The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-04-25

HORRIBLE REvEI.ATIoNs.--A Chicago cor
respondent, supposed to be crazy woman,
named Packard, has again succeeded in get
ting column of her insanity into the Dav.
export Gazette, made up of the veriest nom
sense about the Illinois Insane Asylum, and
it has drawn forth the following reply, in
that paper of this morning:
EDITOR GAZETTE in your paper of yes
terday | noticed an editorial calling atten-
ton to a Chicago letter, containing horrible
revelations of cruehies alleged to have been
practiced upon the patients in the Illinois
Insane Asylum at Jacksonville. Curiosity
prompted me to read the letter referred to,
and | must confess to the greatest astonish-
ment that one so intelligent and generally
wel-informed as your Chicago correspondent
generally is, could have for moment seri-
ously entertained the idea of believing the
insane chickering's of woman whose Insani-
ty has developed itself mainly in this malig-
llant writing of falsehood. do not take it
upon myself to answer something of which
am not informed. When at Springfield, late
in 1864, awaiting muster out of service, this
Mrs. Packard came through camp peddling
pamphlets containing almost the same, if
not the same, rawlings. /, together with nu-
merous friends, purchased copies Just to rid
ourselves of her opportunities. During our
stay, she was frequently in camp selling her
books. In that time | conversed with her
and heard her conversation with othe-s-all
officers of the 9th Illinois Infantry-and /
was fully satisfied, as they expressed their
opinions, that the woman labored under a
powerful monomania. The falsity of her
statements we then no more doubted than
thather particular form of insanity made them
seem as gospel truth to her. At that time
no one could hear the woman ten minutes
without a conviction of her lunacy.
well know the building of which she
makes such complaint, having been born in
Jacksonville, and have lived there most of my
life. I saw the foundations of that asylum
before the edihce was reared, and have been
through it on number of occasions since il
was finished, and know that it is we'll ar
ranged for comfort-with all the modern i'm
provements. In the warm weather the
wards are ventilated by an immense fan
worked by steam, which makes strong cur
rent through those parts of the building al
all difficult of thorough ventilation. Of all
the various public institutions of the city
this has the best location and is there con
sldered, with good reason, too, of admirable
construction
am we'll aware that this subject of abus
es was brought before the last session of .the
legislature, and an Investigation ordered and
have failed to find that the charges made
against the superintendent of the institution
have been sustained, in the least. DIR. An
Andrew MeF arland, who has had the man.
agement OF the asylum from the beginning
period OF nearly twenty years, has, in his
difficult position, borne the reputation of an
amiable christian gentleman, as well as q
polished scholar. The Journal, of that city
under date of April II, speaks of him as "a
gentleman in every sense of the word. and
of wide spread reputation as a skillful mana.
ger and physician of the insane"
think we should be very careful how we
lend our influence in the destroying-upon
questionable evidence, of that delicate and
and slow growth of years. mans charac
ter. Just examine the extracts from Mrs
Packard's books; do they not seem more the
dictates of disordered and vindictive intel
ieet than the patient cry of outraged human
lty for redress of wrongs? Do not under
stand me as assailing the character of the
iaoy mentioned, for / believe that aside from
TINS form of insanity she is lady, hut seeing
tney nave been seriously considered both b,
your correspondent and yourself, / canno
silently assent to the charges she has made
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