Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-05-27
The Case Of Mrs. Lincoln Her Insanity and
Attempted Suicide

attempted Suicide
The Chicago papers of Thursday
furnish the particulars of the proceed
ings before Judge Wallace, of the
Cook County Court, upon the applica-
ton of Robert I. Lincoln to try the
sinity OF his mother, Mrs. Mary
Lincoln, widow of ex-President
Abraham Lincoln. Mrs Lincoln has
been stopping at the Grand Pacific
Hotel for some time, and has continu
ed to decline not only in yigor of mind
but in physical condition, and upon a
council Of leading physicians it was
determined that something was necess>
airy to be done to protect her life from
her own hands, and to secure her from
bodily harm. Accordingly she was
brought into court on Thursday and a
jury, composed of leading physicians
and citizens, were empanneled for the
sad trial When brought into court,
Mrs. Lincoln was pallid, her eyes were
watery and excited, and her general
appearance that of one suffering from
nervous excited. She was attired in a
plain black suit, and was neat and come
ly of appearance. She was accompani
ed by her counselor and friend, and the
biographer of her husband, the Hon.
J. N. Arnold. In the party accom-
panying her was her son, whose every
feature was marked with sadness. His
eyes, too, were suffised with tears, as
were also several others of the party.
Robert t. Lincoln, the petitioner,
then took the witness stano. His face
indicated the unpeasantness of the du
ty he was about to perform, and his
eyes were expressive of the grief he
felt. Mrs Lincoln at first looked on
calmly, but during the recital of the
incidents of the family history and
reference to the death of his father and
brother, she gave away TO tears and
buried her face in her hands.
He testified that the action he had
taken was sad to contemplate, but he
had done it in the interest of his mother;
he said he did not want any money
from her; he had money in trust for
her. He met his mother on the cars
on hor return from Florida, and she
told him an attempt had been made to
poison her. She roomed next to him,
and was very restless; twice in one
night she aroused him and asked to
sleep IN his room he admitted her,
gave her his bed, and he slept on the
lounge. About April l she ceased tapp>
ing 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 her room in that condition under
some pretext, and the next he knew of
her she was going down in the elevator
to the office. He had the elevator
stopped and tried to induce her to re-
turn to her room. She regarded his
interference as impertinent, and der
clined to leave the elevator, but he put
his arms about her and gently forced
her She screamed, "You are gong
to murder me" At one time she pre-,
dicted that all Chicago was to be
burned. She showed him securities
for S57, 900 which she carried in her
pocket. She had spent large sums of
money recently She had bought
$500 worth of lace curtains three
watches, costing $3.50; $500 worth of
other jewelry; 5000 worth of soaps and
perfumeries, and whole piece of silk
He had no doubt she was insane. He
regarded her as eccentric and unman-
ageable. There was no cause for her
recent purchases, as her trunks were
filled with dresses she never wore. She
never wore jewelry.
A number of merchants testified to
Mrs. Lincoln's reckless manner of max
ing purchases, after which the jury re-
tired, and in few minutes returned a
verdict that the jurors were satisfied
that "Mrs. Mary Lincoln is insane, and
fit person to be sent to the State hos
pital for the insane During the alb
sence of the jury Robert Lincoln ap-
preached his mother and extended his
hand. She grasped it fondly, remark
ing with degree of emphasis, Robert,
| did not think you would do this"
His response was stifed by the spring
of tears, and the conversation ended.
The verdict was received by Mrs.
Lincoln without any visible emotion
She was stolid and unmoved, and did
not allow its reading to interrupt the
conversation in which she was engaged
with Mr.. Arnold
Subsequent kilograms state that on
Thursday morning she attempted to
commit suicide by taking camphor and
laudanum. Yesterday Mrs. Lincoln
was taken to the private insane asylum
at Batavia, Illinois. Previous to her
removal $4,000 In government bonds
were found secreted upon her person
They were secured by friends for safe
keeping. Her insanity is not of
violent type.
VIRGINIA IRoN.-The Washington
Sunday Chronicle says: Iron ore de-
posts in Virginia are beginning to