The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-11

He certainly looks like mild tempered man. He
has two accomplishments drinking lager beer and
understanding French, both Of which, instead OF
being help to him, got him INTO serious diffcul-
ties, as the sequel will show. According TO his
story in 1871 he was carrying on laundry at No.
10 Third avenue, and he estimated the pecuniary
worth OF the establishment at $4,000. While he
was washing other peoples dirty linen con-
catenation OF circumstances brought to
light some dirty linen OF his own fam
lily, the cleansing OF which being beyond the
capacity OF his own skill in this line, he now In
"vokes the Court TO cleanse for him. one day DR..
Theophie Lalanne, who. by the way, was surgeon
of lie Gals regiment during the war, asked him If
would like To make SO by transatlng French
mans will into English. NJ. Jakob was not above
turning his lingual accomplishments TO good &C
the Gallo gentleman whose last will and testa-
ment he was to Angliclze was an inmate OF the
Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island. He went
there with DR.. Lalanne when, to his utter aston
ishment the latter, under
COMMITMENT OF LUNACY
granted by Police Justice Shandley, gave him in
charge OF an olicer OF the institution, who forth
with locked him up with lot OF lunatics. In VAIN
he uttered the refrain OF Mackay's touching song
lam not mad, am not mad.
There was no help for MIN. This was on the 5th
OF September, 1871. Happily, he did not long re-
main an inmate OF the institution. DIR. Parsons,
the chief physician, IN accordance with his usual
practice in regard to all new corners, made pre-
lminary examination OF him, and, finding no posi-
tive symptoms of insanity, shortly afterwards made
a more careful examination, pronounced him per-
fectly sane and ordered his discharge. This was
on the 9th OF September, his period or detention
extending through only five days. But, as set
forth further in his complaint this was not the
end of his troubles. On coming back he found his
laundry business ruined. He pictures, or, rather,
his counsel for him, the horrors OF his five days. in
generation in the Lunatic Asylum. He endured,
he says, the greatest horrors his suerings in Short
as he AYERS being Understandable. The result OF 1t
all was to wholly incapacitate MIN for business,
and, as mitigating Offset he now seeks to recover
$40, 600 damages from DIR. Lalanne and Dr. ID. b.
Miller. the latter also signed the certificate
of lunacy upon which his committal to the lunatc
asylum was granted.
THE STORY OF THE DOCTORS.
DR.. Lalanne says he has been for the past nine.
teen years the family physician OF Mr.. Jakob; that
the family, in addition to Mr.. JaKob, consists OF
his vile, three daughters and one son; that the
according to their statement, he did nothing Tor
their support, but spent his time drinking
lager beer; that he was always a very violent
man; that he was constantly threatening his
family with violence and that they were in terror
OF him, and on all the facts together he believed
the man to be insane, and accordingly signed
OF the complaint he denies. What he did was at
the request of the family, and from no personal
interest. DR.. Miller says the man was insane, rs
he fully believed and that the entertaining Of this
view induced him to sign the certificate OF lunacy,
and from no other consideration.
CRUEL ''PARIENT."
1t is said that the whole difficulty arose from an
objection by Mr.. Jakob to q sutor OF one of his
daughters, and that to get him out OF the way the
charge OF lunacy was brought against him.
PROCEEDINGS IN COURT.
The case came to trial yesterday, in the Superior
Court before Judge Freedman. All the family
were in attendance. Mr.. JakOb has as his counsel
Messrs. Riddle and Langan, and Mr.. W. II. Williams
appears for the DOCTORS Mr. JakOb was examined
at length, but told nothing additional to what was
given above. DR.. Parsons gave the results OF his
examination OF Mr.. JakOb and the grounds upon
which he pronounced him sane Various wit
neSseS testified to his Uniform mildneSS OF temper
1t is probable the trial will last through several
days.