The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-09-26
A Reporter among the Lunatics.

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in lunatic asylums of those who stood in
the way Of their interests or ambitions.
The writer claims that in every instance
his lotions are but slightly disguised facts
OF real life falling within his knowledge
Starting rs This is, the proof Of its posi-
b'iIty, by actual test, has Just been pre-
sented to The public in the State of New
York. Charges have been made that the
Bloomingdale Insane Asylum was so
IN procuring the confinement of persons
perfectly sane, conld easily do so. The
authorities OF the institution have lust as
persistently denied This.
Inc Tribune, anxious that the public
should know the whole truth. decided to
put the question TO a novel and convinc
ING test Accordingly they detailed" a
reporter named Julius Chambers to teipn
lunacy and seek admission 10 the Bloom
mgdale institution. The Young man acted
his part so well that two reputable physi-
clans became convinced that his brain
was disordered, and on their certificates
he was committed to the Bloominrdale
Asylum on a warrant issued bv Justice
Cox at the Jefferson Market Police Court
lie was admitted into the Asylum and
renamed within its walls nearly two
weeks, enjoying ample opportunities for
the inspection OF The wards in the jnstit,l-
ton in which excited and quiet patients
are confined
Having accomplished his purpose to oh
serve and scrutiniIe carefully everyth Nc
pertaining to the management of the asy-
lnm, the next thing was to get out. As
mus TIC complied with At the end OF
That time writ OF haheas corpus, direct
ed 10 DIR. Brown, was issued in the Su-
prelnr Court Chambers, and made return
able ON Tuesday, when the case was
caltrh mp before JUDGE Barrett durin q
the morning session, and the counsel for
the petitioner was ,nahlrd to pre-
sent To the Court his version of the
case John ID. Townsend announced that
z writ OF hahcaS rorpu4 had been taken
"ut in the ease; that his clerk, without
his consent, had, on application of the pc
ttioncr and at the suggestion of the au-
thoritics at Hoomin"dalc, consented that
the writ hc discharged that he conse-
pnentV now GlW no way OF bringing the
case property before the Court exrept bv
a statement that the young man, Who is a
reporter OF the Trllnnc, was placed in the
Asylum two weeks ago, hayn" passed
an examination by tW" respectable physl-
clans of New York. and havin" been
committed by Justice Cox The patient
received a permit from one Of the man
ayers, and the 500 demanded was paid
ior him, On the application made for his
discharge, the authorities Immediately
Went to work TO discharge him. although
they received him there rs an insane man.
II was only another instance of the man
ner in which the management %. that in
sthnt'on is conducted. These proceed
ngs We're merely formal, the patient hav-
ing been discharged on the evening pre-
vious, Dr. David r. Brown, Superintpnd-
cnt OF the institution, having talked with
him for an hour or two, and, being tamil
iar With the disease which he simulated
deciding that he was sane.
These transactions are sufficient in THEN
simple outlines Ia show how loosely at
fairs are managed Mt private insane asy-
Inns, and how inadequate are the laws
for the protection Of sane persons AGAINST
the prosecutions Of designing enemies
The laws Of New York permit the CON
fucment of alleged iunatrs aq we'll in
private Institutions rs in the public asy-
ums ol The State, ON the order Of a Justice
OF The Peace, issued upon the certificate
of any two physicians. I'm the test case
described, no attempt was made 10 take
advantage nl the law by hribng qllacb
W ot' vi u Nllt Ht.1li
hut on the other hand reputable physicians
were employed, and the warrant was
granted Ivy the magistrate after they had
become convinced that the patient who
had been under their care ior twenty toul
hours was insane.
In the vicinity of New York there are
many private lunatic tsyhims, which are
conduclrd solely for the profit OF the pro
prietora, and. Mt frequent intervals
charges OF the improper confinement al
sane persons are hrou"ht AGAINST these
Institutions Coy Hoffman has acted
IMPLY anl wisely il appointing com
mission, consiSIin" of Francis G. Barlow,
Attorney General. NJ f. Anderson, Pres
idenl OF the Rochester University, and
DIR. Thomas Hum, OF Albany, to inveeli-
gate the affairs Of the B lonmingIale Aay-
lum. II is very doubtful whether the
Commission viii find any testimony more
important than that OF the reporter who
endured two weeks incarceration, A vol
uniary victim of Injustice
There is likely to be nm increased emf
grafton from England to This country The
fish supply is falling Off potatoes are a
failure, and coal is rapidly advancing in
price. II is not a matter ior wonder that
the laboring classes turn their thoughts
to this land of a!lnndrncc
The Belfast journal describes Mr.. Blaine
IS - man Of brains, resources, pluck and a
wonderful capacity for labor II Bro. Simp-
son don't look ont. the Maine Standard will
read him out of the democratic party, for ven-
turing 10 tell 50 much truth. Kenuehec jour
nal.
The Standard will undoubtedly concur
with lis that il is apoor compliment to our
selves to say that we were beaten by infer
ion men. We shall agree with the journal
on one band that Mr.. Blaine has capacity
and with the Standard on the other that