New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-06-12
BARRETT H. VAN AUKENS DELUsIONS.
rvvo RRooKrYN DOCTORS DECLARE THAT 1T WOULD

TWO pRooKIYN DOCTORS DECLARE THAT 1T WOULD
RE USwIsE TO BRING HIN TO COURT
The case OF Barrett III. Van Auken, the
NewYork millionaire, who las been an inmate OF pr
waite lunatic asylamSn Flushing, L. - for several years.
again before Judge Cullen In the Supreme Court IN
prookIyn Yesterday. writ Of habeas corpus was
recently sued out TO have Mr.. Van AIKEN
nroduced in court. Before granting the writ Judge
curu apponted Drs. S. Sherwel and A. Skene to exam
inc Mr. yen Auen and report whether II was safe 10
nrodnce him in court They presented report yester-
day II set forth that they examined Mr. Van AuKen on
lime 2 ana found him suffering from chronic mania and
,nespable Of attending to duties relating to personal
nropcry His general health would not be an absolute
b,r 10 his being produced 10 court but on account
nj ntapse nervous excitability ana incoherency IL
world he entirely nadvlsabe for him to be produced as
the excitement would be extremely detrimental TO him.
The and seouson he had at present were aDso
utely necessary. Accompanying the report was note
from DE- sherwe TO Judge Cullen, in which he SAID:
"AIr Van iuken is in all ways the most decided unatic
il has even my fortune TO meet not coherent or
sane idea; very exdtabe, much so that we are con-
WINGED that he would be manacal on any attempt at
public examination Ia short, we cannot understand
how any rght-mnded man after i've minutes acquant-
ance or conversation with him could conceive him 10 be
ANYTHING else than demeuted person." An abstract
from the records OF DIR. Barstow supeTntendest of
Sanford Hall. where Mr.. Van Auken Ia confined,
was also presented It showed that he was first adj
mit,ed TO the institution in 1854 when thrtyseven
years old suffering rom acute mania OF semeunous
ennracter He declared that the centre OF the
universe and the successor Of Jesus Christ aolnted 1F
God TO finish his work No p0ver eoqIu
improved SO much that he was, discharged
cured 10 nine months. On April 20 1899,
he returned in the condition as az
the first, and again discharged on January isoo'
ond wife Ten years later he tried to throat In an
attack OF meianchola but his life was saSed lie never
regaled the balance OF hts nervous system. however,
aud he abused s family disturbed church services ana
was reckless and extravaganza, until he became aa'
gerous lunadc, when he committed 20 the asylum
for the third time on October ~ 1874, ana nc mas Doeh
confined there ever since
The counsel for the petitioner said that the return was
not sufficient Since MI. Van Aukeiis confinement ms
Of 000O00 had not been properly cared Tor NO
mis- rst wife. In the years OF his incarceration
SCI 400 had been paid for his board To Dr'
Barstow Inquiries 10 the persons repre-
seuted the counsel In the showed tnat they were
cousins but their names were not disclosed. ~ Was
stated that the two children OF Mr. Van AEkens nrst
wife were not parties To the proceedings. .
Dr. SheTwBll was then put upon the stand lie tes't,
fed that when be and Dr, Skene visited sanford Hal
they found Nh. Van Auken in tho grounds
He told them that he had secured the
with his family. ITS famous ointment, b.. b. H., H..
he said benefited the whole human race. lie was the
universal condenser and viccgerent or God. Medicine
was A humhug and all men should use his b. D., H., IS
lie spoke of his family with rbadry and aversion On
the doctors going away me each an egg and lOd nun
TO fry roast or boil IT, ait ON II ana hatch H. or use III
az Columbus did He seemed TO be IN lfrespousoe,
chronic unatc. In reply 10 IA question: Dr: enefWol
said he was expert in Insanity. lie ala not know
OF his knowledge that the patient nc sa" WAS MI
Van Anken, but he was introduced "a such.
The further hearing adjourned until to-day, when
Or. skenc viii DC examined