, 1875-06-19
MRS. LlNCOIR'S SAD STORY.
How She Was Prevailed Upon 90 Submit
10 Treatment In the Asylum.

How she was Prevailed Upon 60 subnii
10 Treatment In the Asylum.
There was no strategy used in taking Mrs.
Lincoln to the Bellevue Insane Asylum al
Batavia, Illinois; neither was there any force
required 10 bring her before the Chicago jury
which declared her insane.
When her son, Robert T. Lincoln, first de-
cided to place her under proper control, he
applied to several relatives 70 assist him, but
all declined from sensiuyeness. Judge Davis,
an old-time. tLiend 81 fgGiifgHt dIddGqJaqlp and
Finally The Hon. Leonard SWEET, who had
known the unfortunate lady well n brighter
days, resolved 10 undertake il. When be
called upon Mrs. Lincoln he plainly told
her she was insane, thinking it the better
course 10 tell the truth, treat her like lady,
gently but firmly, and rely upon her better
instincts prompting her 10 acquie>ce III 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 between herself and son which
would never be clOse,i-
In conversation with Mr. Swe on the day
after she appeared TO be more reconciled 10
her fate. Her manner betokened that she
freely forgave both Robert and Mr.. SWEET,
and she even clung TO the latter as a proteC-
tor But before this was brought abOut, ard
when speaking of her insanity to Mr.. SWEET,
she said &; - 1t may be 80, what wonder Is
il Haven't had enough cause TO derange
any woman's brain? Did not see my hus-
band a~Sassiuated before my eyes, and have
! not buried all my children with The excep-
tion of Robert? Do you wonder that l am
deran5ed 7" Mr.. SWEET replied: - 1t l.
only a wonder, nay dear madam, that yOur
brain has stood II 50 long l sympathize
with you deeply, but We all believe II to BE-
best that you should be placed III some safe
position, where you Will receive proper care
and treatment l want you 70 s-e 1t in that
light yourself, and become reconciltd TO the
wishes OF your friends, who wish yOu moth
ing but good. l want you TO feel that We
are your friends, who wish you nothing but
good. l want you to feel that We are your
frienis-that | am your friend" She said
4" Eou are no friend of mine if You want to
put me IN an insane asylum"
The way in which Mrs. Lincoln cludod
her guards and endeaVored 10 take her own
life ON the day before her removal Is thus
told by the Chicago TINES So near as can
convince the girl who had been stationed IN
her room to prevent any effort on her part to
Jump ont of the window that it was neces-
sary Tor her TO step out into the hall for Il
moment. The good natuTed servant con-
scented probably after some reInonsJrancc, and
once outside she seems 10 have found it quite
As easy to pass the stalwart darkey and
Pinkerton' : man, both Of whom had been in
structed not 70 allow her 10 pass Them on any
pretense, though In no case to lay hands upon
her or offer her any violence. She hurried
by them and down the staircase toward. the
east front of the hotel to the drug store OF
S,luair & CO., where she ordered two ounces
Of iaudnnm and like quantity OF camphOr
The clerk looked at her dOubtingly VIXEN
she made this demand, but she assured him
that she was troubled with neuralgia in her
shoulder, and the pain was often 50 severe
that she WAS impelled to seek relief by bath
ing II IN the compound she had ordered.
Still the clerk hesitated, and finally consult
ed the proprietor, who suspected the real OBJ
iect for which the mixture was desired, and
concluded wisely that a little strategy was
better than an absolute refusal, he told her
that it should be prepared for her. but that 1t
would take about ten minutes TO put 1t Gp,
hoping in this brIef space of time 10 hnd
means Of again placing her in the control Of
her friends Without saying another word
10 indicate her intention, she stepped out to
the sidewalk, called q carriage from the
number always waiting there, and stepped
quickly inside, drove TO the store Of Rodgers
& Smith, scarcely block away. The drug
gist to whom she had first applied suspected
! her object and hurried after her, is did Pink
erton's man They arrived III time 10 pre-
| vent her receiving 1t, even though the com
FOUNDER Of drugs had been disposed 10 give
! il to her. She again turned to her carriage
and drove to William Dale's, two blocks tUr-
| ther down Clark street. The druggist and
policeman followed, and again she failed to
procure the deadly fluid.
By this time IL seemed to occur to her thai
her prescription must have been compounded
| at the first place 70 which she applied, 50 She
a rain entered her carriage and drove back
/ T. Souair's store at the Pacific Hotel. y
| f5ur-ouuce vial was filed with a colored but
! harmless duid, and given her She grasped
| It eagerly and started for her room, but had
! scarcely passed beyond the door when she
pIaced the phial to her lips and drained 1t OF
| It's contents After waiting about
! 10 or 20 minutes without feeling any IN
! pleasant effect from the draught, she esSayed
to repeat the effort, and again slipped from
/ her room and passed down 10 the drug store
| She told Mr. Robert Slu4Ir that the lotion
seemed too weak TO afford her any relief,
and asked for another ounce Of laudanum to
strengthen it. In order that there might be
10 mistake about It, she stepped behind the
1erscription case TO see that 1t was properly
/ prepared, thus putting the druggist at ms
| wits end TO find a new way TO deceive her
| Mr.. Robert Lincoln, for whom he had sen,
the moment he first saw her In hls store, had
net vet arrived, and there was 10 one al
hand into whose care she could BE- given .
he informed her that all the laudannrn nj
had was kept IN the cellar, and To that place
he withdrew TO prepare another eOmpouna o!
burnt sugar and water. An ounce Wal Wa
filled with this, labeled 4" Laudanum-pol
SON. - and given her, and, as IN the icrihel
case. she s.epped out on the Sidewalk aho
drank the fluid, after which she hurried 'l
her room. Shortly afterwards her son ar
r;ved. and finally finding that all her efforts
were futile, she quietly submltted 10 sur
rounding circumstances, and when the houi y,
for her departure arrived she accepted Inc
kindly attentions of the friends who came lC
escort her to the depot so pleasantly that mol
one Of the party suspected the terrible aeterini
nation she had had in her mind untlI II va
told them after her departure.
During the recent voyage OF the Iron'c!ad
turret-ship Devastation It was iouid 'ii1s ~ :
baavv sea the vessel rolled only seven degrees
end nd ;itebed seven degrees Hex capabilities
for action at ssa were thoroughly tested, and
The Te.ults proved most satisfactory Tn,
I,o--,,,t;,,, i now at Malta, where she vii