Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-16

= hurried note from nav husband reached
me the next morning. Our marriage ha been
q sCOyered I'VE never could ten by whoul1
~ we had been betrayed 10 their doctor.
Roland was then on his way back 10 the
asylum lie had been warn ct that force
would he usel II he resisted. Knowing that
resistance wouli b. interpreted. in his case
IS n new outbreak OF madness. be wisely sub
united. i have made the sacrifice the let
terc"t clUdrd. lit is now for yOH IL help me.
Attack the Commission in Luuacy-and nc
quick about il -
We lost rotimc in preparing for the attack.
On the day when / received the news of orr
misiof tune, We left EastbOurIe for London:
/ 3nd 81 once took measures To obtain the best
LEGAL advice.
Ny dear Gtther-though | was far from de-
SSry ing the Findne<s-cntercd into the mat
ter heart and soul. In due course of time we
praying that tEedtciSiOn of the LunaCy Com
ms sion III ght De set aside.
We supported our petition by quoting the
evidence Of Rolaud's friends AID neichbors.
during his three years residence i'm the lake
country rs free man. These worthy people
tbe5ng summoned before the Lunacy Com
mi>~iCnf lad one and all agreed that he was
as to their judgment and experience. I..r-
t6ctly quiet, harmless. ANA sacc Many of
thtIn had gone out shooting with him. Others
had often accompanied him ia sailing eX-
cur>lCn> on the take. 10 People trust a mad
/ man with gun and with the manage me
81 boat? As 20 the ''8ct OF violence viii ia
The heirs of law and the next Of kin nad
made the means Of imFTieOui.G R0la 1t in
me mad-h"uSe. il amounted 10 this. lie
1900
man down who had offended him Very
wrong, NO doubt hut if that IS 4 proof OF
madness. what thousands Of II-atlcS are
sun AT large! Another instance produced
To prove his insanity was still moe
absurd. 1t was absolutely declared IN
he had put an image OF the Virgin Mary
in his boat when he went oUt on his sailing
excursions. | have zen The image. it was n
very beautiful work of art. Was Roland mad
10 admire IL and take ii with HIM His rcl-
gi3uS convictions !eanel toward Catholicism.
II he betrayed insanity in adoraiug his boat
with an Image Of ihC VIRGIN Mary. what is
The mental condition of most of tie ladies' in
tHTI~tC' nCm. who wear The cross as an orua-
F.! HeIfi round their Tcci,s: We advanced these
arguments IA oar petition after quoting the
y 'Cv. cc of the Witnesses. And, more than
iiil>. We cv@u went tn" length of admitting
as am act OF respect To thc court. that NV
poor husband might br eccentric in some OF
his opinions and habits. But we nut il to the
authorities whether better results might not
re expected rom placing him under the care
OF q wife who loved him. and whom he loved
IMAM from shutting him up in an asylum
for life.
Such was our petition. so far as / am able
To describe il.
The decision rested with the Lord Justices
They decided against us.
Tuning deaf ear to our arguments. these
mcrcll"SS lawyers declared that the doctors
Individual assertion of my husbands inStu-
lily was enough for them. They considered
Eoiahd'S comfort 10 be sufficiently provided
for IN the aSy iUm. with an allowance of seven
hundred pounds Il wear, and 10 the ASYLUM
they consigned him for the rest of his days
80 lar a> | was concerned. the result of this
infamous Judgment was To deprive me of the
Ip>-t!GH OF Roland : VIE; 40 luFatic being
capable OF contracting marriage by law. So
far as my husband was concerned. the result
may BE- best stated in III" Language of a pDt,-
Ular newspaper which published an article
on The case. 1T i possible said the ar;i-
cic-l wish J could personally thauk the man
WHO wrote It-''igr the Court OF Chancery u
take a man who has a iar"" fortune. and is in
til prime Of lie, bat i u little touched in the
head ana make Il niDiIt. of him, and then re-
port Ia Itself that the comfort and happiness
ct the iUEaiiC have been cllcCtUally provided
Tor ~ the expenditure OF seven hundred
POUNDS Il gear
Roland was determined. however. that they
should not make 4 monk OF him. and, YOU
may rely upon it, so was /.
