The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-01-31
4 srARrLrNG DIsCLOsURE
Relative to the Incarceration Of = Kon-
kers Man In An Insane AsyIun.


Relative to the Incarceration Of = Kon- |
kers Man In an Insane Asylum.
NEW YORK. Jan. 25.-sIs il possible, |
in This free republic, in the latter par: |
of the 18Th century, for q man with i'm
purity 10 cause another who may be OBJ |
noxtous TO him, but is OF perfectly sound
mind, 10 be incarceTated in an insane
asylum and subjected To indignities tnut
even Innatscs should be protected
ag4instlp This inquiry is addressed
to the Reporter by weli known law
yer. The man of whom the LAWYER
spoke was James B. Silkman, who Is
now over co years of age, and who has
lived for over twenty years in Yonktrs
His family consists of q wife
ana four children, one son and three
daughters. Mrs. SiIkman died five years
ago and beq1eathed TO her children q
house and lots valued at $50, 600. The
husband was appointed trustee of the
estate IN which he mad life interest.
The brother of Mrs, Silkman, Darius
Crosby, Is wealthy lawyer of this city,
and a member of the firm of Lockwood
s. Crosby. BIZ. SIlkman's son, Theodore
a., has for years been employed
in the Office of Lockwood q Crosby, and
he is now about 90 years old. 1t is al
itged that the son, insiigated by his un-
Gle. began to make alt. ratlons in the
| houss which Mrs. Silkman had be-
queathed to her children without con-
sailing his father, and in opposition to
his fathers wishes. Mr.. Silkman pro
tested, and g quarrel ensued, with
the son aud Crosby who ordered the
father to leave the premises. A threat
made BY SIlkman to expose certain dis
cEepancies in certain marriages and
4 IL E.. H..
10 have provoked CrosbY's Resentment
May 10, 1882, Silkman was
attending lecture at the house of Ever
Ell Gale in Yonkers and the bell rang
and Silkman gong to the door was con-
fTonted by three officers who arrested
him, placed him in a carriage and con-
| veyed HIM 10 White Plains. II is
| charged that on the next day, without
icing taken before Judge G ford, who
| had ISSUED the warrant for his arrest
ne vas taken to Utica and plac ed
IN the state lunatic asylum. There he
was de aimed until August %, 1888
Judge Barnard discharged him ON the
ground that he was not insane or OF
nnsouad mind. and his restraint ard i'm
prisonment were unlawful. The papers
| have just been served in a suit brought
il The supreme court in Westchester
county, by James silkman, agailst Oar
ioas G.. Crosby, in which
the latter IS charged with
Instigating and procuring Silk
mans incarceration IL the lunatic asy-
lum, and damages in the sum of $25, 600
are claimed Ia the complaint Siikman
alleges that he was treated with uaDec-
essary harshness by the officers who ar
rested him and took him to White Plains
| Z mid ms sRkaxr sadf IN U7Ue. him
food, annoyed him in various ways. and
would not allow him to commun Cate
with his friends, and FINELY incar-
cerated HIM at Utica He declares thai
The proceedings aud arrest were mere
fraudulent pretense and subierfugs or
the part of the defendant to procure the
plaintiffs i'm risonment before he should
suspect what was intended, and in order
that said defendant and accOmpiiaes
could forciby enter upon the plaintitf' s
premises and his library in said city
of Workers, for which purpose the de-
PENDANT employed divers persons to &C
with tools and implements into
, closets in said plaintiffs
library with the purpose of there -findiI s
, and appropriating a certain family les
ord which said defendant afterwaTcI
forcibly and frauduleGtly took from al
iron safe in plaintiffs Office at No. 81
W all stIett This is the mt 81 interest
ing part of Silkmaa's complaint aside
from shat relating to the facility with
which he describes his treatment attel
he had been iBcarcerated at Utica. On
: entering the asylum he was locked VI
: alone in small cell or bedroom at
O'Clock p. m., with no light, separated
. from all bodily comforts and friends
J aud DO opportunity given hin
1 70 1F7fa
. person In his interest. While in the
mad house he was compelled 10 associ
!, ate with ordinary poor house patients
and those who were really insane, ant
to listen to obscene language, TO eDdur
the privatlon of all decent SAM
tary arrangements, and to ca
poor-house fare, such as wretche'
|. butter, soggy POTATOES and Long ISLAM
u coffee under threats of a resort to III
mouth screw and stomach tube In cas-
he should revolt at such unaccustome'
and disgusting food. While the plan
, tiff's chroic internal ailments called TO
specific articles of food which were IT
, fused to him, he was compete
to make his own bed, sweep the rooT
l. and halls, and go out with squad {
/ patients daily to hoe garden vegt table
! aad manure in a barDyard, where sixt
n cows were fed. He was forced to G
d into the public streets of Utica under
n guard, and sweep the sidewalk
e and pull weeds out of the stree
L cutters and rOsdways, and hoe til
g cutters out. He was forced
j. take from three to five doses OF drug
5 daily under threats of punishment, an
q perform serVile and mental duties !
/. cold, windy weather. He charges TIA
( the letter which he wrote to lntimal
y friends containing informant
i concerning important papers Wa
IS sent by the asylum ofticia
a TO Crosby and the papers mentioned WEI
q taken from the safe In his Office and use
/. in an Effort TO prevent his release aft
is being altered for this purpose NJ
3 Silkman is one of the managers of Il
society for promoting the cordition I
the insane.