The New York herald., 1878-02-26
CRAzED BY CONFINEMENT.
An Inmate of Ludlow Street Jail
Driven Frantic by Grief.
A LEGAL INVESTIGATION HELD.
The Prisoner Sent to the State
Hospital for Treatment.

In tho Court of Common Pleas yesterday Judge
Robinson called upon to decide as 10 the sanity OF
man who for throe weeks has been imprisoned in
Ludlow street JAIL and whose unhappy CONDITION 10
thought to be due his broodng over tho injustice
OF his confinement While an impression exists In
the minds that tho sufferer prior to his sncar
ccration was eniecblcd mentally, The evidence OF
all who wcro Intimately associated with him
points at modification ard worriment ~ the
causes of his insanity. Tho maady was so sudden
and its effects manifested soon and SO paipaby
that the parties responsible for his confinement wcrc
unprepared TO credit its at all and chose 10
bel,eyo rather, that the prisoner was shamming mad
moss in the hope Of securing relief from prosecution
The vcrdic: of a commission IN unacy and the tesii-
mony of the Prison Warden. however, satisfied
the Court yesterday OF the mans insanity. In
accordance with motion submitted by Messra
vanderpoeL Green and Cunning II was ordered
that the prisoner j. Earle Putnam bc discharged from
the custody OF the Sheriff. tn be placed In safe keeping
and conveyed 10 the Hudson River State Hospital for
tho Insane, that Institution being the asylum ap-
pointed for the county OF New York, there to remain
till restored to his right mind 1t was further ordered
that upon Putpams discharge the Shorid be released
from liability as to his custody
WARDEN wArsoN's AFFIDAVIT.
Judge Robinson, In giving his decision, stated tha
he had approved tho certificates or Drs. O'Brien
and Messemer touching the case, aud believed that
the following afldavit OF the Prison Warden made
Putnams insanity apparent:-
81, william Watson, testify that am Warden OF
Ludlow Street JAIL and as such have charge OF all
prisoners confined on civil process l have received
and now have in my custody orc j. Earle Putnam,
whom hold by order OF the sheriff Of the city and
county of New York under order OF arrest
issued in this action requiring him 10 rD 90
said J. Earle Putnam since his Imprisonment has be.
come insane to render his longer remaining In
my custody dangerous not only to himself but to the
other prisoners At times he very violent, requr-
ing tho united efforts OF i've or six men 10 conne him
in CELL He eaten nothing for several days, so
that, as am informed by several medical men, he
should be placed under proper medical treatment ana
confined In some asylum, and not 90 leit where MS
symptoms becoming more and more serious"
Acting on the ruling Of the Court Wardea Watson
yesterday afternoon removed Putnam from his quar-
Ludlow Street jail ana sent him 10 the nsy iu
In the custody of Marshal Higgins and Keeper
McGovern. Only three weeks ago the maniac who
yesterday descended the steps OF the jail and covered
back into the carriage prepared Tor him appeared
la court under arrest a tall, handsome fellow,
the very embodiment Of health and strength
He was fully six feet In height, had jet
black hair and mustache, and seemed IN
he SsoH y1so RI. man who emerged from
Tho Keepers room was gaunt and haggard, with
Ihaggy hair, sunken eyes, wan features. Putnam was
Tho very ghos, OF himself He had been found in hrs
,eiI yesterday morning after wild paroxysm worn
,ut passive, and when the Warden coniucted him
told to do and acted like automaton rather than
man. His appearance seemed amply sufficient to put
all doubts TO his mental condition 10 rest On the
four O'Clock train tho party started Tor Poughkeepsie
where the Hudson River State Hospital Is located.
WHAT DROVE PUTNAM MAD
Tho story OF Putna IN and the growth
Of his dreadful affection Is peculiar one He was
cutter in clothing establishment, and proficient
hand at OF late he resided ut the Clarence
Holei at No IL Clinton place, whore he made the
quaiutance Of a couple OF follow boarders named
William +. o. Fay and John Kernes, who followed the
calling OF scurbstone BROKERS'" and were disposed 10
engage In spocuIatiops that promised well Vnese
eentie men some time since, it 10 stated, mad dni-
Guilty with putnam, growing out OF loan Fay
trying TO negotiate with him. The sum was compare
lively small but the method adopted TO secure iat:
asked MIN for SIS and offered HIM note with
kefnes' Endorsement op It, The authenticity OF TINS
ne doubted, and quarrel began between the pair.
winch resulted in the boarders getting wind of the
transaction. presumably from Putnam Al all
events Fay accused him oil circulating mischiev-
nus ISLANDERS about him and consulted Messrs.
