The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-03-09
Seven Years in a Mad House.

Miss SUSAN DICKIE, whose alleged |
insanity has been the subject of inquiry |
by three commissioners and Sheriff |
Jury since the 9th of last December, was
yesterday declared to be OF sound mind
and to have never been insane, although |
she has been confined in an asylum for
over seven years. The present pro-
ceedings de lundtico t7aqutrendo were
instituted against Miss Dickie by her
brothers and sisters, Mrs. Emma d.
Van Week, Servina D. Turrell, Helen
d. Adams, E. P Dickie and Horace
Dickie, more particularly the first
named sister. Judge Donohue appointed
w. c. Traphagen, E. Bradley and W.
A. Seavers as commissioners. The
Sheriff jury and the commission were
satisfied, after several meetings, that a
wrong had been attempted against Miss
Dickie, and upon their suggestion
Judge Donahue appointed Mr.. Lewis
L. Delafield to look after her interests.
1t was found that Miss Dickie had been
confined in Bloomingdale Asylum since
September, 1871; that while there she
| had refused to associate with the luna
tics and was in all respects like sane
woman. Throughout her whole pre-
vious life she was proved to have been
sane. A large number of Miss Dickie's
schoolmates testified that while at
school she was a bright and sensible girl,
had no difficulty with other girls, and
was proficient in her various studies,
especially in French and music. 1t APP
pears that she had kept house for herfa--
Their after she was grown up, was devoted
in religious matters, liberal in charita-
BILE enterprises, and a constant attend
ant upon the services in the church of
which she was member. Her sisters
always disliked her. One of her sisters
persuaded her to leave her fathers
house in 1871, under the promise that
she would have much gayer time liv
ing with her. Miss Dickie consulted
with friends, who advised her not to 60.
She went, however, and after being in
her sisters house about ten days her
sister employed DIR. VIM. Hanford
White, her friend and medical adviser,
and he gave a certificate upon which
the young woman was taken to Bloom
ingdale Asylum.
DIR. White testified that he had never
treated Susan, and never spoken to her,
and had only seen her in passing
through the rooms of the house when
attending her father; he examined her,
however, for a few minutes, and then
signed the certificate of lunacy. He
did not know the day or the year when
the certificate was made, and refused to
say what he was paid for it. Drs. Ham
| C1,-,,,o,. o,o,l +octifiaI ha
fore the jury that Miss Dickie was per-
fectly sane and able to take care of
her person and property. Drs. Peters
and Packard testified that she was a
person of weak mind and subject to
decisions, but on croSS-eXamination it
appeared that they were not experts,
and not even familiar with medical
terms relating to insanity. Letters
written by the young woman during a
period of many years, some of them
from the asylum, were put in evidence,
and in their subject matter and style
were very interesting, coherent, and
showed high grade of culture and in
telligence.
Miss Dickies family testified that she
was insane, and that the asylum was
the only place she was fit to live in. II
appeared from the testimony that in
case she was adjudged lunatic her
brothers and sisters would receive about
5000, 900 more from their fathers estate,
inasmuch as she would be unable to
make will disposing of her share, and
they would receive all the accumula-
tons, The Sheriff S jury rendered their
verdict last night, declaring that Miss
Dickie is not lunatic, and that she is
capable of the government of herself
and the management of her property
They said further that she was of sound
mind during all the time of her confine.
ment in Bloomingdale asylum; that that
institution is not and has not been g
suitable dwelling-place for her, and
that she should Immediately be per.
mitted to remove therefrom. The jury
found that all her brothers and sisters
approved of, and some of them were in
strumental, in the confinement of theil
sister in the asylum. The jurors sug
gested that the court should nominate
or appoint some suitable and competent
person to watch over the interests Of
Miss Dickie, assist and advise her ir
the employment of suitable agents fol
the management of her estate and il
the expenditure of her income. The jury
said in conclusion that the testimony
clearly established that no one of the
brothers or sisters of Miss Dickie is 8
proper person to be SO nominated.
Patrick Dickie, Susan's father, dice
on the 10Th of last November at an adj
, vanced age and imbecile, leaving prop
erty worth nearly million of dollars
, He gave Susan the income of ovel
$4,000, the principal to go to her chill
dren, or, in default of children, to hel
, brothers and sister.-N. Y World.
How Matches Are Made.