The New York herald., 1877-10-21
THE WAGES OF SIN.
How William C. Gilman's Crime De-
strOyed His Wile'S Reason.
A HEARTRENDING STORY
Transfer Of the Convict from Sing
Sing to Auburn.

The statement, published exclusively in tho HERALD
yesterday, that Mrs Gilman, the wife Of W. G. Gilman.
had become insane, that she was 70 be removed to
unattc asylum and that her children were TO be dis
tributed among her friends, caused universal express
sion OF sorrow in the community reporter
OF the HERALD called yesterday upon the
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher to learn something
of the details OF the aniiction OF his niece, Mrs.
Gilman, and also what the probabilities were thought
to be of her ultimate recovery. Mr. Becchcr spoke in
a tone OF voice that Indicated suppressed emotion.
He said that when the intelligence was communicated
to Mrs Gilman that her husband had been guilty OF
this great crime, which had since caused such pro-
found sensation she realized to the iu the changed
social condition that had thus suddenly come upon
her and her children She bore bravely, and with
great calmness began to talk OF her plans Tor the
future. She said that she would seek to obtain
the position OF matron In some public nstitu-
ton, kindred employment, whereby
she could earn enough for herself and her
children that the children would be looked after by
her friends and earnings would prevent them
becoming burden any She would do this,
she sad until her husband released from prison,
and that then, when they were as family united
again. they would taKo couple OF rooms somewhere
ana start life anew For several days after her hus-
bands trouble she spoke in this calm hopeful man
ner. and these plans seemed to give her
gated the intensity Of the heartache consequent
upon this sudden blight upon her hitherto happy e
BY and by there came over her a changed condition OF
mind, and now and then she limited that she
could see right through her husbands trouble. She
seized with the haucinaton that the whole thing
was q great mistake and that II they would only let
her do this and that she could straghten out all the
terrible tangle aud that all would be we'll This halu-
settled itself upon her own family ply
sician who attending upon her and
she quarrced with him because be could not assist her
very much In carrying out this design. He quietly
stepped ASIDE, and another physician took his place.
Botn, however, were retained, and mrs, Gilman had
the benett OF their combined advice. Her hallucna
tion was finally followed by mama. and she became
violent aud somewhat unmanageable. Tho necessity
OF placing her under some sort OF restraint forced u
seif upon the consideration OF her trends, and,
Iainful as It was, II had TO DO provided ior
So long as her condition could be ameliorated
10y patient watchiulncss supplemented by tho advice
and care OF her physicians, Mrs. Gilman would have
remained at home and her friends would have awaited
with patience the day when snc would be her lovely
self again. II loon seen however, tnat the truest
kindness was TO place her under tho restraint Of pcr
sons who would deal with her malady as those only
deal with 1t who by nature and training, fitted
10 minister to mind diseased She therefore, last
Tuesday taken Hartford, yhere there a retreat
for the insane-an institution IN every way adapted
her care. Hsr friends viii be near her. Her mother,
Mrs. Perkins, lives in Hartford; Mrs. Stowe and Mrs.
Gilman's sster-in-iaw also 1--we there. Everything
that they can do to alleviate her condition will be
DONE
WILL SHE RECOVER?
what Of the probabilities OF her recovery, Mr.
Beecher 7" asked the reporter.
swell, have great hopes that she Will recover.
She is almost ory years OF age 50 that she has not
passed the climacterc Of her lie and therefore, If
there are no stronger developments OF mania than
have manifested themselves thus far recovery
very probable On Monday / TO her, but
OF her friends were admitted to her presence;
not even her sster-in-aw, who has been with her
through all her afiiction."
GILMAS's CHARACTERISTICS.
Mr. Boecher said that since he had read in the
cars, his Western journey, of the forgeres of Gill
man, the terrible revelation had followed HIM,
and 1t like tho shadow OF funeral upon all that
he mr. Beecner) SAID and did; that he had always
been admrer OF Gilman. for q man that
everybody who knew him liked, for no had many
noble qualities. The Gmans lived plainly. There
was no ostentatious extravdgancc. Very much
OF the decoration Of their homo GIlman's
own work. Tor in amateur way he
an artist and was quite admirer OF
the pre-Raphaeiite school OF painting He bad turn
for domeslicity, lover OF home and possessed
wondrous faculty for the amusement OF children His
heart ached for him In his terrible degradation in
prison. but he had doubt that Gilman felt intensely
relieved, though he was So long as this
crime had to be concealed II must have been gnaw-
ing cancer IN his soul, constant pain that
knew no alleviaton Now IL was all out Hcnceforth
II repentance and reformation. with future he
lives, TO redeem himself in.
CHILDREN.
The children-two little girls and boy-Mr. Beecher
said were IN tho OF Mr. Gilman's sister at
Norwich, where they have been the trouble
Everything would be done for them that Kindness
good sense would suggest; and their actual orphan
condition would find some allevaIiun the heartfelt
sympathy that would always be manifested toward
tnem-