Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-15
ALLEGED INSANITY.


now to be seen in his Office.
ALLEGED INSANITY.
denomination Of Thomas Chambers ia the
Probate Court Yesterday.
TIE examination of Thomas Chambers,
charged by his wife to be of unsound mind,
was resumed yesterday afternoon in the Pr bate
court before Judge LELAND and medical boa I'd
consisting Of Drs. Fairbain and Jones.
Judge Shaw appeared for Mr.. Chambers and
known him for years were present,
having volunteered to testify in
his behalf. Prior to the examination Mr., Cham
bers gave GLOBE representative q sketch Of his
past life, and detailed at length the stsry OF his
domestic troubles. This story conceded exactly
with the evidence given by him before the exam
ing beard.
Mr.. Chambers was born in Ireland fifty three
years ago, and left that country at an early age
for America. He came to Minneapolis thirty
three years ego and was the first
pioneer merchant OF the city. He has been an
exemplary citizen in every respect. being strict
ly temperate In his habits and devout member
of the church. He married his present wife
twenty -three years ago, and until within few
years they lived in peace AID harmony. They
are the parents of six children, who all live
under the parental roof and the father speaks of
them all as being dutifnl and re-
| spectful to their parents as good children
ought to be- About seven years years ago Mr..
Chambers met with reverses in business and
| immediately after that misfortune his wife be-
gan to upbraid him and manifested such cold
indifference, both in manner and language, that,
to use his own words, sit pierced him to the
| heart" Sixteen years age he purchased home
stead and madeit over in his wife's name This
property, with more that he has since
acquired, he now estimates to be
| worth $50 coo. His residence is
located at l,0l0 Second avenue south, and be-
sides that building he has two others adjoining
| the residence which brings him $40 rent per
| month.
Mrs. Chambers keeps boardere from whom she
| gets between 500 and $500 per month; some of
the boys earning nice salaries, and the family
| money can procure, but there is enc thing lack
| ing to Mr.. Chambers and that
| is cententment and domestic felicity.
| His wife completely ignores him
| and looks upon him as intruder in his own
| house. His little boy Charley has more in
| fiuence IN the house than he has. She acts as
| dlcator and never cOnsults him upon any house
| hold or property affairs. She says everything
/ Is hers and has gone So far as to demand pay
| ment for his board. She keeps every cent re-
ceiYed from boarders and has several favorites
among them with whom she holds interviews in
the hall and other parts of the house
| and when the husband appears
| the doors are slammed, and the conference with
| boarders is carried on. He has expostulated
WI his wife, who is only few years his junior,
| but to no purpose She never talks to HIM, but
she talks of him, and says he is insane, and now
| she causes the investigation to be held. He
CANNOT sit at table until the boarders have eaten
and then he sits down solitary and alone to par
take of whateveri is before him. Ferndale, one
OF the boarders, ordered him not long since to
take another seat than the one he occupied, and
poor Chambers submissively complied. The
wife said to him on one occasion; ''If you have
any ability go and do something''
He says that his own house is jail to him;
that he has born this treatment from the wife of
his bosom long enough and that the boarders
must go, for to them he principally sscribes the
harsh treatment on the part of his wife.
Leander Gordon was the first witness called up
on to testify. He stated that he has known Mr..
Chambers for fifteen years and during that time
it never dawned upon his mind that Chambers
was of unsound mind. He was ordinarily
shrewd and successful in business and main
tanned in the community the reputation of be-
ing upright in his dealings
FL. E. Fletcher testified that Mr.. Chambers
is as quiet and peaceable citizen as he
knows. He had never observed any signs of
insanity. was hard working and
industrious man; never heard of his alleged in
sanity until he read Of it in the papers.
Gen. Reynolds was the next witness. He has
liVsd in Minneapolis for eighteen years and
knows Mr.. Chambers well, and upon oath he
would give it as his opinion that he is as sane
Il man as the judge or any other man present in
| the court If Mr.. Chambers had not been DOS
sessed of good sense and sane mind he
would have become demented long
ago through means of the treat
ment he has been subjected to. Of late he has
discovered him less cheerful, but found his
memory and conversation COED. The majority
of men would have talked more of their trouble
than he has; there WAS nothing peculiar OF
strange IN his views of religion; he displayed no
eccentrcity in anything; his mind is quite clear
and his religious bel eff is orthodox
Dr.. Fairbairn drew the generals attention
to the way in which Cham
bers epelled Reynolds. He had
used an -" lnstead Of an ''e." The general
laughing y replied that he was no expert III or
biography and that the misspelling Of his own
name was no indication of Mr.. Chambers III
sanity. NJ Chambers was asked to produce
some other specimen of has handwriting and he
submitted synopsis of Sunday school lesson
which ne is to give class IN Plymouth church.
The following gentlemen viii appear to testify
for Mr. Chambers:
Doom Cushman, r. J. Baldwin, Y g. Hush,
Y. Seeiey, VIM. Garlslane, Thomas Gerry
and Mr.. Savers.
The reporter held conversation with Mr..
Neil hlcNeill, of Dayton, who has been Juror
with Mr.. Chambers during the present tenn of
court.
He says that Chambers has been badly abused
by his wife and that he is Ill full possession
of his faculties and never
showed any symptoms of dementia
while engaged as a juror. He had known
Chambers intimately for twenty years. and never
observed anything erratic or eccentric in his
manner. Mr.. Chamber says there has never
been hereditary insanity in his family, and that
his brother, who is now at st. Peter, became
insane from wound received in the head while
serving as soldier in the late rebellion. The
case is likely to be continued to-day.
AStIer's Discharge.
Despite the fact that he made frank confess
sion, the case agaiust Thomas Miller, charged
with the larceny of diamond pin from Pearl
Wood, upon examination in the municipal
court failed to hold him 10 the gral d jury.
That crime had been committed was fully
substantiatea, and that the prison was the
guilty party there is doubt in the minds of
those who heard the testimony. The defendant
had exhibited diamonds in Thempson's aloon in
presence of Charley Wing, one of the witnesses.
When advised by Serst. McKernan to give up
ths stolen property, aud upon being told by
Pearl Wood that all she cared for was the re-