The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-16
MRS. BANNISTER'S SANITY.
DETERMINING THE MENTAL STATE OF
4 WOMIN WORTH $4,000.

| DEIEKMfNfNG THE MENTAL STITE Of
4 WOM.iN WORTH $4,000.
She secretes Money In the Back Yard, Calls
her Committee " Beasts" tho Doctors bis
| agree, and the Jury Pronounce her Insane.
Mrs. Diana Bannister was the owner Of
the thrce-story and attic brick house. 40 West
Washington place, worth $1,000. at the time
the application was made last April for the writ
dc lunatco inquircndo. She had also 1850 in
United States bonds. 1898 in silver, $50 worth Of
jewclry. and sG3 worth Of furniture. Since tho
proceedings were begun a mortgage OF $1,000
has been put upon the house by Mr.. Samuel
| Goodwin. who was appointed by tho Court to
take charge OF her and her property.
Mrs. Banniser ia widow GO years Of age.
She has for years lived aono in her house,
which was bcqucathed to her by her husband.
and has had but little Intercourse with her only
| next Of kin two sisters, Miss Giles. aged about
| go and Mrs Ann Elizabeth Ely. In April last
| these sisters employed George W. Wilson and
| Ethan Allen 10 got out the writ. and a jury then
pronounced Mrs. Bannistcr incapable Of taking
care OF her property. She complained to the
court that she had not received due notice, and
another jury was impanellcd that found the
verdict yesterday Robert Dodge. DIR. Froder-
| lex Dame. and Charles II. Has well were the
| commission.
pearcd upon the witness stand. and behaved I'm
| the most eccentric manner. When about to be
sworn. it was found that she was very deaf,
| and, after the oath was explained to her. she
| exclaimed:
MY God, am lunatic?'
Then she pointed promiscuously TO the audi
ence as her porsecut ors. and said that the COM
mssioners had done her n terrible wrong. She
| said one of the witnesses was Jealous Of her
| smartncss: that she was crushed woman. and
| that they wanted to kill her; that the Sheriff
| had taken some of her property from her. but
! that she had successfully concealed some OF il.
| Her manner was excited in the extreme. She
| gestculated violently and refused to drink
/ from A glass of water herarse her sister had
! drank from it. Although she was brought from
| Blopmingdale Asylum TO the court she spoke
/ lawyer. Mr. Everett T. Wheeler. cndcavorcd to
account for her violent manner by saying that
/ she was Justly indignant NJ being deprived Of
! her lilrrty. and at what she believed was the
rnius,iiiahe squaudering Of her properly. II
| was thought best. however hy her friends that
slr should not bs present IN court yesterday.
In regard to Mrs. Blnnisters conduct, tho
sisters testified that she was pcnurous. and
/ ivCd hithiiy that she wac reput"d inthe neigh
/ horhOod e. hc insane that sho refused e. rem.
| her house. and thereby lost the income, and
| thm she was totally unit 10 be trusted without
| guardian.
a number Of friends and some cousins Of
| Mrs. Bannister were in court ana visihly man
/ Tested their sympathy Tor her and their dislike
by "A desire 10 get hold OF Mrs. Bannistcr's
/ Mrs Bannister and her effects some days be-
i,re her sympathizing friends found 1t out
/ says that Mrs. Bannster wPs Il prisoner IN her
! own house, Ill fed. and matrented. Mrs. Reavy
and and S Mr. wheeer rS 10 n" try s and ' fesene
| her. All these friends and cousins. mostly
opinionr. Of the sisters and thor witnesses out
| loud. They cried shame. and oh. and
S MG ser o2 ycu 9aa moa "a nsS to
got her property yourself woCidn You 2 anu
kep; up running fire Of comments on Mr.
Concerning the treatment d Mrs Banni!ter
9y the committee appgintcd by the Court, Nr
Adams. these gentlemen testified 70 the untidi-
ness OF the house, the violence OF Mrs. Bunnis-
ter's manner. calling thom beasts :" to her
| burying money in the back yard, and other
Mrs Banni-ier's cousins and friends said
| that she WAS only odd that she was perfectly
able TO take care Of her property. and had in
fnct Increased its value since her husbands
ealing them beasts tina that Nr, ADAMS refused to
buried hcr money in the buck yard was because
she Wa afraid - trust the savings banks.
In regard 70 Mr.. Bannisier'- mrntnl condi-
ton. llr seguin aud tive other doctors iesiiile l
/ thai She was insane. while DR.. Ranncy's tcsti-
10 zee her at Bloomingdale Asylum at The re;
quest Of her sister Miss Giles. aud conversed
with her i9r an hour He could not sec thai she
was not ~ sound mind. she WAS Of peculiar
and eXctabe temperament. especially when
/ speaking Of her cont. ncment IN the asylum, and
when Gle talked OF the abuse Of her by her
friends and trustees.
Chorus Of cousins" Yes yes That's So"
He thought she needed iudicious advice in
the caro- Of her property, but that she was 10y no
means person who ought To- be confined in an
asylum: her eXcitabe condition Of mind at
present was in great degree due TO her con-
vlction that her property was being squanderei
by irresponsible parties, lie did not wonder AZ
all that she was very violent when she learned
that her estate had been mortgaged for n 300
taud lie could not see any reason for such II
mortgage and when she found herself confined
10 a story In her house. her friends excluded.
ana 2 man sleeping III the same story ;
she was sound enough To- come 10 "a
correct conclusion SO far as the speuding Of tho
money was concerned. Although he had gone
70 the asylum with the Impression tina, she was
insane. that impression had been removed by
his conversation with her 1T two interviews.
She showed IA much sanity as hecould imagine
any person could who was 50 placed. He did
not consider her person o. strong mind she
was not woman Of great intellectual capacity,
wholly lncompathc with the idea that she was
afflicted with domenua. She gave him minute
account Of her treatment Mt the asylum. and a
correct recollection OF events long pQst, rs vol
as those OF recent occurrence There was
nothing t. indicate any deficit OF memory. Her
shuMlng gait he accounted for by lamenesS.
and he was sure she had no soitonins OF the
While tho jury were doiberatlnG the parties
to the inquiry were obliged 70 leave the room.
inAtion occurred IN the hall. The cousins lus,
THY tongue-lashed the sisters Tor the alleged
unfeeling conduct toward Mrs. Bannistcr. and
declared vehemently that when she was sick
and working hard they never came near her.
Mr. Griswoid aud Nj. Allen also came in for a
share Of dcnunciatlon. Tho Jury finally sent
out word that they We're disturbed 10y the noise
The dcllheration OF the Jury was very brief
the verdict being that Mrs Bannister has been
of unsound mind for two years past and Is in
capable OF controlling herself or her property
They added that they did not ind that Mrs
Bannisler has not lucid intervals. OF that she
has aiennted any Of hor property.
several Of the mrymen said that i would be
a shame to keep Mrs. Bannister in the asylum
and Mr.. Goodwin promised that lie would have
her removed To some more cOngcninl place at a
very carly period. II" also said that he believed
tho wtole proceeding would be tho best that
could happen 10 Mrs. Barnstrr, a. her hOu7u
has already been rented for $500.
~ Her Feet.