National Republican., 1873-03-27
nIsEAsE OR TIE MIND.

Three Queer Cases Of InsanIty-A Mother
and Infant Sent to the Almshouse-A
Family Of Three Bultimorcnns Accusing n
Son Of Murder.
Among the many duties deyolvlnR upon the
On1cer Of the sanitary corps, Metropolitan
police, Is the temporary custody and subsequent
incarceration Of the insane aud occasionally
cases occur which present more than ordinary
cause for interest In the unfortunate victims Of
the terrible aflictiun. Two Of the most AFFECT
Ing were witnessed yesteriay-the nrst being
that Of young woman, not more than twenty
two years Of age, with an infant seven months
old. From the statements Of those who knew
her, II appears that some years ago she resided
In the city as domestic In the family OF we'll
known gentleman, and that the family moved to
one Of the Western cities, she going with them.
While there she made the acquaintance Of and
married private IN the United states army, and
about year after the marriage he was suddenly
missing, and II was ascertained that he had At
the same time deserted country and wife, and
since then nothing has been heard Of him.
shortly after the child was born, and then the
forsakcn one, with her helpless babe, returned
TO this city and sought the protection Of her
former friends, but hcI troubles had weighed 50
heavily on her mind that II became unsettled,
and they were forced to call upon the Govern.
ment to assume care OF her.
She was at once taken In charge by the SAINT
tary oniceri but the police nhysielans de-
clinng TO give the necessary certificate OF insan-
lty, she could not be sent to the Government
hospital for the insane. This necessitated q
change Of programme; and her friends declining
to receive her back, as the only resort q charge
Of yagrancy was preferred, aud she was sent to
the AlmshUuse.
AwuoIE FAMILY CRAZY.
The other case was that Of an entire family .
father, mother and son-being arilcted with this
terrible malady. II seems that yesterday morn
ing this family-LeyOis SChaf, sr., Christlana
schaf and Lcyois Schaf, jr.-wCnt to the Execu-
tive Mansion and requested an interview with
President Grant, stating that the step-sons and
brothers, Henry and Fred Sohsf, had murdered
their aunt Katrina Lapp, and they were deslrous
Of having the case brought TO justice. The story
was disconnected one, and from the actions Of
the party 1t was thought they were all laborine
under an halluclnation Of the mind, or, rather,
had become monOmanlacs on this subject.
| OniCer keaTncy escorted them to police head
quarters, where they were placed In charge Of
/ Lieutenant NoOnan, and a dispatch was trans
mitted to the marsha, Of police In Baltimore, In
qulring II the unfortunates had any friends In
| Neither the husband nor wife could speak or un-
deTstand word Of English, but the boy, q pale,
| emaciateh, Consumptiye youth, IL years OF age,
was born in the Monumental city, and with him
| the principal part Of the conversation was car
| ried On, through all OF which one idea predomi-
mated. and that was 20 bring his step.brothers
| to Justice. by dlnt Of numerous questions and
| humOnng his fancy to a considerable extent q
| somewhat connected account Of this wondrous
was Out OF tne DON, VINO, nA nc
answered all the questions, looked steadily into
the fire before which he sat- and appeared deeply
impressed with the truth Of the statement he
was making. lie said that himself aud father
were tallOrs, residing at No. 62 East baltimore
street. between Canal and Eden streets, Bati-
more, and that their wOrk was making up clothes
| for wholesale stores.
In is62 his two step-brolhers went to Fits
burg, Penna., and brought on their mothers
sister, and carried her 10 q house on Mulllgan
| street, where she was Killed by them for her
money, but which they failed to obtain. This
deed no preyed upon the assassins' minds that
OF The preparation Of the deed, and then went
TO Carlisle barracks, In Pennsylvania, and en-.
listed In the United states service. They had
| visited the Governor Of the Keystone state, but
he declined to take any steps In the matter. and
| as fnal effort to bring the culprits to Justice,
they called upon the President Of the United
| States and endeavOred to secure his aid. They
had called upon the District Attorney In Balti-
more, and other officials, and gave the facts In
the case, but wherever they went they met
| with no encouragement and no notice was
| taken OF them by anybody, and they had
been put out Of places because some people
called them crazy, The sou would warm up
| with his story, and the scene was both sad and
piuful. lie said n they had not murdered hii
aunt, why did they not bring her back, as they
had never seen her since. lie believed she had
! been buried, AMI "blOOd money" taken to husf
up the matter. lie hoped they would bring 4
before the courts and show the truth In tn,
case. The father, through a translator, said tina
he could constantly see the head Of his slstcr-ln
law cut and bleeding, and was unable to banisl
| the sight.
This trouble has been preying upon the mind
Of the husband and wife for ten years past; ant
more than probable, as the boy grew, the sam,
phantasy was lnculcated into his mind, until h,
has come to regard It as truth. That the cntir,
family Is demented no doubt Is entertained
They are perfectly harmless, and charity Alon,
requires that they should he provided for, q
they are certainly unit and unable to care 70