The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-10-31


memorable occasion, when he said, "Sir, l
can supply you with information, but
God Almighty must supply you with
brains"
A Strange Story by a Man Who Was
Confined in a Connecticut LunRtic
Asylum.
Some months ago James H. Weed,
tanner by trade, who had lived in this
city for some ten years, the greater por-
tion Of which he was in the employ Of
Messrs. Wheat & Sons, went to his ma
tive town in Connecticut to look after
some interest he had in his fathers estate.
There were FIVE heirs to the property,
aud trouble arose about the division
Of it. james, from his long absence, be-
ing looked upon as a sort Of stranger who
had no rights that the rest Of the ismi-
" were bound to respect, was arrest
ed on charge Of lunNcY, and on the 231
of March, something less than q month
after his first appearance at his old home,
was Incarcerated in the asylum at
MiddIetown, Conn, thus eftectuslly, as
was supposed, disposiDg OF troublesome
heir to portion of small estate.
There proved, however, to be meth
cd in the madness OF James, for
on or about the first OF april he ell
tected his escape from the Asylsm and
returned to his native heath to plague his
brethren. They had him rearrested, and
although he procured bondsmen who
were willing 10 vouch for his sanity, and
who did sign the bonds necessary 10 Sc
cure q writ Of habess corpus, still, ior
some peculiar reason, the application for
the writ wss by some unique process only
known to Connecticut magistrates, sup
pressed, and Mr.. Weed again committed
to the tender mCrcieso the Asylum. He
had, however, previous TO his resrrest,
gone 10 New York City and related 10 the
editors oi the P5lics Gazette the history Of
his case, together with his observations
upon the treatment OF both real
and pretended lunatics, Of which
latter Re AYERS there is quite a
number who have been confined in
the Asylum by avAricious and unscrupu
lous relatiVns, because oi their intraCts
bIlity on money matters. After his sec
ond incarceration the proprietors OF the
GQ=t'ts, convinced that Mr.. Weed wa:
wropgtully robbed Of his liberty, sent one
Of their correspondents to Stamford
where the relations OF the prisoner
resided, who made an investigation
OF the manner 10 which the al
legged charge Of lunacy was made 90
and sustained. This investigation VS.
published at length, as was also the visi
OF the same correspondent TO the asylum
at Middletown. This correspondent, un
der the pretense OF having crimina
charge against Weed, procured admission
TO the asylum and an interview with him
BE found that Weed, Notwithstanding
the severity with which he had beer
treated, exhibited no sign whatever o
insanity, and also found the general con.
ditlon Of things about the asylum Just a
MIR. Weed predicted they would be found
He found that there were regular day
upon which visitors were admitted to thC
asylum, and that upon these days thost
portions OF the asylum designed Tor public
inspection were put in apple pie orde'
SO as to impress visitors with a favorable
opinion ol the management Of the insti-
tuition, while there were other portion!
which to the eyes Of the world were q
efectuAlly sealed as the tomb. The pro
prietors Of the Gazette were still interest
ing themselves in behalf Of the man wht
had thus thrown himself upon their pro
lection, when on the 18th inst, or shortly
after, he suddenly put in an appearance
at their office and gave them a still NOR
heartrending account OF his experience il
his living tomb, which they published il
their last issue,
1t will be remembered that SOM
months ago there was published in tn
EOenin9 Standard letter written by Nj
Weed to John W. Shultz, Esq, OF thC
s,h Ward, which attracted some attention
asavery coherent document for an insan
man to write. Yesterday afternoon M
Weed called upon Us and gEve rs sue
cipct history Of his trials and remarkAbl
escape. The manner and method b.
which his release from his cruel persecu
tors and from his living tomb was efec
ted he at present does not choose to re-
veal.
Taking his account as true, which &C.
count Is 70 some extent verified by thl
investigations of the GGasttSS reporter
there exists o condition of things in thi
Connecticut lunatc asylum disgracefu
to the State and to humanity, and whicl
calls loudly for the strictest investigation
he related to Us some Of the brutalitie
which he alleges are psscticed upon th
really insane, especially the female por
ton, which no language can clothe In
garb clean enough to appear in publ
print 1t would be hard indeed to be
lieve that man capable Of making sucl
close observations, and putting sucl
minute details together, could be insane
BE submitted to our inspection sample