The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-03-18

1.adSe, Westcot and many -othaYx:i He
almoss daily threatenssto kill my assist-
ant and myself, charging :us With bAiur
the base tools OF q hellish conspiracy, IL
depriving him Of his liber ty; -anii his at.
tendants, Tor pntting poison,iu his diet.
aheporter-hs must bsra! desperate
case. ~ .e.u y, ~ A!lig,F -
DR.. Ensor-Desperste, onlv. becanaa
heis driven.-to desperation shv .his mn
happy delusions. He,is, more to he
pitied than any other man in tho inati-
tuition. because lis deiusions are reaiitiea
to him, and be feels that he has been
terribly wronged. I think that You or I
would be quite as much exasperated as
he is, under tie same circumstances. \
Reporter-By what authority was he
placed in the asylum? ,i-.'. -
DR.. Ensor-By order of the Circuit
Court OF Leon County, Florida. where
he was tried. on the charge OF lunacy, hy
jury OF twelve of his neighhors-
Judge White presiding. The. charge OF
lunaoy was sustained, and the court
ordered that he be confined in an insane
asylum: Whereupon, the Attorney
General sent him to this institution.
under the great seal OF the little State OF
Florida. rl.7 .'.
Reporter-Did he not make an at
tempt to get released after arriving in
DR.. Ensor-Yes. Before reaching. the
asylum, he met Colonel Thomas at the
NIokerson House, and succeeded in Dor.
suading the Colonel that he was not
crazy, but the victim of a foul con-
splraoy. Colonel T.. immediately took
ont writ OF ha6ens corpus and had ie
served on ths officer Ia charge OF the
patient, and tho case was; tried before
Judge Melton. The writ OF hobeds
corpus WAS not sustained, and Mr..
| Ohaires was sent to the asylum. But
even then, 80 unwilling. was Colonel
Thomas to believe that ChaiYes was I'm
sane, that he drove to the. institution in
advance OF the patient, and insisted that
l shouidirefuse to admit ,him-believing
that it would only be an additional out
rage upon Perseouted felIow-heinR.
yet? y. .:-tE':-' { I.
DR.. Ensor-Yes. I allowed Oba;raa
to visit the Colonels Office about six days
in the week for two months. where he
told over again the story of his wron9a
and prosecutions; how he had 10 ala
taiss all Of his servants, his enemies
having bribed them to poison him: how
be was compelled to fee from his home
to the retirement Of the deep. drearv
forests OF Florida, where he lived for
three years solitary and alone; how his
enemies still managed by some sort of
coDjuration to put poison In his pofrnre.
though lie did his own, cooking; and
stood watchful sentinel over the NOT,
while it was boiling;i how, finally. he
was Obliged to give up, cooked diet
altogether and live on cheese and. raw
meats, which he did for nearly three
years; how his prosecutors haunted his
cabin at night with many colored lights
and hideous images; till one day I metthe
Colonel on the street, when he said 10
me: "For Gods sake, Doctor. keep
Ohaires at the asylum, else the people
will think he is q partner of mine. q.
that keep him in my Office for sign"
Reporter-Did you believe he VA.
cra2y when he was brought to the ssv-
lum?
DR.. Enaor-Yes. The order from the
court was prima facia evidence of his in
sanity. Bat. leaving the papers ont OF
the question, was thoroughly Satisfied
OF his insanity, after half an hours CON.
versation with him.
Reporter did the Board Of Re.
gents think OF his case?
DR.. Ensor-Well, the Board was eatis-
fed as to his insanity. but they acted
with proper caution. Before giving
their order for his detention in the asy.
lnm, they appointed commission de
l"nafico inQuirendo, consisting of Doctors
John T. Darby, J. W. Parker and A. N.
Talley. These gentlemen, all of the
highest respeotability, oorroborated and
sustained my opinion, as given to the
Board in my report upon the case.
Reporter-Has there been any change
in his mental condition since his admis.
sion into the asylum?
DR.. Eosor-None whatever. He is az
firmly welded to his delusions, and as
bitter against his imaginery enemies, as
he ever was, and will remain so, in NV
opinion, to tho day of his death. II
there are any who think Mr.. Ohaires i'm
posed upon, let them visit the institution
and examine the case for themselves.
I have no pleasure in keeping him here.
Indeed, it is painful to me, and I have
begged the authorities at Tallahassee to
remove him; and at one time he would
have been removed to another asylum.
but when the order came for his re-.
moval, he said if he had to be deprived