Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-09-05
THAT ASYLUM NATTER.
An ExpIanatio3 from Judge John T.
Jones.

EDITORS DEMocRAT:-I sent
marked copy of your issue of Aug
18th to William Goldsworthy, Mo
line, Ills, containing the fiimsy ex-
PLANTATION concerning the treatment
of his mother. Enclosed please find
HIS explanation.
MOLINE, Ill. Aug 18th, 1884.
To Hon. ], T. JONES Dodgeville. Wis.-Dear
Sir Yours of the 18th Just received. i Just
sent a few lines to you in regard to replying to
Buckmaster Now first of all they say, 80 he called
DR.. B, and asked what he should do" He says
he told the son so and so. Now when Mr.. Fer
maid refused to admit her urgently requested
that Mr.. Buckmaster be called down, stating
that was sure if only had al opportunity OF
explaining all to him he certainly would not
refuse her admittance, Mr.. Fernald sent q
messenger to his room. He refused to come
down, stating TO the messenger that it was no
use, she could not be admitted without all the
papers. He lid not seem to think the case i'm
portant enough for him even to get out of his
bed to investigate. then urgently requested.
yes begged that they consider the situation I
was in, and take charge of her until morning,
promising thatif all was not made satisfactory by
noon to again take charge of her myself This
was also peremptorily refused. then asked
them 10 furnish the carriage TO take her back
to the hotel, as Mr. Fernald said I had to do.
He said, YES" and Immediately locked the
office door, thus leaving me entirely alone with
my mother in the hall. waited long and anx-
lOuSly fOr the appearance OF the carriage, O0uI
day began to break, when l, fearing she might
discover where she was went away into the
back part of the building to find out II possible,
when the carriage would arrive. The servant
there told me the driver had Just gone to the
barn. l told him dared not wait longer and
instructed him to hurry the carriage along and
I would start out afoot. l did SO, the carriage
overtaking us out nearthe gate. He says, we
could not induce her to get in" There was no
one there but the driver, l could not induce
her to ride. so the driver turned back. When
took your telegram from the station to the
asylum, Fernald said, 1--WE can not admit her
on any such order as that. All there is for you
to do Is to take next train to Dodgeville and
have her re-examined. Furthermore we have
concluded she is not a resident of the state. |
told him If understood the law right,
as long as she had property in her name name
in the state. she certainly was resident
He replied: IF she has property in the state that
settles so far as her residenceship is concerned
but had to take her back there for re-examin-
alton before she would be admitted. told him
! thought that there was more red tape than
humanity connected with the running of the
institution. was SO overcome with anxiety
that that said to him: What shall do? How
can ever take care of her throughout this
necessary journey He replied that it was
nothing to them, that all they had to do was
to abide by the law. Now as regards my taking
her from the asylum in 1882. was fairly alarmed
my old boss, and did not salute me in any other
way until she had talked long and loud to the
bystanders. l was very sad all the way home
on account of her actions on the train, as she
was far from being what her letters had led
me TO believe she was. Almost the first words
my wife said to me were, Twill, fear We have
undertaken a great task"
Well, dear friend, don't know as I can say
any more that will have any important bearing
on the case. l am sorry indeed. that our
troubles should in any way fall upon you.
am ready to take oath to all | have said, If
necessary. Yours respectfully.
WILLIAM GoLDswoRTHY.
In regard to the statement of
DIR. Buckmaster to Mr.. Giles ON THE
10TH OF AUGUST that 1.-The old lady
would have been received" on July
31st, had an answer been telegraphed
to this question of his on the 26th
of July Is she resident Of the
state?" let this extract from his
letter to me dated July 31st., suffice:
"The state Board of Supervision
have decided that in order for Mrs.
Goldsworthy to be admitted here
SHE MUST BE TAKEN TO Iowa COUNTY,
and be regularly committed after an
examination by two physicians of
THAT county" He sent that tel
egram to William to the depot by
a messenger. William met the
messenger while on his way to the
asylum with this telegram from me:
Dodgeville, Wis. July 81, 1854
TO DR. BUCKMAsTER: Please admit Joanna
Goldsworthy. Commitment is coming BY THIS
MAIL"
But no, they still insisted she
must come to Dodgeville and be
examined, and committed AFTER AN
EXAMINATION HERE. But possibly
DR.. B. could not help himself after
receiving even that telegram, under
the decision of the Board But the.
next day, August 1st., on her re-
turn from Dodgeville, she WAS re-
ceived on that SAME COMMITMENT,
which reached the asylum July 81,
only a few hours after William was
compelled to fetch her to Dodge
vile to be examined.
"Red-tape," SO called, is a good
thing in its place, and at proper
times, but it does seem to me that
in the interest of humanity some
discretion should be allowed man
at the head of such an institution,
if he is worthy of the place
Yours Truly, JOHN 7. JONES,
County Judge.