Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-07-26
Reply from Judge Couch.

hoiu souie testHhonidi VI my aPPieeiatlol VI
the distinguished favor done both to me and
the people Of the county, for whose intercs,
was called to act in the case of alleged in.
sanity recently brought before me. That
am indebted to man Of great modesty for
the Hattering notice Of my official acts in the
case mentioned, appears from the fact of his
shrinking from exposing his name even, to
public gaze and admiration. That he is a
man of generous and patient disposition ap,
pears from the deprecatory tone with which
he introduces his thoughts, which lie evident
ly fears may be regarded as fault finding.
But then the public good demands that he
should speak out, at whatever sacrifice Of
feeling; humanity was being outraged, the
laws set at naught, and the county impover.
ished by the high-handed an unacountable
conduct Of the County Judge of Black Hawk
County" Still he inclines to the more gen.
erous view Of the motives Of the County
Judge, and more in sorrow than in anger,
accounts for 1.-THE high-handed and unacount-
able" by attributlng to him lack Of capac-
ity that may be excused on the ground " OF
the partial insanity or mental imbccility" Of
the so-called County Judge. In what strik-
ing contrast must this imbecility stand out
before the quick-sighted sagacity Of the
learned Doctor Of physic or medicine, who
with all his natural modesty, could yet pro-
authoritatively in case Of insanity
from street-heresay, and from having once
seen the person wrapped upin the bedclothes
and hearing his insane exclamation, " that
when he wanted the services Of the Doctor
he would send for him." What surer mark
Of insanity could there be, than that a man
should refuse the medical advice Of such a
after being up all night upon a
spree? What presumption on the part of
the physicians of Waterloo, even after the
most careful examinations, daily made for a
week, to pronounce him sane in the face of
such testimony? How in,beeile must be the
Judge to act upon the testimony of physi-
clans so in conflict with the learned Doctor
Surely all the world is mad, and the Doctor
alone is sane.
That the State authorities did not call him
to the position of first physician in the Lu-
natic Asylum, can only be accounted for on
the ground that goodness and greatness arc
never appreciated but after they are gone
from the world. But the medical skill and
sagacity of the Doctor is scarcely greater than
his legal acumcn. With what clear sighted
ness docs he gather up the essential facts of
the action of the so called County Judge"
and contrast them with the lac that should
have been his guide. He seems equally
skilled in making out medical diagnosis of
a case, and legal one. With such men to
watch over the interest Of the county, even
with mental imbecile as Judge, the county
cannot suffer great detriment. Perhaps the
wisdom, sagacity and unsclfish generosity of
the learned Doctor, will be more apparent in
the light Of concise statement of the history
of the case, and as we wish the Doctor to
be fully appreciated by the public we hence
give it.
Some two weeks since person was bro't
before us in irons, as fit subject for the Lu-
natic Asylum. Understanding that he was
brought by advice Of the physician who had
attended him--the three starred Doctor-we
sent for him and such others as were cog
nisant of the case, and on the strength of
heir testimony made out an ordsr that he
should be sent to the Lunatic Asylum, achen
Il ,oas ascertained, as the lao requires, that
he could be receired there. Immediately
wrote to Doctor PATTERSON, to know whether
he could be received into the Asylum. Mean
while l placed the person in the charge of
the Sheriff till information was received as
to his reception at the Hospital. He re-
NAMED here some ten days, not in irons, and
not confined in jail He was suffered to
ningle freely with the citizens, and was daily
with by the different physicians Of
The place, and by leading citizens, and during
the time no traces Of mental arrangement,
Or even of mental imbecility was discovered.
That he was hard CASE" and might be
ugly under the influence of bad whisky, or
most thought, while none detected
my symptoms of insanity. After keeping
1m thus for some eight or ten days, he was
released in accordance with the certificate of
ais physician, that he considered him sane
nan and safe to be at large.
He returned to Cedar Falls unarmcd, ex-
,ept that he had small quantity of pepper
% use in case Of abuse. What his conduct
vas or his treatment after his return has
nothing to do with the matter, as a case of in
sanity. That he went home calculating to
make the most of the fears of the people in
getting revenge, and having a good time, we
lave little doubt. The morning after his
'eturn from here he was brought back, as he
stated, under the escort of three of the best
citizens of Cedar Falls, and was requested
o take him into custody. This refused to
10, believing him rather subject for the
'enitentiary than for the Insane Asylum
The statement was then made, that he was
dangerous and threatened the lives Of the
citizens and disturbed the public peace; to
which l replied, that complaint should be
made to the justice of the peace. To this
was replied, that they did not know that
Al