Morning journal and courier., 1883-05-03
Thursday, May 8, 1883.
THE PooAssEr FANATICS CASE.


 THE POCASSET FANATICS CASE.
 Charles F. Freeman, who killed his child at Pocasset in 8 religious frenzy four years ago, and has since been in an asylum for the insane has been declared sane, and is now in jail awaiting legal action which is expected to give him his freedom.
 The testimony at the hearing to determine his mental condition was exceedingly inter esting. All the experts testified that he was perfectly sane, and he himself testified to the same effect. One of the doctors at the asy- lum where Freeman has been confined tsst1
 fled that when he first saw him Freeman was composed and orderly in his mind on all or dinary matters and in whatever would be likely to come up in any casual conversation, but he had some delusions of the religious type, pretending to have received special revelation from the Lord, and to have fulfil led in his own person and career some of the prophecies of the Bible. After period of several months there was a change in him. and instead of speaking confidently, as at first, concerning the revelations, while he did not question that he had received such, he wavered in his mind whether he ought to re- gard them as of the Lord or of the devil, and eventually decided that they were from the latter source. Still there was confusedness in his theology on the point. for he said that while in the matters to which he referred he was helpless in the devils hands, and must do as he was bid, the devil only exercised his power through the consent Of God, and thus indirectly what he had done at Pocasset was, he said, the work of the Lord. At this time he regarded the insane persons with whom he was asso- ciated in the asylum as dsmoniacally possess ed in the same manner as those spoken of in scripture. Something more than year ago he said that he had come to recognize the fact that he was insane, the fact having been impressed on him by conduct and speech on the part of his companions resembling his own previous conduct and declarations; and it was then or soon afterwards apparent that he had given up his fanatieal beliefs The witness said that while he would not say that during the early part of the year now elapsed Freeman had shown no trait or symptom of mental derangsment, he would say that since the latter part of last autumn he had shown none, and that at no time dur ing one year would he have signed certii- cate of Freeman's insanity. He considered him sane now, and thought his recovery had been by that normal and gradual process that is very great assurance of permanent recov- l cry.
 Freeman himself testified that he realized that four years ago he was an insane man, and that he came to this consciousness about 8 year and half or two years ago. The opportunity to observe insane people at the hospital led him to realize this, for he came to recognize that very many insane people have an idea that they have special revelations from heaven 1 He was, he said, willing to forsake all his for mer ways of life, and those excitements which l had led up to his insanity. When he saw his error and realized to what extent he had i been victim of delusion, he felt great relief | and was glad to confess his error. At this | point the witness was quite overcome by | tears but by an effort he rallied himself and | went on again, saying that he had no desire | or purpose ever to go among the Pocasset people again, though he bore them no i'll will. During his period of excitement there he went without both food and sleep almost wholly The abstinence from food was not as matter of religious fasting, but because he had no appetite to eat. He did not in tend to join any religious association hereaf- ter, but to live a quiet and obscure life wherever he could earn an honest living. He had his first vision fifteen months before he killed his child. For that act of violence he should not gay he felt remorse as he under stood the definition of that word, for he acted up to the highest light which he then had. He now realized how atrocious deed | it was, and could sincerely say that he felt | regret. sorrow and grief. and was perhaps | mistaken in the definition he understood re- morse to have. If he thought there was any | possibility that he should fall into his for | mer ways of religious excitement, and the ! company of those so engaged, he should | much prefer to remain at the Danvers asy lum.
 All this shows that Freeman is certainly l saner than he was when the killed his child | But who can tell how long he will remain sensible? man who has once been insane enough to kill somebody is certainly not of strong mind, and it would not appear impos- sible that he might become the victim of another dangerous delusion. The law is such that Freeman will regain his liberty, but in our opinion the law ought to be changed man who has committed murder while in sane should not be let loose among men even if he has the appearance of being in his right mind.