The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-09-17

Asylum, by order of u. S. Judge Smaley
we chroniced last week, attracts less at.
tention IN Vermont than elsewhere, il l.
because the people Of our State I've had
strong conviction that our State Asylum
was in the main carefully aud we'll man.
aged, and worthy of all confidence. That
belief we have shared, and it has been
warranted by the high character of the
late Superintendent. Dr.. w. II. Rock
well (who has lately in consequence Of
physical disability resigned the charge of
the Asylum to his sony the standing of it,
Board OF Trustees, consisting OF such cit
liens as Asa Reyes, N. b. Willistou,
Frederick Hoibrook and Ddniel Kellogg,
anu the uniformly favorable reports OF
the Commissioner of the Insane, aud the
Board Of Visitors, which is composed OF
the judges Of out Supreme Court.
But the fact that two persons have
within few weeks been discharged from
the Asylum by order OF Court, as being
improperly confined therein, is certainly
calculated to raise the question, if there
is not something wrong about the man.
agement.
Mr.. Shaw's case is a peculiar one. He
is an agcd clergyman of the Presbyter-
an church. We fnd his name IN the roll
Of Presbyterian Ministers published in
the New York Observer Year Book for
1872. He had become uudtted by year,
aud iufrmty for pastoral labor, and five
years ago resided in Brooklyn, New
York., with his daughter and her husband
who are, we believe, respectable aud well.
TODD people. Tie had, we iuer, become
perhaps somewhat childish. He had
way, sUmc OF his relations say, Of borrow
lug money, which he could hardly hope
to pay from his own resources, most di
which found its way TO the pockets of alb
invalid soii, who had lost ii leg 10 tn wa4
aud has since died. after undergoing IA re4
anputatlon. lie had evidently become |.
burden to his supporters ; for he Wa, sud-\
denly sent from Brooklyn to Braiteboro,
aud committed to the asy um as au insane
person. Iii, sou followed him there aud
secured his release after tea day cunfine-
III .ut. lie then went to visit some Friends
III Mortified, Massachusetts,. where he
preached several tliurs,and received writ
ten aud other assurances from those in
daily contact with him, that they could
discover no sigus of insanity about him.
lie went thence to Barnet, W.. where he
has brother aud sister, who We have
been told arc not wealthy, and who prob.
ably did not 6ud it convenient to keep
The old gentleman. From Barnet, IN
May 1857, he was sent again to Brattle-
bore, by the select men Of that town, as
an Insane pauper, aud as such as he has
been coutiued IN the asy lum for over fire
years, supported there in part by the
State aud III part by the selvctncu nom
lnally, but III reality it is supposed by his
Brooklyn sou.iu.uw.
Information regarding his condition
was given by au iunate of the asylum
who had hiu.scli been discharged by L.
gal process. Mr. Shaw was brought
from Bratteboro, on a writ Of haJeas
Corpus, aud appeared il the United States
Count Tor this district. Ito denied that
he was either Insane (and his appearance
corroboralcd this denla) or Il pauper. He
told has story with some hesitation on
certain poln;s, tor as he stated, with dig.
nifty, the details were inexpressibly paiu.
iul to him, because his confinement and
the treatment which preceded it, were
the acts Of dis own kindred.
The Superintendent of the asylum, on
his part, could only say that Mr. Shaw
was sent to the asylum, by the town OF
Barnet and was committed Oh IA pAvsi- I
Clans certificate that he was insane BIT
he had been very quiet in the a>yIum aud
had committed no Insane act. The Judge /
at once ordered Mr.. Shaw's discharge,
saying that he could see in him only an
lutirm old gentleman Z; that hospital was
more suitable place for him, if his rela-
tlves could not or would not support him, /
rather than an insane asy lum, aud that
sach treatment for an aged clergyman
seemed to him very singular The Judge |
added that II finding il easier to borrow
money than repay it was species Of TO-
sanity, good many OF us would be can
dldares for Brattleboro.
We have nothing to say in regard to
Mr.. Shaw's treatment by his relatives
the facts are enough without commenting
on that point. Bat we do say that our
State Insane Asylum is not the place for
the confinement of sane men. Further
more, 1t seems to us that physicians who
make diseases Of the mind their specially
ought to be able to determine in less than
1--we years time. from some look of the
eye or use of language, or action of the
brain OF II patient, whether he is really OF
sound OF un>ouni mind, and should not
be compelled to tall back for proof Of ill.,
sanity on the statements Of relatives or
the certificate Of distant doctor.
There is another aspect Of this case.
Our State annually appropriate, $4,000
Tor the support at the asylum OF the ill.,
sane poor OF the State, the money being
allotted among the insane paupcrs, in part
payment Of their expenses at the Asylum
Mr. Shaw's name appears in the list Of
such State beneiiciaries but if he has
been Il sane man al this time aud not
resident of Barnet, or legally chargeable
10 that town for support, the State has
been defrauded, year after year.
Ii may have beeu very convenient for
the Brooklyn merchant, who took hi,
method Of supporting his father in-law.to
have the aid of the State; hut the tax.
payers Of the State We are confident would
preier that the bounty OF the State should
he distributed among our own insane poor,
who are such beyond question. On the
whole, this case seems 10 be one which
will bear looking into Ii Mr.. Shaw, be-
ny sane, was illegally confined at Brat
lehoro. how many more such are there
n the asy lum? Aud ought not the Leg,
stature, when it meets. take measures to
ascertain the facts, aud to prevent a re-
az. L.. /