The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-06-04

The Widow Of President Lincoln Adj
judged Insane and sent 20 a Iunasie
Asyium-proeeedingsB Before the Court.
From tho lhiea eo Trhnne Ma, on

anu lle ihlgc NUMBER oil witnesses who
had been summoned. The lady was
pallid, her eye was watery and excited,
aud her general appearance that OF one
suffering rom nervous excitement. She
was attlred I'm plain black suit. and was
neat and comely of appearance. In the
patty accompanying her was her son,
whose every feature was marked with sad
ness. His eyes, too, were sutlused with
tears, as were also those of several others
I OF the party. The persons entering the
COURTROOM had more the appearance Of "A
funeral procession than any thing else,
ana their appearance was the signal for "A
GREATNESS silence among the few in the
room at the time. She took seat facing
his Honor, and by her side sat her coun-
se!or and friend, and the biographer of
her husband, the Hon. |. y. Arnold. The
petitioner, her son, Robert Il. Lincoln,
took scat near her and obliquely to her
left. 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 ore OF the
most important and regretiul cases ever
presented 10 "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 populace.
DIR. WILLIS DANFoTRH
was the first witness called: He knew
Mrs. Lincoln. and in November. 1873. Wis
tied her professionally. He treated her
several weeks for fever and nervous de-
rangement Of the head, and observed at
the same time indications of mental dis
turbance. She had strange mag nings
thought that some one was at work at her
head. and that an Indian was removing
the bones from her face and pulling wires
ont of her ewes. He visited her again i'm
September. 1874, when she was suffering
from debility OF the nervous system. She
complained that some one was taking steel
springs from her head, and would not let
her rest; that she was going 10 die within
a few days, and that she had been admon-
ished 10 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 a dodbt of the rclia-
bilitv OF her answers. and she would make
what She termed final test by putting the
question in goblet on the table. The
goblet was found to be cracked. and that
circumstance she regarded as a corrobora-
ton of the raps. Her arrangement was
not dependent on the condition OF her
body, or arising from physical disease. He
called upon her week ago 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 APP
peared at the time to be in excellent
health. and her former hallucinsiio IONS APP
peared 10 have passed away. She said hcr
reason for returning from Florida was
that she was not we'll. She startled him
somewhat by saving that an attempt had
been made To poison her on her journey
back. She had been very thirsty, and AT a
wayside station not far from Jacksonville |
she took a cup OF coffee in which she dis |
covered poison. She said she drank il. |
and took second cup. that the overdose |
of poison might cause her 10 vomit. He /
did not see any traces of her having taken /
any poison, and was of opinion that she |
was insane. On general topics, her con-
vcrsation was rational.
SAMUEL NJ. TURNER.
manager of the Grand Pacific Hotel, was
the next witness: Mrs. Lincoln arrived \
AT his hotel March 10. The 1st of April |
she visited him AT the hotel office. and had
A shawl wrapped about her head. She
asked him IN 20 into the recepton-room
with her. as she had something To say 10
him. She said something was wrong
about the house, as she heard strange
sounds i'm the rooms. He went with her.
and, when about to leave her. she said she
was afraid TO be lett alone He left her in
charge OF some female help. and told her
he would return In few minutes. He
had scarcely reached the Office when
messenger tod him that Mrs. Lincoln was
at the elevator and wanted to see him.
She said there bad been strange man in
the corridor. and that he was going TO
modest her. He went up in the elevator
and walked with her through the house,
but did not see any strange man. She
was greatly excited. and desired to go TO
some of the la,ly-boarders' rooms that she
might be safe. He showed her TO Mrs.
Dodge's room. who at the time was at
dinner. promising that he would return
soon. lie was again summoned by her,
when her appearance was wild and her
fears were repeated. He believed her de-
ranged. No one had called to see her
since her arrival except her son. He did
not regard IL rs safe TO leave her alone.
MRS. ALLEN,
housekeeper at the hotel. testified that
Mrs. Lincoln seemed to suffer from nerv-
Gus excitement. She imagined that a
small window in her room BODIED i'll, and
used 10 say that the window disturbed
her. She walked her room most of the
night. Witness had slept with her two
nights at her request. Last Wednesday
Mrs. Lincoln was very much excited.
She mixed several kinds of medicine to-
gether and took the mixture. She had
large closet filled with unopened packages
she had purchased. She considered her
insane. and that she ought to be placed
somewhere for treatment and care.
Other employees of the hotel also testi-
fled TO the eccentric conduct of Mrs. Lin
seln.
ROBERT r. LINCOLN,