Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-11-16

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Father 20 gss~e His ossghser into
The following from the Portland
Standard viii interest the pumerous per
sons hereabeuts who remember the
vanity struck. pompous. empty headed
Lsander Holmes. 4. n. Prosecuting At
toFney OF the Territory twenty years
ago:
Yesterday afternoon al 2.:so an inqui-
sition was held by County Judge
Stearns and Drs. David kaffefy and
Frazier of the charge Of insanity pre-
ferred by Leander Holmes against his
daughter, Mrs. Gertrude Howard Rhe
testimony showed only too plainly that
there was diaboltcal plot 10 get the
child ont of the way, and the husband
and father of the girl ought TO hang
their heads in shame.
Leander Holmes, she father, was once
Attorney General Of Warrington Terri
tory, and claims the honor of naminy
Abraham Lincoln for the Presidency q
the Chicago Convention In 1860: that
Is, his vote was necessary to make the
nomination. He testified that his former
wife, Mrs. s. +. Matthews, was subject
to hysterical fits. which we're violent at
tunes, and that q sister of Mrs. Mat
thews was now in the insane asylum;
that Mrs. Howard has similar spells TO
those Of her mother, and that he had
found her in dangerous condition On
several occasions He also said that the
girl was about 16 years Of eae.
Fred Howard, the husband, who was
clerk in the Cherneketa Hotel, Salem,
when s. r. Matthews kept it, testified
that his wife had violent insane spells;
that he gave her all the money he made
and went without himself; that he had
on suit of clothes which he purchasd
five years ago, and that she was not Ca
pable of taking care of the BABY, which
is about Is months old.
Mrs. Howard testified that she never
had any paroxysns until after she was
married, and not then until an opera
ton had been performed on her by a
doctor, at the special instance and re-
quest of Mr.. Howard that after she
was insarcerated in Jail Sheriff Sears
was notified that il she would give up
the child the insanity proceedings
would be dismissed. She said that if
her father had done right by her and
given her an education, she would not
be where she il. She said her father
bad made all the trouble between her
and her husband.
w. +. Holmes, brother of the VIC
tim, testified that the matter was put
up; that his sister was not insane, or,
at least, not 30 much as his father.
The doctors made their finding that
she was sane, and she was accordingly
discharged. with the custody of her
baby.
W. p. Holmes sends the following let
tor for publication
The DALLKs, November IL, 1888.
Editor Sfdndard-I notice in Sundays
Standard an article headed "An Out
rage" which is none the less true, and
what makes il worse is that it was COM
United by her father, Leander Holmes,
who pretends to be man, which is not
the case he is in the shape of one
only. l shall admit, and as il generally
known, my father has abandoned all
his offspring and will do nothing for
them. II any of them (the girls in
particularly does not do as he dictates,
he claims that they are insane and en-
deavors TO have them arrested and CON-
fined on such a charge. He has tried to
have my slater Cora. AZ well as Ger
trude. sent to the asylum, but has failed
with the former for the reason that she
would not recognize him as father, or
even An acquaintance; but he has sue
ceeded, fear. with Gertie MRS. How
ard, though she is no more insane than
be is not az much 30. He ought to he
sent there in her place, instead of roam
ing about the streets Of Portland doing
nothing but causing trouble with his
family what is left of them /.
As for her husband, I never
did think anything of him. for
knew him well before he married my
sister and told him that | never would
give my consent, (but as il turned out
had no consent to eive). tried to per
suade my mother and father to object
but they would not, 50 they were mar
ried and this is what has come to them.
She Mrs. Howard) came TO The Dalles
and told me that she had left her hus-
band on account Of his treatment.
received letters from Ter husband and
father, requesting me to forward her
back TO Portland, as they wished the
baby but did not care or her. I have
the letters in my possession now. and
unless my sister is released, and that
soon, and sent or allowed to come to noe
shall have them Published.
You will confer favor on me and her
friends II you will publish this letter,
from her brother. w. p. HOLMES.
II is hard enough for person who ia
really insane to be confined among lu-
natics in the asylum, but when father
who refuses to support his childen. who
does little else than lounge about hotels,
while . young son Ia allowed to run
with hoodlums and spend most of his
time IN jail for the want Of home, con-
spires with an over-grown man to drive
his OWE child to imprisonment he should
b condemned by public opinion, TO say
the least.