New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-06
A TALE OF HORROR.
uyuuMAN TREATMENT OF PAllENIo Al
BLOOMINGDALE INSANE ASYLUM

SVpRFMT COURT - ATTENDANTS i'sF-'ON-'N
THEM PERFECTLY sANE"-STARfLlNG SION Iohl
or ruF RELEASED BANKER, MR.. VAN NLECh'
AND HIS FORMER ATTENDANT - LE"AL
CuAPtFS READE DEMANDING INVESTIGATION
OF TIJE ASYLUM orr
Mr John d. Townsend, lawyer, OF NO. Eo4
broadway. on Saturday, obtained from 'uueo ~
,,,i,,, i'm chambers writ Of habeas corpus deo'eu ~
Dr David 1Ilton Brown, experimenting Ih' ,,,
,s,cc ~ The p,oominedale Lunatic Asylum dlreo'ne
him 10 brinc Miss mary McCahe, detained rs '". -
hcfore Judge George c. Barrett Of the supreme Noul
MIS- McCabe is one OF the three ladies' feIeireu " "
rpIpuxF as Illegally confined IN the Asylum III "0i
A. 7 n Won Week a banker Of this city formerly OF
,6e arrn Of Van Week Reed 4 Herson twhose release
was noticed few days agO has taken great INTEREST,"
ia for whom he and his lawyer Mr.. Townsend, are at
neesept actively at work. The writ OF habeas corpus ""
served on Or Brown yesterday and IS retuiaoo o"9'
whom he must produce the person Of Miss McCaoe' unless
he discharged before the writ is presented an eNs
proceeding which the Bloomingdale supermtehden. -
charged with repeatedly practicnR to AVOID 'esus"
ito Of his management and OF the conol"on VI ~
Asylum. ..,o ,,oro
Miss NcCabe IS nun who was forcibly taken ,io"
convent IN tins city and confined as lun"uc, ~ 80
Nv the female who attended her that Ml's ,o
committed for complaining that priest ~ Ia
a , convent had made insulting proposals W n' ",U
.he SUGARS Of her own knowledge tDa' .ne l"''H'
,,,, conc No other action or declaration Is quo'eo
,.,iisb iysapjty and the lady would pr0bahy nave
heen released long ago II not that she Insists o
maintaining her charge against the priest ~ NC ""o
The mil uar,icuars OF her Incarceration or tue hauo Vi
tbo committing ma gisrae and certifying physicians
cannot be obtained until return is made 20 the WI" To
aav Bnt there is hardly doubt that the physician
will charge that there such person in his CUSTODY
STILL ANOTHER LADY TO BE RELEASED.
Another habeas corpus was yesterday taken out py
Mr. Townsend in behalf OF Miss Teresa Drew, uponthe
petton of Mrs Irwin her former attendant VINO sWers
cine never was This writ is retunaDe on AhurS
day before Judge George c. Barrett.
THE INCARCERATED BANKERS STORY.
Mr. Van Week whose suferings in the Asylum are
ao,.t,d helov, oppesrs TO have authorized Mr. Town
send his LAWYER TO prosecute his case and those OF
fbe ladies' alluded to- until investigation Of the alleged
abuses OF patients shall have been ordered by the proper
authorities Mr. Townsend asserts his purpose to leave
no sone unurned 10 accomplish this end Whlch nc IN
,sts the Public interest demands. Mr. Townsend has
prosecuted five six similar eases successfully ana mas
been instrumental in Tescuing by habeas several
nersons lie gay incarcerated in asyums and prisons
n will be remembered that he the lawyer who IN
snte OF the threats of Judge Cardozo obtained the re-
lease Of two women confined in the Tombs by Judge
Cardoao aud denied trial for weeks. MI Van Week
and MI Townsend declare their determination to habeas
every person confined the Asylum TO test their con
dition.
