The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-13
LITTLE MISS DICKIE.
History of Her Incarceration in
Bloomingdals Asylum.
SIX YEARS IMPRISONMENT.
Doctors Hammond. Ranney and Clymer
Pronounce Her Sane.

Pronounce Her Sane.
There Is to be made befoxc Judge Brady this
Ing an application for the liberation from Blooming.
dale Asylum OF Msso usan Dickic who has been con-
fined thcre insane for six years. II is expected
that tho application will granted, In accordance
with the finding OF the shenns jury, which has Just
pronounced her sane, and thus a conclusion will be
reached to what Judge Brady himself deems a
ceetre Tho full story has until now been
published, and in columns found for the
FIRST time the details OF story rvapg that OF Alfred
Hardy, as Charles Re ade tolls in VERY Hard Cash. "
Even its brief outline Ia thrilling
About six years ago Hiss Susan Dckie, the maiden
daughter OF Patrick Dickie, a retired druggist,
was confined in Bloom.ngdaie Asylum on certificate
OF her insanity, given by Dr. William H. White
and DR.. fost, at The request OF her sister, Mrs.
Van Week. Here she has remained ever snce,
commu ncating by letter with some OF hor friends,
who believed her to be sane, but who were or
believed that they were powcrless to her.
In November last father, who had previously
been declared q luDatc. died, leaving a prop.
erty OF nearly $i,OOOO00, to be divided
ccording to the terms Of the Will among
trustees for Eve OF bis six children and
Of tho sixth, who was disinhcritcd. BY the terms
of the WILL however, the children could control the
principal OF their Inheritance. but receive
it, and their deaths the principal.
touched was to descend TO their natural heirs The
will Is contested by the disinherted son, and order
facilitate the legal business OF the estate, the
brothers and of Susan joined in the applica
ton 10 havo their sister declared insane by the
supreme Court and guardian appointed 10 look after
her interests. So matter-of-coursc an application
excited no surprise the part OF any one and Judge
Brady, to whom tho application made appointed
; commission December Q, 1877, 10 in vestigate.
ACTION THE COMMISSIONERS.
Up to this point the facts present nothing strange
People are imprisoned every week as insane IN the
way that Susan Dick,e was, according to the
testimony given by Dr. White, on whose certificate
she deprived OF her liberty and being
fined in lunatc asylum, Il is not extraordinary that
she remained there since nothing appears harder
than the inmate OF asylum Tor tho insane
tabllsh his sanity to the Satisfaction of Tho outside
world Indeed, 1t old Mr. Dicke had not died,
and It had not thus become necessary to tho
business interests OF the rest OF the family that
formal ruling Of the Court should be made,
nothing seems certain than that She would have
continued an inmate Of the asylum Indefinitely At
this point OF the story, however, 1t appears that
Msssrs. William G. rraphagsn ana William A. Ssaver
aud Dr. Edward Bradley, The commissioners appointed
by the Court were actually SO eccentric TO deter.
unedy Investigate case Tor themselves instead of
accepting testimony pronered by the brothers and
siste.s Of tue alleged lunAiic and deciding
the accordingly. So II happened that those
who had expected 10, see mere matter OF
roatins like that tied up in red tape ana pigeon
hOlcd the routine way were considerably
astonlshed. After the testimony brought by the
brothers and sisters had been taken the commissi on
ers consulted among themselves. There seemed 10
be no good for them to pause. The case
had united with the physician who had originally
pronounced her insane and with the physicians OF
the asylum in pronouncing Susan ID ckie insane,
and tue appearance OF the unfortunate woman
herself was against her Yet they paused.
THE NCARCERATED LADY.
Susan DIckie Is very dimnutive, measuring little.
II any more than four icet IN height aud very sigbL
She Is pnie with heavy hatr OF light color and not
by any means comely OF feature She IS slightly lame
from natural delormy. she Is little deaf aud
sigh ted, has impeachment IN her speech,
caused apparently the loss OF the most OF teeth
Her forehead however is large and well shaped, and
her eye Is clear and inteliigont. The Comms-
slouers looked and hesitated Perhaps they were
affected signify by the accent OF one OF ner
acted against herself ina. the ouiy place Susan
was fl Tor was an asylum. Whatever ~ was that
moved them, they decided 70 put her on the stand
III her behalf. They did not know her or know
thing previous 10 the sitting oil the case, and
from the testimony tEey behevea she was insane;
aaring decision they began questioning her. Hav-
lug begun, they were 80 surprised by the way In
length. In reply TO their questions she told them of
her whole lie in ohildho0i--at school, az home in
hss sns r .oa since IN
their names and ages; Of her ather's properly,
naming different pieces Of real estate he had owned,
and Of her re- gtous experiences and beliefs She
also questioned by number OF the jurors and TO all
the questions put she answered. clearly, cohei emily
and accurately Instead oil concluding The matter at
the Com issioners adjourned and recommended
10 Judge Brady that he should appoint some one 10
act W ner COUNSEL she having been without counsel
ana sisters were represented by Lawyer Lowerre.
Judge Brady, having already been INT crested in the
Case became So and ap.
poined MIR. Lewis l. Dela(eld to act Tor her. He
went 10 work on IL, and at length secured enough
evidence convince him oil his ceEps sanity. ln adj
dion TO the testimony OF cd iricnds OF Misc Dickic
who nad known her, some OF them all her lie, ana who
Drs, William A. Hammond, j. W. Ranney and mere
dith Clymcr, all well known experts, who, alter
fully examining the patient declared unhesitatipgly
that she perfectly sane The summed
up on saturday last aud, as reported IN the HERALD
tho story IN an unexpected manner Tho little rou-
tine necessary according 10 law before she can be iD
Grated Will, AS stated above be accomplished to-day.
THE TESTIMONY.
The testimony taken before the commission, as
said above, mas never been published IL Is very
The SALIENT, points OF it are presented below. 1t
should be said here that her sisters names Mrs.
Van Week, Mrs Durell ana Mrs. Adams, and her
brothers are Horace ana Edward Dicke. Her parents
arc both dead.
Dr. William Hammond White the physician who
certified originally to the patients INSANITY testified
that nc lived at No. West Thirty-fourtn street and
mad practscd medicine Tor about twenty.lour years;
he had never attended Miss Dickie as q
physician; he her first In 1868, and
tnereaiter frequently for three years while he
was attending her nther's family thought he was
one OF Two physicians who certified 10 ncr insanity;
did 50 after ieS minutes interview with her. held at
the house OF her sister, Mrs Van Week never ex-
ahmed ncr Tor the purpose OF learning IL she had
any physcal disease; Mrs. Van Week nad requested
him 10 haye the Interview mas no record OF the GER
tihcates OF ne kind he has granted
"Have you,' asked one oil tho Commissioners
''given other certificates upon which persons have
been confined IN asyiums otter an examination OF ten
or fifteen mint with casual acquaintance with
the patients as you have testified you had with Miss