Howe hummel with view to bring an action
npaius. MIN. Tney presented afIldavits OF Fay and
Kerncs charging Putnam with Indignantly deiaminG
the former aud demanding S2oOOo damages me
complaint was deemed sufficiently grave to u thy the
, Court In holding Putnam default OF $2, 800 bail.
Ho was sont Ludlow Street JAIL from which,
however, ho at first hoped to secure speedy
release. HIS application TO somo friends OF his for
assistance in this strait was however upavailng, and
he saw that the prospect OF long Imprisonment
stared him In tho lace He diG not complain for
whie however and only lost heart when he received
letter said to be from young lady no was en-
gagged TO. OF course the contents OF this cpistle
were q secret between the prisoner and the writer
of IT, but his sudden dependency alter lis
perusai gave color to story that It was dcciination
OF his afLanced TO continue hor engagement with u
person confined he was. However that may be- It
is certain that Putnam's spirits left him. He became
moody and rcstess paced the corridor frctfuy and
complained Of pain in head. On this DR.. Thomas
f. O'Brien, the physician OF the JAIL was sum-
pitiabIe state. lie SAID he was racked with pain
but seemed unable and disnclined TO describe his
symptoms. The Doctor examinedthis head and found IND
on opc SIDE oil peculiar indeDtaton. seemingly the
rcsult OF some serious wound received years ago. Ho
inquired ofPutnam the nature OF the indenlaon but
tho latter seemed retiecnt ana would on,y say. Oh,
do not know how IL occurred. / suppose was
struck or something"
A RAvISG MANIAC.
About a week ago the inmates OF the jail were
awakened one night by dreadful shrieks and hoarse
cry for help. The keepers hurried to learn the
cause OF the clamor aud found 1t issued from Put
nam's cell. He had drawn himself np against the
wall and was shrinking IRON the attack oi some
imagin nary assassin Tho keepers tred TO paciiy him
and partially succeeded, but after that he never fully
recovered his faculties. When Dr. OBrien came next
morning he went TO tho patients cell aud was
surprised at the change that bad occurred In him.
HIS eyes wild and gttcring and he kept rolling
that was threatening him. The doctor tried TO draw
him into conversation, and at once discovered that
the man was subject 10 wild deusions about himself
and MS surroundings He told with an air oi
secrecy that he had ia;homed the secret OF his
imprisonment The keepers, he said, had mur:
dercd ahe woman he loved and they had buried
her body ia heap of sawdust which lay 10 an aJjoiL
Ing cell Hs had heard her cries aud seen her corpse,
and he knew that the Keepers had stolen from her
$4,000 DR.. o. Brien tried TO divert tho PATIENTS
thoughts into some moro rational chantel, but In
VAIN, ana whom he desired 10 ndm mister some
soot nIng draughts he found that Putnam had con-
seived The insane idea that he was In league
with others TO poison nim From the moment n
which this ancy possessed him, nc could not be in
duccd TO take nourshment. In TACT, ho would not
permit any come near MIN except Warden Vat
son. A. length he became entirciy unmanageabc.
He would pace the corridor, shreking into the cell
DOORS putnam Is here you viliansl You cannot Kill
biu.. y ON Wodnosday hc broke into the hallway,
rushed up aud down, leaping upon scttees aud
trying 10 scale the windows, and was busiy
engaged smashing the glass In them with his naked
hand whom the keepers approached, and he quietly
pubmtted 10 thcIn. Again he was discovered gazing
put into the street, and scrawing undeciphcrable
notes upon lito bits OF paper, which he was trying
TO float into open air When disturbed ne turned
away and concealed his writing, but Immediately
DroEe with triumphant cry OF 81 don't care now
She shall get them"
Ou saturday The hrst steps were taken to have
Putnam removed to an asylum. he commission in
Iunacy WAS appointed and examined the patient at
once. Yesterday morning tue prisoner was 10 DC
taken from his cell The keepers came 10 md tho
door barricaded The demented man had raised his