The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-09-04
SISTER MARY CT STANlSLAUS.
The Habeas Corpus Proceedings in
the Case of Rosa McCabe.
The Strangely Nomadic Life Of Nun and tho
Prosecutions Besetting Her Pathway on
Every Side-Exreriences in the Bloom
ingdale and Blaokweil's Island
Lunatic Asylums Sharp
Raps at Counsel

known by the name of Sister Mary OF Stanisaus Is
well known the HERALD readers through Its recent
recital In connection with habeas corpus proceed
ings IN the Supreme Court The object Of these
proceedings, rs Will be remembered, Is 70 secure
her release from the LuHatic Asylum on Backwelrs
Island, she having recently been transferred to the
latter institution from the Bloomingdae Asylum,
and having been an inmate OF both institutions
about seventeen months The claim is that she
was and Is perfectly sane; that she never hes been
otherwise; that her commitment was irregular and
that her detention Is illegal Placing reliance in her
story, is further insisted that her lncarceraonina
lunatc asylum was through the Vaccinations Of a
lecherous Bishop, who because she would not sub
nit 10 his lustful wishes took this to shield
himself from the disgraceful 0dium attaching, not
only to his high position In the Church, but to him
personally, were her story to become known and
believed. All these statements are OF course most
strenu0usy denied and enshrouded in cloud or
doubt, as is the question OF her sanity. There is
wide margin for supposlng that her story may pos
sibly be the fancifl maginings Of mind deranged.
The proceedings upon the habcas corpus were
resumed yesterday before Judge Leonard, holding
Supreme Court Chambers An unusual crowd
thronged the court room, including score and
more OF ladies. Miss McCabe was present, and as
on the days OF her former appearance in Court was
She has small, delicate figure, and though subse-
quently giving her age as forty-dve, appears much
younger. Altogether she has pleasing, subdued
expression, while an air of calm and majestic
serenity nantes her pale features such Is rarely
seen. Conspicuous in the court room, and fire.
quenty speaking to her and to several Of the other
ladies in the court room, was Mr. Van Week. q
former banker In Wall street, who has just been
leased from sixteen months confinement
in the Bloomingdale Asylum where, he
says, he was taken and kept without cause,
and to revenge himself is now preparing a book
for publication giving an inside picture OF life in
the asylum. He says he became acquainted there.
the way OF effectlng her release from the nstitu
ton. Among those taking notes and q lively in
terest in the proceedngs-the subject OF insanity
seeming to be speciality with him--was gentle
man of the Tribune stan, who lately, through re-
portorial strategy; obtained admission 70 the
the columns OF the Tribune his pseudo in
sane experiences. Mr. John d. Townsend APP
ps %iS as Miss McCanes counsel as heretofore
OF her sisters to sustain the charge OF lunacy and
Mr.: Smith, II occasion demanded, stood ready to
ton, by whom. under an order from Judge Nc
Quade, the committing magistrate, she Is detained
In the Blackwell's Island Lunatic Asylum.
OPENING OF THE PROCEEDINGS.
After the case was called and the counsel signi
fed their readiness to so on, Mr.. Townsend read
the petition Of Miss McCabe also the traverse to
the return to the writ of habeas corpus hereto
fore published Mr.. McKeon followed by reading
the commitment, which has also been published
He then explained the demurrer to the same and
the recent decision of Judge Barrett holding that
the latter was improperly taken, inasmucil
as the statute OF 1912, under which it was claimed
that the committal should have been fled in the
County Clerks ONCE, applied only to commitments
llmnary proceedings having been explained Tor the
enlightenment OF the Court some considerable dis
to c as 10 e sany on MISS
Judge Leonard said that he must assume the
committal to be regular, inasmuch as 1t complied
wholly with the requirements OF the law.
MIR. Townsend stated that the law was so loose
on the subject that It was very easy to get person
into the Lunatlc Asylum, but matter Of great
Judge Leonard said there was danger on both
sides-danger of getting sane person into luna
tic asylum, and danger OF getting an insane person
out. He suggested that the better way to get at
the fact whether Miss Mccabe YVES now insane or
not was her examination by medical experts He
thought the better plan would be to have the ex-
animation before a referee.
expense, ana as Miss McCabe had no money he de-
sired her examination in open Court. He would
show that she was not insane by her own testi-
mony.
After some further discussion 1t was finally de-
cided to let Miss McCabe tell her own story. She
was accordingly called to the witness stand ana
@. What is your name9 A. was baptized Rosa
ians; am about forty,dve' years Old; remember
It was March IA, 1871; was taken from No. East
Eighteenth street, where my sister lived; Twas
m e @ sa you know know
lmy other sister, is dyingy / said, 'Can go TO
her ?" and she answered., ~ wish you woud;"
died without my seeing her; l then got myself
ready and laid my fixtures on a chair; my niece,
plague sister Mary while was away she said N that
she would not l then took my private papers and
put them away; when going down stairs my sister
knf1 rhnpn rAtn h<.v
around me, so that knew aiterward that she was
aware of my destination; In the street saw q
the on TeacS the Park we Got
out, and my sister said we would take a carriage;
objected, saving 1t was only short distance and
we could walk; we took carriage. however, and
when we got to the grounds OF the Asylum my
sister said, Take good look around you; won't
deceive you any longer; this Is 4,
.Nothing can induce me to leave this carriase;'
you would take your lifes' told him had not
said any such thingi often asked to be sent to
priest and write to the Archbishop of Halifax and
obtain my release was treated pretty well until
badly treated by Elizabeth Riley,
Z. How did she treat your A. was
BEATEN SIXTEEN TIMES
s tSa h'f e the Doctors 5ssso That Of ss that
another patient named Mrs. Raynor; on one &C.
casion she struck me on the back, and I
Of christ; 1 have no one to protect met you
say you are Catholic, but you are only q
nominal one; Lizzie Riley could do what she liked
with all the doctors. even with DIR. Brown; be.
came Sister in March, 1s4s In the Houston Street
Convent; the matron at Blackweli's Island is Mrs
Ryan; she Is here she was kind to me; the
doctors there treated me well; went to st. Johns
New Brunswick, with Archbishop Connolly, IN
1854, and lett there owing to o misunderstanding
with Bishop Sweeney.
O. What was that misunderstanding A. do
not wish to tell IL here Will tell 1t In private
Mr. Mel Int Wi w at ~
there Is nothing we wish concealed
Mr.. Townsend said he proposed to show that q |
priest had bruised and beaten her savagely, and
that Immediately thereafter he had had her taken
to the Lunatic Asylum on
TRUMPED-UP CHARGE OF INSANITY.
Judge Leonard said that Oil this was wholly
immaterial. The main fact to get at to see II
she could tell the story OF her life cohcrently and
upon this Judgment was to be found as to her