Vanslyke - George
Source: Crawfordsville Review, Crawfordsville, 7 December 1889
There died on Monday evening at the county asylum an individual, George VanSlyke, who from his long sojourn at that institution, and the condition of his mind, had acquired considerable notoriety In local annals. From the records of the asylum it is shown that he was taken there in the fall of 1860, almost thirty years ago, and has been an inmate ever since. He became insane when a young man, and was soon after taken to the insane hospital at Indianapolis for treatment, but after a season was returned as incurable. He was for a time placed In the county jail under charge of Sheriff Schooler, but becoming very troublesome and dangerous was taken to the poor farm, where he has ever since remained. His insanity was of a violent form, and be was most of the time uncontrollable. He would tear into rags the strongest clothing that could be made for him, and lay In his cell, day and night, in an entirely nude condition. His bed generally was a long square box or frame work filled with straw. He would lay for hour after hour, year in and out, seeming to recognize nothing nor any body. There was, however, one of the employees of the asylum, who seemed to be able to control him, and at bis word quite often he would awaken from the deep reverie that appeared to enshroud him and assuming a half erect position, would put out bis band for bread, tobacco, or any thing that seemed to strike bis fancy. He was one of the most troublesome inmates that has ever been in the poor asylum, and now that death has taken him, a feeling of relief, will, no doubt, be felt by the Superintendent and his assistants. Thirty years of nothingness, of neither joy, sorrow, pleasure nor pain, but a life as not baring been lived! Truly the lives of many are blank, and what strange Incomprehensible thoughts and fancies must have passed through the mind of this poor unfortunate within that period of time. His age was about 53 years. His father and mother are both dead, but a brother, W. H. VanSlyke, resides here, and carries on the business of shoe making in the Joel block. The funeral with few attendees and fewer mourners occurred on Tuesday afternoon. - transcribed by Kim H