The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-01-06
Mystery Of an Insane Asylum
Trials Of q Lady in, Love with
81 Henry Ward Beecher.

anu sue DRUGS tu0 8CSiOu oSoIuot tuoAu W
recover damages sustained to health and
reputation by being confined wrongfully,
as she alleges, at their instigation, IN the
Bloomingdala Lunatic Asylum, until re-
leased by her brother, who took her to bis
house in New York, where she remained
some weeks, and finally came back to her
house in Jay st., Brooklyn, from whence
she had been taken by q brother Edward
Underhill, paying. teller in the Mechanics
Bank Of Brooklyn, aided BY George W.
Olcott, her nephew, and one Of the de-
PENDANTS in this action. They again forced
Ler into the asylum, but she managed to
make her esospe to her brother in New
York, who has provided q home, for her
ever since. She, wore vail in oourt, and
was neatly but plainly attiredg She gave
her evidence with perfect seIfpoeseseion,
and with distinetness and coherency, y
Miss Underhin is author Of . number Of
well-vritten poetical efnsions, among
which is. the popular one of "A Fisher
Boy" commencing: 49, = -. 80
He lay upon the sands to rest, ,,IrlI a.,
His hair chung with the salt ses wet.
TESTIMONY OF IA. BRorH5R WHO CARRIED
HKR 10 THB MADHoUaH. >, -
The first witness called on SATURDAY. was
Edward Underhill, brother of the plaintiff,
who testified that he drove her to the In
matte asylum, under pretence Of taking her
to water-cure -establ ishment; he was In
connivance with George Oloott,- whom he
met there; it was in July, 1868; he did
not know who had paid her board at
Bloomingdale; she had a whooping-cough
and was generally Frustrated before that
time; after her temperance, she seemed
improved, but he thought it best to send
her back she had asserted that Gen. Du-
ryea was in love with her, and also Mr..
Lyon, of Columbia street, Brooklyn, who
rented q part of the Underhill and Olcott
pew, in, Rev. Mr.. Beecher,s church she
accused him (OlcotD of breaking off those
matches in favor of one, of the Misses o.
colt. The witness thus described the plain
tits manner: '--l .ig
She seemed 10 undergo complete revo-
luton of feeling-as times very buoyant,
and then extremely melancholy her time
was mostly employed writing; that con-
tinued on until the time of her confine.
ment; I have heard her speak In, hiah
terms of him che looked upon him a. al
most supernatural; before her FIRST COR
finement, she said she had written letter
to Mr.. Beeoher; she. seemed to regret
very much having sent it, and it seemed
to weigh upon her so as to produce this
melancholy state Of mind; I don't know
that l ever heard her say anything about
Mr.. Beecher going to Europe, in conneo-
ton with this letter she said that the ef-
feet of the letter would be TO- prejudice
Mr.. Beecher against her, and that the
church might take action in the matter !
TESTIMONY OF THE SISTER WHO. ."pRRvKur-
I'D THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN MISS UNDER
HILL AND THE REV. HENRY WARD BEsoH-
KR." .h.-' .--
The next witness was Mrs. Maria @. Oh
colt, sister to the plaintiff. She testified
as follows relative to the Beecher <mbro-
Clio: 81 81. a.@sy.r ..a--.'-5 =.
She said it was we'll understood in the
church that she was to be Mr.. Beechers
second wife; when she first told me che
did not mention the gentlemans name for
several years, until Mr.. Beecher sailed fol
Europe, and then she admitted that he
was the one; asked her what Mr..
Beecher's wife thought about it, and she
said that Mr.. Beecher and his wife were
not congenial, and she was perfectly salts
fed with the arrangement, and that it was
we'll understood in the church tried to
reason with her, but che insisted that she
was just as much engaged to be married
as my daughter, who was engaged to be
married at that time; she was very indig-
nant when tried to reason with her, and
said | was jealous; on the day Mr.. Beech
er lett, she sat by the back window, watch
ing the vessel; she was very melancholy,
and could not be aroused; she was sitting
in the second story, at the back window !;
she bad been in the house about two
hours that day; l tried to cheer her up,
bat it didn't seem to do her any good !;
she continued to visit the house afterward !;
was in state of despair about the letter
she had sent to Mr.. Beecher, and said she
would give fifty millions of dollars to get
it back; she said she had gone to the
Postoffice three days in succession to try
to get it out; said if there was nothing
improper in the letter she need not give
herself any trouble about it.
DR.. Brown, principal physician of the
Bloomington Asylum, next testified. He
stated the circumstances of her reception |;
when he first saw her, her physical condi-
ton was one of apparent debility, followed
upon some previous acute physical disease
as ne supposed; mentally, she was evil
IDENTITY under some great depression of
spirits, with considerable emotional dis
turbance, agitation, and feeling which she
ascribed to cruel and unjust treatment on
the part of certain relations.
The following interesting question and
answer was given on the examination of
this witness:
Q. Now, doctor, is it not possible that a
person of insane mind should write excel
lent poetry, such as this plaintiff claims to
have written, or to excel in any other art ?
"A. Certainly. I suppose the best reply
/ can give to that question is to state
that Adlers German and English Die
Il =