Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-05-26
MRS. LLVc0ZN'S SAD ST0RY.

There was no strategy used in taking Mrs. Lin
coin to the Bellevue Insane Asylum at Batavia,
H., neither was there any force required to bring
her before the Chicago jury which declared her to
be insane last Wednesday. When her son. Robert
+. Lincoln first decided to place her under proper
control, he applied to several relatives to assist
him, but all declined from sensitiveness. Judge
Davis, an old-time friend of President Lincoln
and his family also shrank from the delicate task.
Finally the Hon. Leonard SWEET, who had known
the unfortunate lady well in brighter days, re-
solved to undertake it. When he called upon
Mrs. Lincoln he plainly told her she was insane
thinking it the better to tell the TRUTH treat
her like lady, gently yet firmly, and rely upon her
better instincts prompting her to acquiesce in the
arrangements Of her friends. After the trial. Mrs
Lincoln was deeply offended with Robert as well
as Mr.. SWEET. She said there was breach be-
tween herself and son which would never be closed
In conversation with Mr.. SWEET on Thursday,
however, she appeared to be more reconciled to
her fate. Her manner betokened that she
freely forgave both Robert and Mr.. SWEET
and she even chung to the latter as a
as protector. But before this was brought about,
and when speaking of her insanity to Mr.. SWEET,
she said sit may be so and what wonder is 1t I
Havnt had enough cause to derangc any women
brain Did not see my husband assassinated
before my eyes? Have ! not been homeless for
years, and have | not buried all my
family, with the exception of Robert
Do you wonder that | am deranged; Mr..
SWEET replied; at is only a wonder, my dear
madame, that your brain has Stood it so long.
sympathze with you deeply, but we all believe it
TO be best that you should be placed in some safe
position, where you will receive proper care and
treatment. l want you to see it in that light your
self, and become reconciled to the wishes of
your friends, who wish you nothing but good.
want you to feel that we are your friends-that
am your friend" She said you are no friend
to me if you want to put me in an insane asylum"
The way in which Mrs. Lincoln eluded her
guards and endeavored to take her own life on the
day of her removal is thus told by the Chicago
Times
So near as can be learned she found it an easy
matter to convince the girls who had been sta
toned in her room to prevent any effort on bel
part to jump out of the window that it was neces.
sary for her to step out into the hall for a moment
The good -natured servants consented, probably af-
ter some remonstrance, and once outside she
seems to have found it quite as easy to pass the
had been instructed not to allow her to pass them
on any pretence, though in no case to lay hands
on her OF offer her any violence. She hurried by
them and down the staircase toward the east front
of the hotel to the drug store of Squair Il Co.,
where she ordered two ounces of laudanum and
like quantity Of camphor. The clerk looked at
her doubtngy when she made this demand, but
she assured him that she was troubled with neu-
ralgia in her shoulder, and the pain was often so
severe that she was impeled to seek relief by
no. Ipt..a hal
the clerk hesitated and finally consulted the pro-
prietor, who suspected the real object for which
the mixture was desired, and concluding wisely,
that little strategy was better than absolute re-
fusal he told her that it should be prepared for
her, but that it would take about ten minutes to
put it up, hoping in this brief space of time to
find means OF again placing her in the control of
her friends Without saying another word to In
dictate her intention, she stepped out to the side
| walk, called a carriage from the number always
waiting there and, stepping quickly inside, drove
to the store of Rogers x Smith, scarcely block
| away. The druggist to whom she had first applied
suspected her object and hurried after her, as did
Pinkertons man. They arrived in time to prevent
her receiving it, ii the compounder of drugs
| had been disposed to give it to her. She again
turned to her carriage and drove to William Days
two blocks further away down Clark-street. The
druggist and policeman followed, and again she
failed to procure the deadly fluid. BY this time it
seemed to occur to her that her prescription must
|
she applied so she again entered her carriage and
drove back to Squair's store at the Pacific Hotel.
A four-ounce vial was filed with a colored but
harmless Huid. She grasped it eagerly and start
ed for her DOM, but had scarcely passed beyond
| the door when she placed the vial to her lips and
drained il of its contents. After waiting
about Is or 20 minutes without feeling any un-
pleasant effects from the diaught, she essayed to
| repeat the effort and again slipped from her room
and passed down to the drug store. She told Mr..
Squair that the lotion seemed too weak TO afford
her any relief, and asked for another ounce Of
laudanum to strengthen it. In order that that
there might be no mistake about it, she stepped
erly prepared, thus putting the druggist to his
wits ends to find a new way to deceive her. Mr..
Robert Lincoln, for whom he had sent the mo-
ment he first saw her in his store, had not arrived,
and there was no one at hand into whose care she
could be given. So he informed her that all the
laudanum he had was kept in the cellar, and to
that place he withdrew to prepare another com
pound OF burnt sugar and water. An ounce wal
was filled with this labeled 81. audanum-poison,
and given her, and, as in the former case, she
stepped out on the sidewalk and drank the fluid,