserve great praise for their faithful attention to their disagreeable duty, which could not have been performed in a more satisfactory manner. Particularly is this true of Officers Coniwasher and Reeder, Lieutenant Thomas and Detective Charles Miller.