But one alternative was left 10 us. The alI-
thOrty of the court OF chanccry within its
JnrlSdiCtlOn) is the most dCSpOtic authority
on the face of the earth. our one hope was
IN taking To flight. The price of our liberty.
as citizens OF England, was exile from our
naive country. and the entire abandonment
OF Roiand'S fortune. We accepted those hard
conditions. HOspitable America offered us
a refuge, beyond the reach OF mad-dOcfors
and lords justices. To hOspitahle America
our hearts turned as 10 our second country.
The serious question was, how were We 10
get there?
We had attempted to correspond. and had
failed. our letters had been discovered; AMI
seized, by the proprietor OF the asylum. For
Iuiittly We had taken the prccautiOn of
which Ec had taught me before oar marriage.
Though our letters were illcgible. our pur-
IOSc was suspected, rs a matter of course.
and q watch was kept on my husband, night
and daV.
Fooled in our first effort AT making arrange
meit> secretly for our flight, we continued
cur Sp"ndonce tstiil in cipher by means
OF advertisements in the npwSl papers. This
second attempt was discovered IN its turn
Roland was refused permission to subscribe
10 The ItNSi apcrS, and was forbidden to en-
ttf l!it reading room ~ the a. NITID.
Ihc>o tyrruE.cal prohibitions came too
&,t". OUI plans had already been CDmmuni-
Gated, We understood each other. and We had
20" only 10 hide OuT time. We had arranged
Tat my brother and 4 friend OF his. (Ou whose
discretion We could thoroughly rcly) should
Ike il in turns to watch every evening for n
gwen tan" AT an appointed meeting place.
three miles distant from the asylum. The
>lCt had been carefully chosen. It was on
tie hank of Il lonely stream, and close to the
outskirts OF thick wood. waterproof
h"I,"cA, containing change or clothes. a
lhi~c icard ana wig. and some biscuits and
preserved meats, were hidden in "a hollow
tree My brother and his friend always took
tn'ir fIsNiEg rods with them, and presented
themselves IS angling to any chance >trang-
,l> WHO m!shi pa within ~i2ht Of them. On
one occasion the proprietor OF the asylum
H4Ht~t rode By my brother on the opposite
bank Ot The stream. and asked politely if he
had Had good sport.
Hos Z, foTJri4ht ulc-e Siauuch allies of ours
relieved each o.Hgr re. .larir Oh their ygatcl. !
a.d 10 signs al tie fugitive appeared. On
tiE 4lt'Hili evening. Just a. the ~ ItI"iIt
was changing mo night, and Just rs nav
brother, whose turn IL was. had decided on
leaving Tie place, Roland suddenly Joined
nm oti lie bank of tho stream.
Without wasting moment in words the
Two Ht one" entered the wood, ana took the
tilai sack from ITS place Ci shelter in the mol
low t'N. IL lea minutes more, my husband
~ urysSc! ia It su.t OF Wolkmun's clothes
ana Vas further disguised ia the Wig and
beard. T." two then set forth down the
course OF the stream. Keeping in til, shadow
Of The wood until III" night had fallen and |
lie darkness hid them. The night was
cloudy. there was 40 moon. After walking
Two miles, or Il littlc more. they altered ,hciY
course, and made boldly for The niEl road 10 !
A2IC..ssjcr, entering on j! at "a point some
thirty miles distant from The city.
Ca thcir way from the wood, Roland do
SCIlbso Tie manner IN which lac had effected |
ms escape.
Thu story was simple enough. He hal as
>uIHcd TO be suffering from nervous Illness. |
anu had requested TO have his meals in his /
own room. For the first fortnight the two |
men appointed To wait upon him ia success
sion, week by week. were both more than his |
match i'll strength. The third man employed. !
at the beginning of the third week, was
physically Il less formidable person than his /
predecessors. Seeing this. Roland deci.tr /
when evening came. on committing another |
"act OF violence" In plain words, he sprang |