Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-05-26
Insanity of Mrs. Lincoln.

Mrs. Lincoln, the widow Of Abraham
Lincoln, was, Wednesday, adjudged insane
by the county court at Chicago. The pro-
ceedings were based on the petition OF
Robert T. Lincoln, setting forth that his
mother has property and effects exceeding
$4,000; that she is non compos mentls,
and incapable of managing her estate and
praving the issuance of an order for a war
rant and venre to test the question OF her
sanity. The petition was accompanied
by the certificate of the family physician,
Dr. Isham, to the effect that he hal exam
med Mrs. Lincoln, and was of the opinion
she was insane and Il fit subject for hospital
treatment. Several witnesses testified to
nccentricties in the conduct Of Mrs. Lin
coin. which commenced ut the time of the
assassination of President Lincoln, and
have been more marked as time progressed
She imagines she hears voices in the wall,
hat strange beings beset her in the entries
of her hotel, that she is the victim of
poisoning plots, etc. At the announce
ment of the verdict, Robert Lincoln took
the hand of his mother, when she eXclaim
ed with reproachful tone: ooh, Robert
to think that my son would ever have done
this" There were few spectators in
court.
The next day, Thursday, she attempted
10 commit suicide; she was watched after
leaving the court room, but Thursday she
escaped from her room and visited several
drug stores trying to get poison. She was
followed by Mr.. Squires, the druggist to
whom she first applied, who prevented
her from obtaining what she wanted.
She finally returned to Squires' place and
procured mixture which she supposed
was what she wanted, but which was harm
less She drank this as she left the place,
and rs it had no effect, she tried to leave
her room again to obtain a larger dose, but
was prevented She was removed to 4
private hospital at Batavia, III, yesterday
afternoon, where she will have every at
tention.
llODtll l1luCoiH ttSLliioIN 'eS W MS
mothers insanity leaves no doubt that the
painful policy of having her legally adj
| Judged insane and sent to an asylum was
the only one left to her relatives. He
said that on her return from the south, Il
few weeks ago, he asked her to come to
his house. but she declined and went to the
hotel, He went with her and took supper.
She told him that ut the first breakfast
she took after leaving jacksonville, Fla,
an attempt was made to poison her. lie
occupied Il room adjoining hers, that night.
She was restless. and would come to his
door in her nj yht dress and rap. About
April /, she ceased tapping at his door. he
having told her that if she persisted, he
would leave the hotel. He went to her
room April l. and found her but slightly
dressed; she left the room in that condi
ton under some preteXt. and the next he
knew of her she was going down the ele-
vator to the office He had the elevator
>toppel and triedIo induce her 20 return
to her room. She regarded his interference
Is impertincnt, and declined to leave the
elevator. but he put his arms about and
gently forced her, when she screamed.
= gu are 4 going to murder me She
had, since the fire kept her trunks and
property in the Fidelity Safe Deposit Com
ptnv's building. He called on her. the
lat week in April, and She told him that
al Chicago was going to be burned. and
that she was going to send her trunks to
. country town. She said milwaukee, WAS
too near Oshkosh, where there had been :,
terrible fire. the night before. She told
him that his house would be the only one
saved, and he suggested to her to leave her
trunks with him. The following Sunday,
She showed him securities for so. OUo
which She carried in her pocket. She had
spent large sums of money recently. She
had bought 5000 worth OF lace curtains
three watches, costing $3.50; 500 worth
of other jewclrv; 5000 worth of soap and
perfumrrics. and whole piece of silk.
tie had no doubt she was insane He ii I'll
had Il conference with her cousin and
VI vor Stuart of Springfield and judge
Davis of the supreme court, all of
whom advised him to the course he had
taken. He did not regard it safe to allow
her to remain longer unrcstraned She
had long been \ source of great anxiety.
She had been Of unsound mind since the
death of her husband. and had been irres-
pon,ib for the last ten years. He rcgar-
ded her rs eccentric and Interchangeable
Other evidences showed that for several
years she had been a confirmed Spiritual
i>t, and believed that her husbands spirit
WAS constantly lowering about her ana
directing her. She WAS also haunted by
IN Indian spirit, who with hdcous wells
would remove and replace her scalp. take
wires out of her left eye, and detach steel
springs from her Ilw-b bones. 1T other times
ScrapnG bones out of her head. She pre-
pared everything for her death on the 9th
of September last. the date announced to
her by her spirit attendant