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


the distinguished favor done both to me ant
the people of the county, for whose interes
was called to act in the case Of alleged in
sanity recently brought before me. That
am indebted to a man Of great modesty 70,
the flattering notice Of my official acts in the
case mentioned, appears from the fact of his
shrinking from exposing his name even, tc
public gaze and admiration. That he is Q
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 unacountablc
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 "the high-handed and unacount-
able" by attributlng to him lack Of capac-
ity that may be creased on the ground /" Of
the partial insanity or mental imbecility' Of
the so-called County Judge. In what strik-
ing contrast must this imbeclity stand out
before the quick. sighted sagacity Of the
learned Doctor Of physic or medicine, who
with all his natural modesty, could yet pro-
nounce authoritatively in a case Of insanity
from street-heresay, and from having once
seen the person wrapped upin the bed-clothes
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 man
should refuse the medical advice of such a
physician, 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 imbecile 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 Luz
natic Asylum, can only be accounted for on
the ground that goodness and greatness are
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 does he gather up the essential facts of
the action of the " so-called County Judge"
and contrast them with the law that should
have been his guide. He seems equally
skilled in making out a 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 unselfish 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
their testimony made out an order that be
should be sent to the Lunatic Asylum, achen
it ,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 placed the person in the charge Of
the Sheriff till information was received as
to his reception a: the Hospital. He re-
NAMED here some ten days, not in irons, and
not confined in jail He was suffered to
mngle freely with the citizens, and was daily
converscd with by the different physicians Of
the place, and by leading citizens, and during
the time no traces Of mental arrangement
or even ofmental imbecility was discovered
That he was "hard case," and might be-
ugly under the influence Of bad whisky, OF
treatment, most thought, while none detected
any symptoms Of insanity. After keeping
him thus for some eight or ten days, he was
released in accordance with the certificate Of
his physician, that he considered him sane
man and safe to be at large.
He returned to Cedar Falls unarmed, ex.
cept that he had small quantity Of pepper
to use in case Of abuse. What his conduct
was or his treatment after his return has
nothing to do with the matter, as case of in
sanity. That he went home calculating tc
make the most of the fears of the people in
getting revenge, and having good time, we
have little doubt. The morning after his
return from here he was brought back, as he
stated, under the escort of three Of the best
citizens of Cedar Falls, and Twas requested
to take him into custody. This refused to
do, believing him rather subject for the
Penitentiary 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; t.
which l replied, that complaint should be
made to the justice Of the peace. To this
il was replied. that they did not know that