New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-25
Robert Bale Owen Insane.

A dispatch announces that Robert Dale
owen has been taken to his home in Indiana
In q condition Of insanity. Although he
has been liz for some time past and it has
been occasionally rumored that his mind
was giving way, the news that be las be-
come entirely shattered mentally will be
received with surprise. Probably the OK
posure of the Katie King imposture shocked
Mr.. Owen immensely. He had accepted
the pretended manifestations with good
faith, and to him they were conclusive
proof Of the truth of spiritualism. He went
to Philadelphia to witness the materializa-
tons, and published an article in the
Atlantic Monthly upon them Unfortunately
for the good but mistaken old gentleman,
the fraud was exposed the day before his
article was to be published He telegraphed
to Boston to stop the publication, but it
was too late. The magazine was already
printed, and Mr.. Owens trouble was in
creased by the pretixing of q notice to the
article, that the writer alone was reepOn-
sible for its statements. His belief in
spiritualism was the one thing that pre-
vented Robert Dale Owen from being a
great successful man. HIS father was the
famous Robert Owen. who in the beginning
of the century established an industrial
settlement at New Lanark, near Glasgow,
Scotland.
He had communistic notions, and endeav-
ored to carry them into practice in Scotland
and also in this country. He started the
New Harmony colony in Indiana, and his
son aided him in that experiment. When
it failed the elder Owen returned to Scot
land, but the younger man remained here.
He took to politics and became q member
of the Indiana Legislature, where he sue
ceeded in emancipating women from the
slavery of the common law. then in Con
gress. and finally in the diplomatic service
of the country. President Pierce, who
sent Hawthorne to Liverpool, and so indl-
rectly endowed the world with The Marble
Faun" and "Our Old Home" made Owen
Minister ut Naples. Since he retired from
that position in 1858. he has been student,
writer, amateur politician and professional
philanthropst. His published works I'LL
nearly dozen volumes. but they arc little
read except by tho eusiOus eearcher into
tho vagares of spiritualism.
Robert Dale Owen has recently been at .
sanitary establishment near Evansville,
New York, undergoing treatment for dis
ease. How his insanity became developed
there is told by . letter to the Rochester
EtpieSs:
For some time past Dansville has been
the stopping place Of . distinguished vlsi-
tor. Robert Dale Owen, the well-kn0wn
writer and sepiritualist. He came here
hoping by freedom from care and trouble
to recuperate his shattered energies, and to
enable him to continue his literary labOrs.
occupying MS tlM0 M6tuly W1sA ACoACooioH'
sor time nothing unusual was observed in
bis conduct, and he was pointed out as
rather eccentric old gentleman. An up
holder of spiritualism AID = writer
Of acknowledged merit, his society was
sought after and his conversations were
coherent and instructive. Invitations to
lecture were occasionally accepted, and
some of your readers will no doubt remem-
Der the lecture on 'Spiritualism' delivered
by him not long since in yonr city. If any
one ut that time considered him insane they
failed to give others the benefit Of their
Judgment. During the past week. however,
his eccentricities increased to such an alarm
ing extent that it became painfully evident
to those that knew him that the great mind
of Robert Dale Owen had lost it's reason.
His wild. excited actions on Friday last at
the grounds Of the Dansvillo Driving Park
Association were nearly those Of an insane
person. Driving furiously among a crowd
OF carriages, accOsting strangers and gesticu-
Iating violently, he was source OF annoy
ance to his friends and Of surprise to
strangers. His son was telegraphed for im-
,nediately. He reached here Sunday night.
and on Tuesday morning started tor bis
home in indiana with Mr.. Owen"