New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-31
Feigning Insanity-A Reporter in a New
Role,


Feigaing IEsonity-A Reporter in e New
Role.
Julius Chambers, the young man wEo,
representing he New York HeralG, started
from Lake I.aska, above tie head of The
Mississippi, and padded his own canoe
down to st. LOUIS was n New Orleans
about the first Of August, and on lis return
the New York Irt1f.e. Ii seems from the
su}5oineI special 20 The s. Louis RePu5-
ucc,t that he started out in al entirely new
role for a sane journalist:
NV YORK, August @7-The authorities
OF BiO0miugdale ylum having Indignantly
denied THAI itwas possible for sane person
to be iEcaro'g~.ed IN that institution have
had their assertion most completely upset
by an adv "t!gCus newspaper man. Early
mis- mont ,iulus Chambers, reporter Dt
the Tritcn.. desiring to get q fair view of
tile interic" workings cf the notorious
BluOmingd@'e q as .Im, inGUlTcd in some an
ties at the Grand NeHGGt Hotel, was ex-
amined by sO-calleI Teu"-abie physicians
who certified to his nsg-.ty, and was com
IIitted rs lUnatic hv tDloe Justice Cox.
His board was paid at Ll0omingdaIe aay-
iUm, and he wa keTt there two week IN
II, Oh TIE -wcnty-t. lrtl instant, John j.
Town -and obtained q r. l.- OF habeas corpus
iJr his release, which was made returnablc
til morning before Ju5ge Barrett, Of the
Supreme Court. Before the ease came mp
however. the officers OF the asylum dis
missed Chan hera, and Obta med from Ms
IJwnseDd- clerk, in the presence Of tn; Z
.ntICm&U. q consent OF the dismissal
o the writ. Mr.. Townsend, however, al-
pe2red % iay beIOle Judge Barrett and e2,-
pla5ned the circumstance es, saying that this
was only another instance Of the manner III
which the managers OF the asylum evaded
an inquiry into their course in Te iatIOn to
luuatics. He saw no way now of bringing
the matter properly before the nour except
by making the statement that ne reporter
had been placed there two wCc'gs before.
having been examined by three ! 5ppCrtblc
physicians Of the city, and pronounced IN
sane by the BloOmingdale physicians, and
he received a permit Of the managers. The
$3.50 demanded was paid for him, and he
was placed il dGrauce. When application
was made for lis discharge he was imme-
diately set at liberty, although received as
insane. He was, n fact, perfectly sane, and
the whU-e thing was arranged beforehand
to t"st tie question whether sane man
could not be placed within that asylum.
Mr.. chambers lad closely observed the
working Of the Institution while confined
there, and MS observations would corrobo-
is't me rttLf'sl4FllH u XII. Il las
Gently startled The pUbIjc.
The IIb ,n. tomorrow wi. Puhli3h the
following On August u juIius Chambers,
reporter Of the r. jht.c Wa consigned %
BIOomir gdalo Iunat,c asylum by regular
process OF law, and was placed by lhe assist
ant physician IN charge n the ward tor
excited patients, being thought a danger
GUS maniac. At the end O.! the week he ap-
piled, by instruction from this Office, to ha
so much Improved that he was removed 10
the ward Tor quiet patients, and encourage
ment was held out by the same physician
tIat in sIy or seven wCCIs he might be dis
charged on Saturday last, after a wris Of
h tbeas corpus for his relsa ass had been
served. Dr.. David 7. Brown, super
intenden- OF the institution, talked
with hIm for ar hour or two, and being
familiar with the disease which hetlmu ated,
at once saw that the reporter was sane.
On Monday, a. tie earnest solicitations Of
the physician and legal adviser Of the
asylum consent was given that he be re
leased without further public legal pro
ceedings. Two reputable physicians,
medical student and u professional nurse
pronounced the man q violent luuatC q an
gerous to himself and others. 1t was
charged that strangers TO p&tienta som
times committed them 1t wa, therefore,
decided that absolute strangers should be
employed II was said that police jus' IS
committed men without examination. i ne
justice who sent our reporter to Blooming
dale never saw him at all, and does not
know the names Of the persons or Physi-
clans who made the application. The gov
ernOT Of the asylum would receive no
patient withOu. his Endorsement; it
was therefore decided 10 avoid this
governor altogether, aud ID spite OF strict
regulations the phvsIcIaJ in charge received
the patient. and without even aSkng the