Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-09-06
A Journalist Feigns Lunacy, and is
Incarcerated in a Mad-HOuse.

NEW YORK, August 81
THE authorities of the Bloomingdale
Asylum, having Indignantly denied that
it was possible for sane person to be in
carcerated in that institution, have had
their assertion most completely upset by
an adventurous newspaper man. Early
this month, julius J. Chambers. q -re-
porter of the Tribune desi-:,S to get
fair,7jar OF Cne interior workings of the
notorious Bloomingdale Asylum, INDUCED
in some antics at the Grand Central
Hotel, was examined by so-called reputa-
BILE physicians, who certified to his in
sanity, and was committed as lunatic by
Police Justice Cox. His board was paid
at the Bloomingdale Asylum, and he was
kept there for two weeks, until, on the
Gath inst, John J. Townsend obtained q
writ of hdbedS corpus for his release, which
was made returnable this morning, before
Judge Barrett, in the Superior Court Be-
fore the case came up, however, the officers
of the asylum dismissed Chambers, and
obtained from Mr.. Townsend's clerk,
in the absence of that gentleman,
a consent to the dismissal of the
writ. Mr.. Townsend, however, ap-
peared to-day before Judge Barrett,
and explained this circumstance, saying
that this was only another instance of the
manner in which the managers of the
asylum evaded an inquiry into their
course in relation to lunatics. He saw no
way now of bringing the matter properly
before the court except by making a state
ment that the reporter had been placed
there two weeks before, having been eX-
amined by three respectable physicians of
this city and pronounced insane by the
Bloomingdale physicians. He received a
permit of the managers, and the $3.50 de-
manded was paid for him and he was
placed in durance. Upon application
being made for his discharge he was i'm
mediately set at liberty, although received
as insane. He was, in fact, perfectly sane,
and the whole thing was arranged be-
forehand, to test the question whether
sane man could not be placed within that
asylum. Mr.. Chambers has closely OBJ
served the workings of that institution
while confined there, and his observations
would corroborate the damaging state
ments which had recently startled the
public.
The New York Tribune makes the fol-
lowing remarks upon the affair: Two
reputable physicians, medical student,
and professional nurse pronounced the
man violent lunatic, dangerous to him
self and others 1t was charged that
strangers to patients sometimes commit
ted them. 1t was therefore decided that
absolute strangers should be employed.
1t was said that police justices committed
men without examination. The justice
who sent our reporter to Bloomingdale
never saw him at all, and does not know
the names of persons or physicians who
made the application. The Governor of
the Asylum would receive no patient
without his Endorsement. 1t was there
fore decided to avoid this Governor alto
gether, and in spite of the strict regula-
tions, the physician in charge received
the patient and without even asking the
name of one gentleman committing him,
and after an examination of less than one
minute consigned him to the ward for
excited persons. 1t was also charged
that physicians conniyed at the removal
of patients for whom writs of hdbeGs
corpus had been procured, having some
means of communication with the court
by which they were advised in advance
of such proceedings. To test this ques.
tion writ of hdbeaS corpus was served,
but the prisoner had not been removed
and no suggestion was made of removal.
But strenuous efforts to keep the matter
from the courts were made and finally
with success