The New York herald., 1878-11-26
a Sane Woman Confined in the Queens
County Insane Asylum.
mrs Hess STARTLING EXPERIENCE
What the Superintendent Of the Institution
Says About the Halter.
WAS THERE A CONSPIRACY :?

The case of Mrs. catharine Hess, who confined
from October Is November in the Queens County
Lunatc Asylum. and who discharged at the latter
date as having been improperly committed. is exct
ing no little attention among the residents Of
BIineoa and the vicinity Mrs. Hess is a married
about fortyhve years of age. who has lived
for many years in and around Mneola, and
who has by her saving habits accumulated some prop
prty the most of it being in New Jersey real estate
She has been years separated from her hus
band Her character is of the best aud the news
that she had been adjudged unasic received by
her many frienas in the neghborhood where she has
lived so long with horror and incrcdnty. Now
that sho has been declared by DIR. David Rogers the
Superintendent of the Asylum. not 10 have been in
sane the indignation of her friends promises search
ing investigation of the facts and it seems altogether
likely that some will be made to suffer for the
wrong that has been done TO her.
OUTRAGE.
The story which told in outline in yesterdays
HERALD does not differ in its main characteristics
lrom the stories of like outrages which from time TO
h,ne reach the public prints by seeming accident II
Is, in brief as follows:-Mrs Hess went. October
T. visit her half sister. Mrs Shonepf. of Flushing
She money with her, but not large amount
She says now that it between $50 and $40 She
was ill., having spent time in hospital in
this city After being with her sister for a few days
she placed herself under the OF DR.. Badger and
little later is said to have been examined to her
sanity by two physicians who pronounced her in
sane. She then taken to the asylum in Mineola.
where Dr. Rogers received her without the
order Of the Court on order from the Superin
lendent of the Poor. 1t appears that in such
rases the allows the superintendent of asylum
10 receive patient and to hold him or her for ten
Rays pending the arrival of the order Mrs. Hess
accordingly held, and on October % or the eleventh
day of her Imprisonment, the order of the court
arrived. together with note from Judge John
j. Armstrong, before whom the application for
her commitment had been made. In this note Judge
Armstrong said that. on account OF doubts which
had been expressed to him OF Mrs. Hess insanity he
requested that careful investigation should be made
and the facts reported to him. although the cerf-
Gates fun and ample that he had hardly room
for doubt.
REPLY DOCTORS.
DR.. Rogers suffered some days-how long does not
exactly appearto elapse without answering the note.
it is averred and Judge Armstrong wrote second
note to the Doctor and also to DR.. Philip NJ.
Wood, Of Jamaica, the visiting physician Of the asy
lum, in which he somewhat more sharply directed
that the facts should be reported to hun. To this
second note the two physicians sent the following
reply
Yoar letter accompanying the certificates in unacy Of
@ adnea 70 iii. ssm ocobsr Is s mon M sns s
order Of Superintendent simons In first examination
the Examination II her case had been mprppsriy hasy
make her an psrop from ensani asaynS 40
% her from the date above named my, opinion
livered her 10 her friends If they had made such
aay s%atna P'H legal papors They arrived
cay prosrated from long standing requiring med
time may pr,ice deran geicn
mus, have been produced by her taking some strong
dus such morphine producing msnsl WANDERING ha.
person 20 commit her to an asylum a. Innate Yours,
Superintendent Queens County Asylum.
PHILIP N. MOOD. N. D.. Attending Ply ysician.
Immediately receipt of this report Judge Arm
strong ordered Mrs Hess 10 be released. and she
accordingly set At liberty.
WHAT DR. ROGERS SAYS.
HERALD reporter Yesterday visited the asylum.
which is about mile from the village OF Mneoia. 1t
is the building formerly used the Queens
County Court House, but it has been made into o
comfortable abode for the physician in charge and his
sixty odd patients. DIR. Rogers tall elderly gen.
tleman, OF severe. but not nnkindly expression
OF countenanee, who. when he learned his visitors
errsnd seemed at once 10 place himself on the defen
sise.
known about this matter he said. IF you will wait
until the Jamaica paper is published this week you
will learn all we have TO say about it,"
The reporter assured DR. Rogers that he could not
wait 50 long. and would be glad 10 hear how he tthe
Doctor came TO retain in his asylum tventy-one
days patient whom he did believe be insane.
'fhe law allows to keep a patient for ten
days pending the arrival OF the order the Court,
h. replied .'she was brought herr on October n ard
the 2sth, / had had visits from many OF
the citizens of the place who interested in her
Gaze, notified one of them that would deliver her
up. On the 18th, however, none of them having ap-
piled for ber in the meantime received the order of
commitment from Judge Armstrong
did she not express desire 70 leave ?? a.ked the
reporter.
clan.
what treatment did she have while she was with
yous"
BELIEVED 10 BE INSANE
II treated her for her physical a5nrnt. was i'm
pressed By the first nights examination with the be
lief that she not insane. but that her condition OF
lassitude was such AZ would be caused bS prep
arstion Of morpha. 40 not mean that was entirely
satisfied the point Of her sanity that did not
need TO make any further examination, but believed
ehe was sane"
what led you to this belief r.
''She did not show any of the signs Of insanity
when subjected her to the test replied the physi-
what do you mean by the teet r. was the next
question. what kind OF test r.
II should think, said DIR. Rogers. that your own
mind would answer that question.
Being told tnat the reporter preferred answer
from HIM. In. Rogers explained shat hore.wcrc c.r-
tain distinguishing characteristics of insanity which
could be detected by examination, Dut that ho had
failed 10 hnd any Of them in Mr.. Hess ease.
II believe, said he, that her nlaady il such that
II may eventually result in insanity il she is prop
eriy treated. but sine is not now INSANE
viii you show me the pby ysician's certificate on
which she was committed to the asylum" asked the
II j. not here Dr. Wood has taken it away" was
the reply
''wil son tell tho name OF tho ply sician who
signed itf'
That must decline to do If believed that there
was any intention OF doing wrong on their part 1
would tell you without hesitation. but do not. 1
must Insist that there certainly has boon aud
DO not believe there has been anywhere any inten-
tion OF injustice done to Mrs. Hess. | had n visit
from Mrs Hess sister the other day ami she told me
the story Mrs Hess told about tine sickness she
had iu FluHhing'
why IiTriE SAY.
Being asked For the particulars of this story DR..
Rogers declined to give them and said further that
he could not give the sisters maine. as he
had neyer heard il. Ho said that Mrs Hess
son, young man OF twenty-five bad been
70 the asylum to visit his mother during
the time she there He had explained
tho TO the young man who had advised her to
remain, she being well treated Mrs. Hess
appears 10 have taken the advice, and IT does not
clearly appear how she could have helped IT.
In reference 10 the ncighburs who had called 10 in
qire about the Dr. Iiogrfs sed that many
twenty Of them had been thcre Of
them as late ten o'clock at night He
thea showed letter which he had prepared
for publication in local paper In which ne reviewed
the iscts of Mrs. Hess confinement. not explaining