The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-06-22
A Very Strange Story.


+ mysterious affairs that has ever com
/ within the purview of local gossip OF
+ cured In this city within the last few day.
a 1t was not so much quarrel in one of tn
, most respectable families, which resulte
, in the sending of lady member of III;
, family to the hospital as insane, in orde,
, 1t seems, to get rid Of her.
From complete review O f all the fact
10 the case, taking the statements of all tn
parties concerned, it is impossible to de
eide which is to blame, and, at any rate
we would go no further than to give ,
plain and unvarDished" statement of tn,
affair as it has been related to us, and, fo
the sake OF the parties concerned. who ar,
Well and hvorablY known, we withhold tb,
names, though they ARE very we'll ven
tllated, as the matter has been talked nj
over the city.
About week ago, a lady, who lives ia
Oil City Pennsylvania, came here to yisi,
her sick sister, who was lying at the poin,
OF death. Upon her arrival at the resi-
dence OF her hrother-in law, which lis on
Broadway, she was shown to the room
winch had been set apart for her, but was
REUSED admlttarce to her sister because. il
was alleged, the physician had given posi-
I'VE orders that no one should enter the
slck-room under any circumstances. The
lady took unibrage at this but her brother
ln-law, who, she says, never liked her, still
persisted in excluding her from the pres
ence of his wife, and must 20 so far. she
AYERS, as to lock her in her room during his
absence. She was very much offended at
TINS, and refused to eat anything in his
mouse, though food was repeatedly offered
her. She kept her room for forty eight
hours without eating a bite. By this time,
oil course, she was very hungry, but still
persisted in her obstinacy. 3 -,
Upon the third day, which was last
Thursday, she threw o note out of a win
DOW to gentleman who was passing. He
picked it up and opened it. 1t contained
SIX dollars in money, with request that
he use the same in dispatching to her hus-
band in Oil City, Pennsylvania, to come
for her Immediately, and also to bring her
al-cup OF coffee, as she was being starved to-
death. The gentleman, who is a well
known frrliture dealer on Main street, was
very much surprised at this strange paper,
and, being satisfied that there was some
mystery about the house, went to a police
man and gave him the facts contained in
the letter. The policeman called at the
house, and was met at the door by the
husband. He was told that the woman,
was crazy, and was assured that it was
purely family affair. In the meantime
the dispatch had gone flying over the wires
to Oil City and her husband was on his
way here IN response to the astounding
contents. The gentleman who had picked
up the letter, received several others in the
meanwhile aud began to suspect from
their contents that what had been told the
policeman was true. The letters were
written in neat and beautiful feminine
hand. bat the substance, at times, was
yagne and wandering. The lady continued
to throw these notes to him every time he
passed to and from his meals, and the
inmates of the house, coming to fear oft.
at once endeavored to prevent it. What
they did is not known, but on Saturday
her brother-in-law applied at the MAYORS |
office and obtained permit to take her to
the hospital. She was taken there in |
charge of two policemen and registered as
a unatic. Mrs. Gary, the Superintendent,
saw at once that the woman was not crazy. |
and provided her with very comfortable |
private room and took care of her as if she |
were one of her own family. When taken
into the ofGbe to be registered, as inmates
usually are, some one asked her what was |
the matter, when she replied, an otbine
but hunger" Her brother-in.law arrived
soon after and told Mrs. Gary to furnish
her good place and send the bill to him.
The Superintendent asked him what was
The matter with her, when he said that it
was nothing but family quarrel. She
was very much astonished that he should |
resort to this desperate end to rid himself
ot his sister-in-law. What could have in
1uced him to have her locked up as a
unatic T? "Well, Mrs. Gary, came to the
that IL was the most plausible
conclusion we could come to-" and the
left. 49,
Mrs. Gary took her strange patient to
her own room, and ordered coy meal,
which was ready in very few moments,
md the lady partook Of it heartily. She
seemed to be well educated and refined
woman, and conversed in very pleasant
md entertaining manneo. She told the
Whole story OF her incarceration, without
'ne word of abuse for her brother-in.law.
ind seemed lost for an explanation of his
mysterious conduct. She seemed to think
hat it had either arisen from his dislike
or her, or from motive far worse-that
II preventing her sister from willing her
ny of her property in case she died, which.
e feared, might be done if she were pres
mt with her during her sickness.
The lady's husband arrived in the city
s soon as he possibly could after receiv-
ne the dispatch, and found his wife regis
cred at the no. pital Us a lnnatic. His +,
age may be imagined, and may yet Gull
innate in something serious. Hs took his
life to hotel Immediately, and, afterward,
rent on visit to a relative of hers, who
esides in Jacksonville. 1t is thought he
i'll institute legal proceedings against her
rother-in-law for damages, assessing the
am at one hundred thousand dollars. The
efendant in this prospective suit is q
.wer himself, and is represented as being =
cry wealthy.
We have given the plain facts in this
cry mysterious case as well as it is posi-.
e to obtain them, and leave the matter
the reader. 1t is susceptible of many
10 curious constructions urier
ournal. II
STRAWBERRY PLANTS-FORl
) sale by II. ST. JOHN. J.
SUNSHINE AT HoME.-Many child