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A MURDEROUS MADMAN.One Ward’* Ulaud I.uuaKo BrainsA no tltor*\Charles Donzer, an inmate of the Ward'sIsland Lunatic Asylum, murdered Terence Shields, another patient, on Friday, In a nt of sudden violeneo. Donzer is a minor. In 1871, immediately after liia arrival in this country he was seat to the emigrant asylum, and in 1874 yras transferred to Ward’s Island, where he has remained sinoo. Shields was by trade aplasterer. Like Donzer, ho w« a hopeless lunatic. Previous to 1865 he lived at No. 650 Washington at, Now York, In that year be was eent to the Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum, and in the fifteen ysra ha has spent there and on Ward’s Island his friends have gradually lost sight of him and loft him to his fate.Both men were considered quiot and harmless. ThoughDenzer had twice attempted to take his own life, he never made any demonstrations of hostility toward the other patients. Tho two made themsraives useful about the institution in various ways, and were lodged in Ward 0, in th* basement, with fifty other patients, in the charge of four attendants.On Friday morning, as the men were about to begin the day's work, Keeper Thomas Keenan called Donzer and asked him to take from a closet next the pantry a long and heavy window stick, which ho wanted to use. Donzer went to obey the order. Shields sat by the door of the closet reading, and held it open till Donzor come out. His head was bent, and ho did not observe Den-zei% who, without a word, lifted tho heavy stick and brought it down upon his head with all his force.Shields fell on his face and the broken stick fell beside him as Keeper Keenan and a patient named Hannlgan sprang upon Denzer, who now became very violent, and was overpowered with difficulty. Ho was locked up, and Shields lingered till yesterday, when ho died. Hla skull was broken. The Coroner in New York wasinformed j esterday, and will make an official investigation, The asylum on Ward’s Island was built to hold between four and five hundred prisoners. It contalus j *■- | at present nine hundred or over. Threo hundred oddi-r, lt;tionai patients are lodged outside the asylum. New he' | buildings are in the course of erection, hovmer, ton- j accommodate all.
Newspaper Details
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Brooklyn, New York, US
Mon, Apr 26, 1880
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Canton S.
OK, USA 10 Nov 2020
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