eased to
style me to inquiring friends--to Wakefield. The occasion was the annual
visit of inspection which a deputation from the Board of Guardians was
making to the asylum there. I recollect Mr Richard Hattersley telling me
on the platform at the Keighley station to look well after Mr Leach. The
deputation comprised, among others, Mr James Walsh, Mr Middlebrook, Mr R.
A. Milner, and Mr R. C. Robinson. On arriving at the Bradford Midland
Station, Mr Leach, on the plea of "takin' t' twist out on 'em," sent me
for an open landau and a couple of horses and a coachman, and thus he
proceeded "in state" to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Station. The train
again entered, the journey was soon completed to Wakefield. The
deputation in general did the distance to the asylum--about a mile--on
foot, but for Mr Leach, I had again to requisition a two-horsed landau.
We were driven up to the asylum entrance, and ushered into the reception
room. The governor of the asylum asked me who the old gentleman was, and
I told him he was "James Leach, Esquire, a Guardian, from Keighley."
"He's a funny fellow," said the governor, "I couldn't tell whether he was
coming in as a patient or not." By way of re-assurance I told the
governor that Mr Leach had had a stroke, which rather accounted for his
"acting funny." The other members of the deputation had now arrived, and
the whole were shown into a private room. There the Guardians sat as a
Board, with Mr Middlebrook as chairman, and the thirty-six lunatics from
the Keighley Union were brought in. One or two of the patients I
recognised. Several of them were ready to be discharged, having been
passed by the doctor. The inspection over, Mr Leach expressed a desire to
see the patients dine. He was introduced into the large dining hall, and
took a great interest in "watchin' t' lunies feed," as he put it. At the
close of the repast, Mr Leach commissioned me to distribute 1lb. of
tobacco among the men--0.5lb. in twist, and 0.5lb. in shag. No sooner did
the lunatics see the tobacco than they commenced a vigorous attack on
me--I had lunatics to the right and to the left of me, and in front,
behind, and on top of me. There must have been no less than half-a-dozen
on my shoulders at one time, and some of the fellows obtained a good deal
more than their share of the tobacco. Mr Leach had apparently witnessed
the distribution with much interest, and when I came up to him he said,
"been in Wombwell's menagerie,