Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-08-13
Remarkable Case of Lnnacy I'm Ireland
An Insane Woman Betrayed into mar
ringe for Her Fortune.


Remarkable Case Of Lunacy I'm Ireland
An Insane Woman Betrayed into mar
riase for Her Fortune.
A case has recently been investigated in
Dublin by the Board of Commissioners, de
lisnGttco lnqlarendo in which woman, who
was found TO be insane, was believed to have
been betrayed into marriage for the purpose
Of securing her money, $4,000, TO the
Church of Rome. Originally Of very hum
BILE birth, and then servant girl in London,
Mrs. Waite, the woman in question, had won
the affections of her master, and on his death
was left in possession of fl8,0ooin the funds,
and about f160 a year in house property.
But one child, q daughter, survived The
husband s relatives then pursued the widow
with worrying litigation. They were de-
feated, but these proceedings left fixed upon
her mind an idea that st some period or
other she would be murdered. She fed
from London back TO her native place, near
Cork, and to her relatives. Here she be-
came suddenly acquainted with young
man, aged twenty, and as suddenly married
him. As by this marriage the relatives were
cut of from all expectation Of obtaining her
property, they felt toward the bride and her
husband any thing but friendly spirit, and
they instituted the inquiry as to her lunacy
The Irish Times, in noting the investigation,
says;
lhS SNtuCuCC VI tuc pTltbJ VINO married
this strange couple, is most astounding. The
marriage took place on a Sunday, in public
house, and without the knowledge of any of
Mrs. Watte's relatives, though they lived at a
few yards distance. The priest acknowl-
edged that he did not observe the regular
forms of his Church. He married her in a
public house without confession, and by dis
pensation procured on the day of marriage,
the original of which he had destroyed. BE
knew the relatives ofthe woman, yet breathed
not syllable respecting the rites he was
about to perform, and his evidence in many
other particulars, is by no means creditable
Connen, the husband of the widow, was a
seataring man, one, apparently, who could
be easily worked upon. The priest, imme-
diately after the marriage, began to talk
about settlement, and to urge that the
daughter should be removed from the mother,
and placed in ladies' school, By this set
tlement it was intended that the Sla,0o0
should be the property of the daughter when
of age, and by the ladies' school, was meant
seclusion in convent. 1t is not every day
that the Church of Rome has an opportunity
OF netting young girl heiress to fls,OO6
and 1t was well worth while TO neglect the
forms of the Church TO secure such a prize As
this. -
THE jury, by finding Mrs. Waite insane,
and that her insanity dates from June, 1857,
nullify her marriage with Connell, which did
not take place until the September of that
year. The plot then--for few will believe
there was not plot--has resulted in abso-
lutte loss TO every one engaged in it. The
jury very properly considering the peculiar
character OF Mrs. Watte's delusion strongly
recommended that she should not be placed
IN lunatic asylum. With equal propriety
considering the evidence of the promoventS.
they expressed strongly an opinion that She
should not be committed TO the care of her
relatives. The Chancellor will be empowered
to appoint proper persons to take care of Mrs.
Watte's person and property. The daughter.
who was baptized a Protestant, becomes a
ward of court" = ~ -