The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-14

very WHO lmaglnlDgs nave Deen ehgehoercu W 2
considerable degree of late in the public mind as to
the alleged facile manner Of comprising commit
ments to lunatic asylums. In the minds Of some
there have been cOnured up barbaric cruelties ex-
ceeding the most startling records Of fiction, and
fancy has pictured the victims Of jealousy or hate
or revenge dragged from their homes, and, upon
the mere pretence OF insanity, thrust into the
goomiest dungeons OF an insane asylum, and there,
helpless and remedlless, left to finger and suffer
and die. The cases Of Teresa Drew and Rosa Nc
Cabe, as recently published in the papers, have
served to renew and confirm this conviction. The
FACTS IN THE TWO CASES
at FIRST promulgated have been fully given In the
HERALD 1t was charged, as will be remembered,
that Teresa Drew had, through the inhuman cruelty
OF friends and against her own will and without q
proper legal commitment, been confined for eigh-
teen months in the Bloomingdale Lunatic Asylum.
The case Of Miss McCabe was made to appear still
worse. She had sought retirement from the pomp
and vanities Of the world by becoming nun OF the
Order OF Stanislaus. Here, as the story goes,
priest sought to make her yield to his vile passions
and upon her refusal she was charged with being
insane and removed to the BlOOmingdale Asylum
and thence to the Lunatic Asylum on Blackwells
Island. II she Ia insane-this fact being still unde-
termined-this story Of the insanity procedure
Of priest may Of course be purely the
hallucination Of her dethroned reason. At all
events It is very evident that great interest is felt
crowd gathered yesterday morning in the room Of
the supreme Court Chambers, before Judge Barrett,
writs OF habeas corpus. The
APPEARANCE or THE TWO LADIES
was In striking contrast. Miss Drew is large. mus
cular but pale faced woman Of some forty years.
She wore lilac coored striped Dress with white
shawl and bonnet trimmed a Ia mode II anything,
md will
stood the gaze OF the crowd with the coolest ncon-
yenience. Miss McCabe or Sister Mary Stanislaus,
and fair and fresh looking She was dressed in the
habillments Of her order and sat with downcast
CASE OF MISS DREW
was called up first. Mr.. J. D. Townsend through
whose application the writ OF habeas corpus In her
case was procured, stated that since the previous
hearing he had been informed that the relatives OF
Miss Drew we're willing to take her from the Asy.
have the writ dismissed. To this Mr.. Nicoll coun.
sci for the B0omingdale Asylum, said that It was
very certain that the managers .! the institution
did not desire to keep Miss Drew. Ynere were AL
ready more applications for admission than they
could grant As to the treatment Of Miss Drew, he
and that she had not word of fault to find In this
regard.
When Mr.. Nicoll had sat down Mr.. Henry r.
Beekman jumped to his feet and claimed to 1e
Miss Drew's counsel. He based, he satd this
Miss Drew he asked that the writ be dismissed
nc she az IN
kindest ana most humane treatment.
Mr.. Townsend then asked
THE EXAMINATION OF MISS DREW By THE JUDGE
In order that His Honor might ascertain her wishes
as to remaining in the institution or leaving. One
to him strong desire to get away from there, and
had requested Miss irwin and Mr.. Van vleet TO
these parties he had applied for the writ Of habeas
corpus and he did not think that any other counsel
could ask to have the writ dismissed.
Mr.. Beekman still insisted that he alone had the
RIGHT TO REPRESENT MISS DREW
Mr.. Townsend again renewed his request that
her wishes In the matter. He also said that II the
counsel for the asylum wished to go into the ques
ton Of the treatment of the patients there he was
practiced, and In one instance
LADY sCOuRGED.
to the private room Of the Judges. One laundering
Official took hold OF Miss McCabe and had led hef
his mistake and immediately proceeded to rect,Tv
his error. After brief interim Judge Barrett re-
Drew answered his questions coherently and
seemed to fully comprehend her situation. she
naa eoI res preference to remain where she
surance that preparations were being made for her
removal. Under these circumstances he gave an
ORDER DIsMIssING THE WRIT
The following is his 0rder:-
In Re Teresa DrewThe hearing in this matter having
ne a s Ss
Teresa Drew having pressed her Willingness to remain
iIsnS:
the e Of % " e n aa
hearing MIR: Townsend for the writ Mr. Nicoi for the
aersa that said WRIT and ii .ss
Judge Supreme Court
After making out the above order Miss Drew evil
IDENTITY pleased with the result, left the court room
Court, the understanding being OF course that she
would 60 back Of once to her old quarters In the
AFFIDAVIT OF MISS IRWIN
was prepared, which, as will be seen, has an i'm.
portant bearing on the case:--
si,saasS. employed ~ sISsansssle rs
s and IA pssn e
SIns f Drew sss.s rs si
and depcnsnt that such asknswiedsment Vas noih
ns n whs s to she al
with patience and Kindness and deponcnt that she
BY G
person 10 make application for her N answer
Mss Drew az she he
ri @ a hs Srsw
ssi sN% s MIS- ne Sy %
everything she could 70 obtain her discharge and in
ss
her deponent says that moved 10 Apply for
her believing from fyaiicn =. vas
cevcd any compensation for her services she
asked for any does she expect require any,
but that she has attended In Court TO the grea, acrment
Of her business And deponen says tha! 4 the statement:
Miss Drew she has very much changed during The last
three days while under the control Of the people ct Inc
Bloomngdale Asylum. EMILY IRWIN
beige Fts Sc: g: snd gSay B S:s
York. " -
CASE OF RosR MccABE
Having thus disposed of the case of Miss Drew
that Of Sister Mary was next called, and imme-
diatey Mr.. Townsend read the anldavit OF service
OF the writ OF habeas corpus In this case before
Commissioner Bowen. OF the Commissioners OF
Charities and Correction, and DR.. Parsons, Of the
Blackwes Island Lunatc Asylum. When he had
finished the reading Of this Mr.. John McKcon
stated that he represented the sisters OF Miss
McCabe, by whom her board had been paid at the
Blo0mingdale Asylum previous to her removal to