The New York herald., 1879-03-28
CRIME Or NEGLIGENCE
An Insane Woman'S Death in the Asylum
on Blackwell'S Island.
HER BODY COVERED WITH WOUNDS.
How She Came To Be Arrested
and Imprisoned.

Some time ago Mrs. Emily Graham, young mar
ried woman subject to Ats of insanity was arrested
on unfounded charge of drunkenness and
committed to the Island. The mistake appears to
have been discovered. and she was transferred to
the lunatic asylum. She let out on
her husbands application. but. becoming asain
insane. was sent back. remaining three
months Her husband brought her back last Mon
day and she died after. When at liberty she
was enaciatcd IN tho extreme ate ravenously and
had every appearance of person who had been in
sufficiently nourished Horrible wounds disGgured
her whole body. How her wounds wore occasioned
it is for the Coroner's inquest-which should be
most thorough-to determine.
DIR. DUNCAN MAKES PROTEST.
The certificate of the death of Mrs Emily Graham
was received at the Board of Health Office in Mott
street yesterday morning from DIR. James NJ. Duncan
the attending physician. The primary cause Of
death stated to be mania and the secondary
hamilton which in plain English signified that in
the opinion of the physician the woman had been
Starved to DEATH The certificate further showed that
the woman had been removed from the luuatic asy-
lum Blackwels Island to her home. Nc. 1Gl Lewis
street. last Monday the oath inst. The following let
ter accompanied the certfcate:-
No. 1O2 COLUMBIA STREET, March 26 1879.
Emily Graham brough. to her home from the Insane
first called to attend her found her extremely enact
The relatives that shs bsa.en.
ss . s" ns L a
nes'and neglect on tho part Fl srE
DR.. Nagle. Deputy Register of the Health Board at
once sent the papers the Coroners Office. with the
following notc:-
HoSoRApLE BOARD or CoRoNERs:-
GrNr.ENEsThe enclosed certificate of death OF Emily
together with the noto OF Dr. James NJ Duncan Of No i3
abuse cruel treatment &C. Of the deccased who for
CATION necessary in order satisfy the relatives and
''0"o' '0 '''' join SXGE Dcpay Register
Acting on this information Coroner Ellinger took
the matter in hand and will make thorough and
searching inquiry into the In company with
Deputy Coroner Goldschmidt he will proceed to the
residence Of the deceased to-day at ten O'Clock to
make tho preliminary examination.
suppose you walk round with me to the house
and SEQ tho body" said Dr.. Duncan. when the
HERALD reporter stated that the object of his visit
was to investigate tho of Mrs Emily Graham
aud her alleged i'll treatment at the Insane Asylum.
BLACKWELL Island "In such cases there is nothing
like seeing for ones SELF.
Accordingly DR.. Duncan kindly accompanied the
reporter to Mrs. Graham's late residence. There
was presented most pitiful and dt porable sight.
Lewis street is by no means one OF the fashionable
needed the services of the Street Cleaning Depart
ment. Near the middle OF the block were
prepossessing appearance Into one Of these the re-
porter entered with his companion. 1t evident
at rst sight that the occupants wero of the poorest
class. Mr.. Graham and his family lived on the top
floor. In small. squalid unfurnshed and uncar-
petod front room were the remains Of Mrs. Emily
VIEWING REMAINS VICTIM.
The body lay on long pine board supported by
two chairs. 1t covered with an ordinary bed
alent md n le In of W on he face
Removing these it was seen that the body, which
clothed only i'll an old nightgown. was strapped
had served as trunk strap. Loosoning the
garment sight of horror presented itself. On each
abrasions IRON some hard rough surface The
outer skin was rubbed away in spots varying from
quarcr of an inch to an inch in diameter The inner
skin was gone too. leaving bare thc very ibres and
liar tissues of the body. Similar marks
the legs and feet On the back was large wound
almost big enough to insert the hand. very much
discolored. decomposition having apparently set in
The ears were almost torn of, jagged and broken ut
the roots as though the body had been suspended
forcibly dragged around by them The body itself
was very much emaciatcd, and could not have
weighed over ninety pounds
reporter entered and expressed her grief by pteous
walls. A little boy named Willie, about seven or
eight years old, the only child of the deceased, was
also present. The old woman objected at first to
leaving tho room but she was finally persuaded to do
so, aud after imprnting 9 passionate kiss on the
her the little boy. Mr.. John Graham the husband
of the deceased, Is oiler and fireman by trade and
works on board steamers whenever the occasion
presents itself. He married in September, 1S7l
and his wife thirtyone years of age at the time
OF hcr death In the early part Of last October Mrs
or mania.
Mr.. Graham had come into the room during the
examination of the remains, and from him the
porter learned the details Of his sad story.
TIE HUSBANDS STORY.
octabcr he stated he won't with HIS wife 20 '1 4
grocery store ut the corner OF Grand and tt streets
to buy some tea He went into the store to
make the purchase while his wife remained
outside. They were thcn living ct No. 1853 Lewis
street directly opposite the house Of Mrs. Grahams
mother. Mrs. Bridget Peach, where they aftcrward
removed. After remaining in the store about 1--WE
minutes he came out and found that his wife had
disappeared Not finding her near BY lie returned
home and found that she had not got back. He then
searched all for her. visiting all the downtown
station houses on the east sdc the Seventh precinct
Eleventh at Union Market the Thirteenth in Delancey
street, and the Seventeenth at the OF First
niasinu ~oan. Weoried BY his inecctnsl search
and his mind filled with sad forcbodings he returned
to his dcsolatcd home about midnight. No tdings
OF his wife had been received Early on the follow
ing morning he proceeded to Police Headquarters
and with heavy heart and nervous hand anxiousy
scanned tho returns from the different precincts.
On those sent in from the Eighteenth precinct, In
East Twcnty-second street he found that sho had
been arrested in Seventeenth street on the pre-,
made charge Of drunkenness and dsor-
derly conduct against her. Shc had bccn
The returns also stated that she had been taken to
tho Ffty-sevcnth Street Court in tho morning and
arraincd bc>prc Justice Bixby for intoxication by
whom she lad been sentenced TO Binckwcns Island
for thirty days. Then tho whole story
made plain to the sorrowing husband She had been
seized with one OF her temporary hts OF insanity,
aud had wandered about the streets not knowing
WHITTIER until late hour Then soino intelligent
member of thc finest force, not having discretion
enough TO tell the difference between drunkenness
and insanity. had caused hcr incarceration.
DrxDY nErUsi.s To RELEASE HIS PRISONER.
Tor M m nj iuedr sou lint no
not sent immediately TO tho Island but remained
one day ut Bellevue Hospital, whence she was trans
fcrred to the Workhousc. In The meantime Mr..
Graham went Co Justice Bisby and repre-
scented that his wife subject to
fits of insanity, and asked that she be
restored to him. She not drunk, he said aud
had tasted liquor any description for more than
eight months prior 10 her arrest Justice Bixby aI-
pears to have disbcliovcd the mans story for he
fused TO grant tho request
At Bellevue Hospital Mr.. Graham learned that she
had been transferred TO the Island IIe went there