The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-02-01
HORACE GREELEY INSANE.


a compromise between the parties claiming
under the opposing wills. Several meet
ings have been held before the Surrogate
Court, to adjust the matters in dispute,
but without having reached any conclusion
in the case. On Monday, further proceed
ings were had in the case before the Surro-
gate, in which the following remarkable
testimony was given. by which it would
seem that Mr.. Greeley's mind was in a
diseased condition as early as September
last. The escape the nation made in re-
fusing to elect him President was, indeed,
provideutial.
TESTIMONY OF ALVIN j. JOHNSON.
Alvin J. johnson before beginning his
testimony remarked that he was there in a
most unpleasant position, for he had loved
Mr.. Greeley and believed Mr. Greeley had
loved him, and thought that he ought not
to be catechised about matters which it
would be disagreeable to speak about, and
he could not testify in regard to them
without the greatest reluctance. He con-
tinued in part: l had known Mr.. Greeley
since 1S49, and very intimately since 1860;
we dined together frequently, and he be-
came a guest ut my house, i'll November,
1870, and remained as such until he went
TO Dr. Choate'S; he used to complain of
>leeplessness at night, in 1870, 1871, and
lS12-mostly IN 1872; Mrs. Greeley was at
my house during the last days of her life;
on Nov. ., the day after Mrs. Greeley was
buried, | went to Chappaqua with Mr.
Greeley, his daughters, and Miss Lampson;
Mr.. Greeley told me that l had said that he
must go-which l had not; on the morning
Vt going away he called me up stairs; |
found him in strange state of mind; he
had his trunks and valiseS about the room;
he said he had been trying to pack up his
things, but could not do it, and asked me
10 assist him; began to put his clothing
and other things in the trunks; he took
some of them out again, and put them into
other trunks, and said l did not under
stand what he wanted; he said he was go
ing away because did not want him there;
that when he brought his trunks from DR..
Bayard's he did not expect or wish to 90
away until ne was carried to Greenwood;
got the impression that he was not in his
right mind from that time; the first thing
that surprised me IN his conduct, however,
was prior to the October elections; in Sep
tembcr, | put up ladder against hem
lock tee on the Chappaqua farm, and Mr..
Greeley went up to chop offa limb. heard
him cry out as if he was hurt; | thought
he was lahoring under some trouble: one
saturday just before his wife came down
he appeared to be in great trouble and said
he wanted to talk with me; that he wanted
toy ct rid of the crowd there; we went up
to the barn: he then told me that mas
.S
certainly die, he wanted to know whether
had any objection to her coming to my
house; I told him that | should have to
consult my wife first; he then seized hold
of me and tremblsd most violently; all the
time during Mrs. Grceley's sickness, Mr..
Greeley had very bad turn; one day he
went to the BARRIERS 5, and when he came
back he told my wife that the barber had
been throwing quantity of water upon
him. that his clothes were so wet that he
could not 60 to church; l. aftcrTard no
ticed that his hands and face were covered
with perspiration: the day before Mrs.
Greeley died, Miss Ida hired some apart
ments for their accommodation in the city;
Mr.. Greeley told me to see the landlord,
and say that he Mr.. Greeley was ruined,
a bankrupt, and had not a dollar where
with to pay the rent, and therefore should
not occupy the rooms; when my wife in
formed me that Mrs. Greeley was dying,
sent word to Mr.. Greeley; he came, rushed
up to me, put his arms around me, and
said: "a. j.. we are all ruined, want you
to stand by me;' remarked that Mrs. Gree
ley was out of her trouble, and he imme-
diately said: 81 don't care about that. but
we are utterly, utterly. utterly ruined-all's
goner' tried to pacify him, but it was of
no use; went up to Chappaqua with Mr..
Greeley. Miss Ida. and Aunty Lampson;
Mr. Greeley insisted that should not get
a carriage, as he had 10 money to pay for
t, but an express wagon; wish we got to
Chappa1ua, Mr.. Greeley insisted that
should take all his property, and collect all
the money could out of it; he wanted us
to take all his Tribune stock also-in fact
everything. tried to get him to work for
the purpose of diverting his mind from that
subject, but all to no purpose. His mind
appeared to be entirely occupied with his
imagined bankruptcy. He. kept up con
tinual string of expressions about it all the
time. He wanted me to make up pool
IF the whole concern. On Saturday, Nov.
Q. went up to Chappaqua with my son.
We reached there about II o'clock. He
begged to be excused while he wrote n let
ter to MIR. Reld. He said his WaIted S4O,-
900 to get him out of trouble. that lis had
broken open Mrs. Greeley's will, and that
he would be sent to the Penitentiary for
the offense. He subsequently said that he
must have $1,000 he said he must have it
stipulated in the assignment, that he should
have the balance of 1900 at three days
notice. l said | was willing to do any
thing to relieve Mr.. Greeley. but Mr. Taft.
II H., ~ h,
Greeley, said that he was not in fit state
to make such an assignment, and thus the
matter stood.