Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1878-02-23
An EXTRAORDINARY CAsE-Tbe fact


Dickie, has been shut up in lunatic
asylum of that State tor six years, and
has at last been declared sane by an in
telligent jury, on the overwhelming
proofs of experts aud others who testit-
ed that she was of perfectly sound mind
and had never given the slightest indi-
cation of insanity, suggests dismal
possibility that officials appointed to
ascertain the question of insanity are
incompetent or dishonest. Miss Dickie
was thirty-nine years old when she was
sent to the Bloomingdale Asylum, and
the interest in her case appears to have
been awakened by the recent publica-
ton of the will of her father, who died
last autumn and left her one,sixtE of
the income of his estate, which was
valued at 100000 Miss Dickie was
brought into court, and conducted her
own case without counsel. She showed
the greatest clearness and accuracy in
reply to all questions. Medical experts,
who had thoroughly examined her case
and former friends so conclusively es-
tablished her sanity that the commits
sioners and jury unanimously concurred
in ordering her release. Yet her own
family, asylum officials and four physi-
clans sought to keep her in lunatic
asylum, where she has been for six
years, and the only wonder is that her
Imprisonment did not make her lunatic.
The passion for money seems capable of
leading to any crime. The most eff
fective safeguards should be adopted to
prevent such horrors as this. Indeed
there is TO better field for true philan-
thropy than the unsleeping supervision
OF all public institutions, whether lunatic
asylums, poor houses, prisons, &c, for
there are examples in one aud all that
the greatest abuses may be practiced
unless they are regularly and systemati-
cally watched. The case of Miss Dickie,
however, is still before New York
court on a motion to confirm the YER
dict of the jury declaring her 20 be sane.
The motion is opposed by a sister of
Miss Dickie. Counsel for the sister
moved to set aside the findings of the
jury, mainly on the ground that It's
finding was inconsistent in finding Miss
Dickie sane and yet recommending that
guardian of her properly, some one
not of her family, be appointed. If she
was sane, counsel argues, the court had
no power to appoint guardian. She
must either choose her own business
agent, contrary to the yerdict,or it must
be set aside Her father did not ask to
confne her, but, for the safety of them
selves aud Others dealing with her pro-
perry, asked another commission. The
judge reserved his decision.
In New York, on Friday, Judge Bra
dy confirmed the report OF the commits
sioners of lunacy in relation to Miss
Susan Dickie, who had been confined in
lunatic asylum six years, and in an
elaborate written opinion gave his rea-
sons for directing her to be freed from
all custody and restraint. Heapproved
the course of the commission in provid-
ing for the proper legal representation
of Miss Dckie, and declared tina: the
alleged irregularities committed by it
were in the interest of justice. The
suggestions by the jury that temper
AIRY guardian for Miss Dickie be appoint
ed did not, he said, in any way affect
the question of her sanity, and he de-
clared that her own appearance be-
fore the jury was eminently proper. He
suggested that persons committed for lu-
macy should be examined at stated in
tervals by other persons than those who
bv constant association with them are
APP, to take their insanity for granted,
and that in all cases there should be a
trial within thirty days after commit
ment for lunacy. He then denounced
the Imprisonment of Miss Dckie as
disgrace to our civilization and intelli-
gence. He thought it impossible to
believe that her illegal confinement was
the result Of design or combination, but
added that if there was plot, the per-
sops engaged in it ought to be most Sc
verely punished. AT all events, Judge
Brady added, every care should be taken
70 prevent the occurrence Of another
similar outrage. In accordance with
| Judge Brady's decision Miss Dickie was
released from Bloomingdale Asylum on
Saturday afternoon, and returned to her
old homestead in New York.
SHOCKING CASE OF TRIculNE A
| Vounrotoup Ohio 6ispat,.h sayS.