The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-11-28


Mr.. Gfasss y.s i1snsss
4 TsR KsYoETs c5Sseesa ID MS ALLEGED MEAN
irY----EERyouas pEpREssIoN THE CAUSE OF nts
III. nEALTH--A REiftsuscEacE OF THE BULL
RUN DAYS. Ell d ~
/ From the New York Herald, November ee.j
Vague rslniors have been circulated for the
/ past two weeks TO the effect that Mr.. Greeley
had become insane. The loss of the ,elec.
lion, the death OF his wife, aud the tal,Dts
and abuse Of partisan newspapers were
credited as the cause Of bis alteration. The
fuinors becahie so general that a two-ceus
| daily Yesterday hearttcssly intmated that Mr.
Greeley was not only insane, but violent in
his insanity, and that be had been confined
in an asylum at White Plains in conse-
| quence, having first been refused admission
| to Bloomingdalc on account of the stric-
| lures Of the Tribune upon the management of
| that institution. These reports have pro-
| daced such soliclttlde on the part of Mr..
Grceiey's friends that reporter of the
| Herald was yesterday sent to investigate the
! facts in regard to them. He called upon Mr..
Alvin j. Johnson, who has been for ten years
| close friend of Mr.. Greeley, whose house
Mr.. Greeley has made his home during his
| stay In the city, aud under whose roof Mrs.
Greeley was tended and cared for in her last
| illness. DIR. johnson had not seen the pub
| lished statement relative to the alleged in
sanity, but he had been accosted by friends
| on the subject, and knew what the report
YVES abroad.
"Mr. Greeley" said he, els undoubtedly
suffering from prostration of the nervous
system. His wife was i'll for three weeks in
my house, and during the last two weeks of
that time know that Mr.. Greeley had not a
| single nights rest. He was about her bed
side continually, and caught sleep only in
maps and mods. This in itself was enough
to overthrow and disorganize his nervous
system; and when the election came with its
| overwhelming disaster, the blow WINS severe
enough to bend him, though it is far from
breaking him."
as he strong and active?"
eyes. He eats regularly, takes a walk or
ride every day, and acts just as ever, but he
lacks the steadiness Of nerve that he had, and
his constitution may be somewhat injured
by the continued strain"
"Then what can be the basis for this re-
port of Insanity"
"His illness and the fears of his physician,
no doubt"
w iiaI toSS EulSlNlutl
a don't believe he fears anything now.
The worst is over. Time and quiet have
done their work, and the doctor thinks he is
over the dangerous period. The fear Of
brain fever was entertained by the physician
| ut one time, but that fear is now over. \
similar stroke hetel him just after Bull Run.
You remember the 'On to Richmond cry
that the country chose to believe was the
cause Of the advance of our army before it
was ready TO advance. When the Bull Run
defeat occurred, the rejection that took place
fell with heavy weight upon the Tribune
and produced a terrible depression upon MIR.
Greeley. The cry arose, day after day, that he
was responsible for the defeat and the conse-
qlIeut death of 80 many OF our soldiers, and 1t
wore upon him terribly. He was sick then for
two weeks, and his doctors feared that he
might lie afflicted with brain fever; but he
came out Of it with time and care, and SO he
will out Of this
And YOU say lie is not confined to his
bcd:"
"No, moi at all. He was at my house until
Thursday afternoon, and to 4 casual OBJ
server appeared us hale and hearty US he
ever was, but the nervous depression was
visible to me and to his friends. He went
up The country OH Thursday afternoon. l
! saw Il gentleman yesterday who saw him on
Saturday. and be says that Mr.. Greeley was
| active ana cheerful, busy as usual, and gra-
dually recovering. | received letter from
him to-day, aud there's nothing in it that
| would indicate any alteration Of the mind"
1.-THE published report this morning stated
| that he lad been so violent at your house
| that three men were required to hold him."
"There's not word Of truth in it. He
was unusually quiet, and that's why mostly
dis.ruStcd his health"
"Ruror also gees that he is confined or is
| to be confined i'll an insane asylum ut White
Plains
"Wel, it's a cruel report, and utterly
| false"
"Wen, I'll bid you good day, Dir. john
| SON."
Good dry, ] am sorry that such rumors
should gain currency, but as they have, |
| feel it is my duty TO put stop to them so
far rs it is possible for me to do So"
With this explanation of Mr.. Greclcy's i'll
| ness, it is to be hoped the cruel rumors will
| lose their point, and that their prevalence
| has not already aggravated the illness OF the
philosopher. While it has been decided by
the country that he is not tho choice for
President, the country is unwilling to do
without his brain and heart, and defeated
aud detected as he is. he is yet dear to the
whole people as a philosopher and philan-
thropist. -.,.