Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-01-28

,,pon that. command printing press
at Chicago, and I viii print all you VIII
write, and viii write myself; and this
shall be the first great work shall DO,
after I get out Of this place. an, de-
termined in this matter. But don't let the
Doctor know Of this fact, for he will never
let us out alive ii we do"
..But / have already told him of my de-
termination. and that is what he Is Keep
ing me for" 900.
out then But / will tell OF your case wheh
Cet ont. and help YOU, if can"
Here the party broke up, and taking his
offered arm. he escorted me to the door OF
INV room. where we parted forever, with
these words; while bending over me, he
whispered in my ear: ),
"Nrs. Packard, my press shall be used
for your benefit but, keep dark Keep
darkr'
In one week from this time Mr.. Wells
was corpse.
His desire to see or hear from his wife
and children in Chicago reached such
pitch of intensity, that nature could pear
No more His large, capacious brain be-
came conyulsed under the mental agony
Of too long suspense-of hope of hearing
from his wife too long deferred-and
these fits continued, with but few short
lucid intervals, until he died.
The day be died, Mary. the Doctors
Youngest daughter, came to my room, and
remarked, with tears in her eyes:
1T lis too bad! it is too bad Father
ought to have sent Mr.. Wells letter
1What do you mean, Mary? Pr
..Al~1,,& <,,o xrroac ouO Mr. Wells gave
father q letter 10 be mailed to his wife.
In this letter he wrote how terribly home
sick he was-how he could not stand it
much longer without hearing from her
that if she disappointed him this time, II
would kill him. He knew it would kill
him. The hope of getting reply to this
letter would Keep him up until there had
been time to get reply, and then ii
don't get one l shall die. l can't bear
another disappointment and live through
it, He then asked his wife's forgiveness
Tor all the hard things he had spoken and
written about her putting him into such a
place. saving, as his only excuse. You
cannot imagine how much am suffering.
But can. and will forgive all ii you will
now take me out, or even write and tell
me You will do so. But if you do
uOt prOiHpIly IcSPouu W tHi' lo''Si, :"
some way. farewell forever! 1t will DE
my last | shall die of anguish"
"Now,' she added, "Mr. Wells is dead
and father has that letter yet ?''
The very day he expected reply, and
received none, he went into commissions,
which continued until he died.
Oh! If there is any place on earth where
the afflicted have no comforter, it is in our
insane asylums. "Verily on the side Of
their oppressors there is power, but they
have no comforter, no protection.
For there is no link to connect the in
mates Of insane asylums with the laws of
the country.
So long, therefore, as this link is want
ing, SO long is every inmate of our insane
asylums liable and exposed to receive the
treatment inflicted upon Mr.. Wells.
Often have heard the threat expressed:
II shall prosecute you for this.
And as often heard the retort:
.Insane people have no rights that the
law respects. You prosecute What Is
your testimony worth as a witness, in law
Nothing! You can'tscare us by your threats
no law reaches you,-you are wholly
at the mercy Of your keepers! We are
amenable to no law except the will of
the autocrat who reigns supreme within
these prison walls -