The following letter from Mr. Van Week and afdavits
OF George r. irwin. and his wife throw further light
mon tins painful subject Mr. Van Weeks letter is as
folows:
MR.. VAN Weeks LETTER
10 tAe Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR The Of to-day having noticed in ali article I'M
der the heading IAN Old Institution Assaied" In which
The officers OF the Bloomingdae Asylum attempt
IN a roundabout manner TO justify the ourages com
itted at that place and to place Themselves In
iured party before the community, think few words
from me would not be illtimed have had some cell
eacy IL placing my before the public, fearing that
the fact that had inmate OF the asylum might
IN some way prejudice my family, but as my name has
been discovered and published now see no good reason
why should longer refrain
Twas rrdely turn from my breakfast table in my home
in westchester County on March 1871, byltwo ruhans
thrust into carriage, and driven to the BloomngaaIe
Asylum Iprotesed Of course and called upon my family
and servants for assistance, hut without avail DeeVe
now That their and minds had been poisoned against
me Upon reaching the asylum was received by Dr. FO
ter and to him also proteeG re9se ,T T T s
intended 20 be sweet and demandOf ali articles IN my
hand Was risced In the custody Of an attendant, and
from that time until about June q, 1872 was kepta
Dr Brown, copy of which took and which reads as
fellow ns Va, WICK: have decided tina, you may have
your parole to 90 on Ouud Of the Asyum with m understanding
w beSt 81 center buildings nor around the ladies department
From tisf time until July 81 was permitted on pa
role, to wander over the grounds FROM the DAY en-
tered the institution felt that there was no use giving
way under my uisfOrtunes ana made up my mind to
busy myself In taking notes OF what occurred L soon
found that 10 10 impossible TO get any letter
out OF the institution other than such as were sausidc-
tory TO the officers in charge and ater making ire
quent attempts TO gain the ear of my attorney set
ted myself 10 the duty saw before me- managed 10
write keep diary Of passing scenes from the Tune
entered until lett, and many were the devices lad
to rcsott 10 10 prevent my ACTON 10 ron p tbT
discovered and papers prepared Tor ne dement, that
destruction. Thank God was enabled TO save them
was certainly different in health when was first
iacareerated than am to-day, and have noticed no
change Iva my mental organization, aud friends since
have been released have been Kind enough to assure me
that ey see nothing very insane IN my appearance OF
department nave the vanity therefore, to believe that
anu not lduatic.
MI JOhn d. Townsend my present attorney and having
thou bet or opportunity reach the outside world
kindly responded and immediately called upon me. L
stated my desire 70 leave tue place, and he directed me
10 say nothing 70 the officers IN charge until he had
served them with wit Of habeas eoas as he desired
60 nnd OHi whether they still adhered their old system
OF dsmssng patients before the receipt OF the docment
ana answering n COuIt that hey had person in
custody 1 determined 70 abide by his ADVICE.
BURIAL informed me that 1 was dismissed
Hnl hat tcy have no further cOnttol of me fold him
cOld not leave tie institution incdiaelv and that
BAD good many things desired % remove. lie said
Meald maze no difference On Wednesday, fearful of
hHd me- On the following Friday met Dr. Burial in
me 20 come upon the grounds until proceedings have
taken another turn.
An INTERNAL INSTITUTION
shaH refrain nom stating what there during
my imprisonment and simply say that OF ali Internal III
sti,ut0ns car conceive OF than the Bloom
ingdale Asylum ior the Insane. Up to Saturday had
been uuscqualnted with the Of the Justice who
committed have yet learned the names Of the
ply selaus who discovered my insanity. I shall be
prlaed ~ the respectable physicians who signed
paper DO not turn out TO be two vagabonds whom bad
but short cine before ordered on my grounds 1t APP
peafa from TIC article in The Sua that officers In
charge informed the reporter that had refused 10 re-
ociye medical treatment" No treatment was neces-
aud although now co years OF age, few man
can boast OF q stronger constitution Had t been other