Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-05-09

A most remarkable and important trial
, called the Hinchman case" has just been
| closed before the Supreme Court of Pa,
at Philadelphia. The chief points OF the
case are thus stated. The mplainan',
Morgan Hinchman, a member OF the So
cietv Of Friends. brings suit for damages
against fourteen individuals. all Friends.
for a conspiracy against him, 10 obtain
his property. in which they were 50 far
successful AS to get him confined III the
: Frankfort Lunatic Asylum, for nearly two
years. as a crazy man. II length being
permitted to walk in the yard. he effected
his escape. and found that his property
consisting Of well stocked farm in Mont
gomery county. had been sold. One OF
his children had died while he was in the
ASYLUM, and his wife and two other chill
dren estranged from him. The Pa. Ledg-
err Of April 16. brings us the conclusion of
the trial. as follows:
Tie Hnchman Case Terdici Gcainst
the defendants--Th trial in the iIinch-
man case is ended. and verdict has
been rendered of $4,000 damages
against seven Of the conspirators who as
sisted to place and keep him in conine-
ment in a lunatic asylum. This verdict.
after reading all the testimony carefully.
appears to us to be a Just one. We have
seldom read trial in which the defence
had a more slender thread Of evidence to
support their case. Their attorneys ap-
peared throughout TO labor under and feel
this disadvantage, and their arguments,
though in one case a most labored and in
genious one, scarcely amounted to de-
fence at all The facts were too glarng.
~, ..l,o Il h,I
citizen while in the transaction of his or
binary business, and immured him for
six months in a private mad-h far
more horrible than Jail. and all from one
Of the mcanest motives harbored in the
human breast, avarice. Let what con-
struction be put upon the case that may
he, this was the real motive that prompt
ed the conspirators. who saw in every To-
sing speculation Of Hinchman. decided
proof of lunacy. and who were ready to
release him from his horrible confinement.
insane as they pretended to believe him.
the moment that he gave them the posses
sion Of his property, they believed him to
be sane enough to make such DISPOSE
ton of it, but not sane enough to dis
pose of it in a way that he believed most
advantageous to himself Avarice being
the prompting spirit of the defendants,
the verdict will touch them sorely. Be
: sides furnishing tie guilty. the trial will
have the additional good effect of calling
the attention of the public and the Legis-
lature to the necessity Of throwing better
securities around personal liberty, and
adopting such restrictions and projections
as will prevent designing and wicked per-
sons, from whatever motive, using what
was designed TO be benevolent institu
ton, as prison for the subduing of in
iractable tempers, the qualification of ma
lignant motives, or the means of reach
ing unworthy and unlawful ends.
The following we offer from highly respect
able and wealthy gentleman of Salem, Mass,
one of her ahest and first merchants. a man
whose statement were never questioned:
To tie Aren't of VaugAa's Ltihontripsic MIXTURE:
4 Sr:-I have for many years been afflicted with
the gravel. which has at times caused me very
severe suffering. and the usual means have been
resortcd to, without giving me other than tenn
porary relief. In February Of the present year