The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-05-27
MRS. LINCOLN's LUNACY
CALLED IN QUESTION IN COURT.
ADJUDGED INSANE AND SENT TO AN
ASYLUM

TESTIMONY OF PHYSICIANS AS TO HER MENTAL
UNsoUNDNEss-HEARIN STRANGE VOICES
FEARS OF SEURDER-sICKNEss OF HER son
SHE Is FOUND INSANE, AND WILL BE
SENT TO BATAVIA A SAD SPECTACLE IN
CHICAGO COURT.
The story of Mrs. Lincoln's insanity
reported in brief by the Sentinel yesterday,
and detailed In full below, from the Chicago
Tribune, will, in measure, account for the
sale of her wardrobe and other eccentricities
of her life: The death of President Lincoln
was one of the nations saddest misfortunes,
"a misfortune that IL has not yet outlived.
The fact that he had fallen by the hand of
the assassin only tended to intensity the
public grief; and to add to the gloom which
settled upon the popular heart. From
North, South, East, and West, the wall
of regret came up, and distracted
country was united in sympathy at
the great calamity. Even from across the
waters, where he was known only as presi-
dert, and not as the type of the American
citizen. came expressions of the deepest sad
ness. In ths general grief, regret and hui
initiation, his native state, Illinois, and the
great city of Chicago, which had ever been
proud to honor him, were foremost. But to
none was the calamity so painful, and upon
none were its traces so continuous and
marked as his immediate family and init
the garb of mourning, TO be worn off by
time or eftaced by the rapid succession OF
great ma; ional events: but the hearts of his
family were
PIERCED, DEEPLY AND ETERNALLY.
Especially was this true with his widow
and eldest son, the former of whom, at the
time, it was feared, would lose her mind.
In fact, the effect was visible in her subse-
to heighten and increase. The death of a
son was one of the infections which her
mind, then falling, was soon called upon to
endure. Travel, change of scenes and asso-
Citations, the best OF medical care, all Jailed to
arrest the premOnitions of a failing mind.
The lavish affection of her children and the
consolation OF frien0s, and the nations SYM
patty failed TO srrest the symptoms of in
sanity or to tighten her mind OF the i'm
mense burden il was tottering beneath. She
continued to decline, not only in vigor of
mind, but in physical condition, nothing
seeming to avail her in her grief and
declining years. So feeble had become
the state of her mind, and as
a consequence so eccentric her nature
and habits of life, that, Saturday last,
council of the leading physicians of the city
and her personal friends was held TO con-
slider what was best to be done for her.
She was stopping at the Grand Pacific Hotel,
and from the uncertainty OF 06r OoLDSaEOT
it was felt that something was necessary to
be done to protect her life from her own
hands, and to secure her from bodily harm.
The result of the council was an agree
ment 10 petition Judge Wallace, or the
County Court, to make an order OF warrant
and venire to try the question OF her in
sanity. The warrant was accordingly
issued yesterday, when jury was impan-
eled for the sad trial, and Mrs. Mary Lincoln
was brought into court. The unfortunate
lady entered the court room scarcely oo-
served, and certainly without her sad mis-
sion being known, except by the friends
who accompanied her, and the large num-
Der of witnesses who had been summoned.
The lady was pallid, her eye was watery and
excited, and her general appearance that OF
ONE SUFFERING FROM NERVOUS EXCITEMENT.
She was attired in a plain black suit, and
was neat and comedy of appearance. In
the party accompanying her was her son,
whose every feature was marked with sad
ness. His eyes, too, were suffused with
tears, as were also those OF several others of
the party. TIE persons entering the court
room had more the appearance of a funeral
procession than anything else, and their ap-
pearance was the signal for GREATNESS si-
lence among thu few in the room at the
time. She took a seat facing his honor, and
10y her side sat her counsellor and friend,
and the biOgrapher Of her husband, the
Hon. i. n. Arnold. The petitioner, her
son, Robert i. Lincoln, took a seat near her
and obliquely TO her lett. Beside him sat
the Hon. Leonard SWEET and Il. +. Aver,
counsel for the petitioner, while in front OF
them and on the west side OF the room
were seated the jurors who were 10
pass upon one of the most impor-
tant and regretful cases ever
presented to a court. The news OF the case
soon flashed through the building and the
streets, and when the first witness was called
the room was densely packed with the Won
dering and sympathizing p0pulace. DR..
Willis Danforth was the first witness called:
He knew Mrs. Lincoln, and IN November,
1873, visited her professionally. lie treated
her several weeks for fever and nervous de-
rangement of the head, and observed at the
time indications of mental disturbance. She
had strange imaginings; thought that some
one was at work at her head, and that an
Indian was removing the bones from her
face and pulling wires out of her eyes. de
visited her again in September, 1874, when
she was suffering from debility OF the ner-
vous system. She complained that some
one was taking steel springs from her head.
and would not let her rest; that
SHE WAS GOING To DIE WITHIN FEW DAYS,
and that she had been admonished to that
effect by her husband. She imagined that
she heard raps on a table conveying the
time of her death, and would sit and ask
questions and repeat the supposed answer
the table would give. He expressed doubt
of the reliability of her answers, and she
would make what she termed a final test by
putting the question in goblet on the table.
The goblet was found to be cracked and that
circumstance she regarded as corroboration
of the raps. Her arrangement was not de-
pendent on the condition of her body, or
arising from physical disease. He called
upon her a week sgc at the Grand Pacific
Hotel, when she spoke of her stay in florida,
of the pleasant time she had there, of the
scenery, and the manners and customs OF
the Southern people. She appeared at the
time to be in excellent health, and her for
away. She said her reason for returning
from Florida was that she was not
well. She startled him somewhat by say
ing that an attempt was made to poison her
on har iournau hack 2ha had haan very