New-York tribune., 1884-01-25
LOCKED UP WITH LUNATICS.
A SANE MAN IN THE UTICA ASYLUM.
EXPERIENCES OF JAMES B. sLEIAN-A SUIT FOR
$4,000 BEGUN.

$4,000 BEGUN.
ais il possible in this free republic in the latter
part of the nineteenth century, for man with
jmpunity to cause another who may be obnoxious
to him, but who is of perfectly sound mind, to pe
incarcerated in an insane asylum ana supJected 10
indignites that even lunatics should be pro'eoVeo
aganstp ,,.. ootor
This inquiry was addressed to TRIBUNE reporter Ter
Yesterday by lawyer who for thirty-two years mas
had his Office at No 54 Wall-st. The man OF whom
the LAWYER spoke James B. Silkman, who is now
little over sh IN gfET Ills family consisted Of
a wife and four children, one son ana three
daughters. Mrs, Silkman died over fve wears ago
mud beaueathed TO her children house and several
lots valued at $25, ,000 The husband was appointed
trustee of the estate in which he had lie interest
The brother of Mrs Silkman Darius u. Crosoy, is H
wealthy LAWYER in this city and q member OF the
firm of Lockwood g. Crosby, of No. 80 NaSsau-st
Mr.. Silknan's son. Theodore III. has for some years
been employed in the Office OF Lockwood Crosby;
He is now about twenty-six years old. 1t is alleged
that the son. insgated by his uncle, began TO make
alteration in the house which Mrs. Silkman had
beoueathed to her children, without consulting his
father and In opposition to his fathers wishes M
Silkman protested, and quarrel ensued with ms
leave the premises A threat made by Mr.. Silkman
"to expose certain discrepancies in certain
marriages and births" in Mr. Crosby's family 1t Is
asserted, provoked MIR. CroSbys resentment: oo ,,.
A few evenings afterward. on May 19, lSS2. MT;
siknan was attending LECTURE in the house n eI of
Everett Gale in SchooI-St, Yonkers, when the beli
rang. Mr. Silkman, going to the door, was con;
fronted by three officers. who arrested nun Phit
HIM in a carriage, ana conveyed nun 10 " ,Ll9 ii'e
In aS; ;aten befoTS Jndge Clifford. who had issued
the warrant for his arrest, he was taken 10 OlGa
and placed in the State Lunatc Asylum so mere nde ne
was detained until on August 23, lsSZ. Suoeo
Barnard discharged HIM on the ground tnat ne
was not insane or of unsound mnd ana MS restraint
The papers have Just been served in suit
brought in the Supreme Court in WestchestSer
County by James G. Slkman against Darius u
Crosby in which the latter charged with instgat-
ing and procuring Mr.. SilkmanS incarceration IN
the lunatic asylum, and damages appointing 10
S25 600 are claimed. In the complaint MI Skman
alleges that he was treated with unnecessary
harshness by the officers who arrested hlm ana TOOK
him to White Plains at midnight they refused 70
give him food, annoyed him IN various ways, anu anu
would not allow him to communlcate win MS
friends finally incarcerating him at Utica. lie
declares that the proceedings and arrest were "
mere fraudulent pretence and suOteriuge on the
part of defendant TO procure palntns impnsOI-
inent before he should suspect" what was intended,
aud IN order that said defendants and accomplces
could forcibly enter upon planins premises ana III
hls library in said city of lonkerS Tor which pr-
pose defendant employed divers persons 10 go WIN
tools and implements ana break open az thS iocAs
ON the drawers and closets in said plalntlit library
i'm said city of YOnkcrs, with the purpose OF there
finding and appTopraing certain ia tnrch ond
frauduently took from the iron safe IN plalnth
Office No. "a Wall ST." .,
plant aside from that relating TO the facility
with which he was seized and conveyed to the
asylum, is that in which he describes MS uTeatmeht
after he had been ncarcerated at Utica. On enter,
ing the asylum he was locked mp alone IN small
cell or bedroom mt n. m, with no hight, separated
from all bodily comforts and from his friends, ana
no opportunitV given him 10 communicate with any
person IN his Interest. While in the madhOuse he
was cOmpeled to associate with ordinary poor
house patients and those who were really insane,
TO listen to obscene language to endure the pflNa-
tiOn of all decent sanitary arrangements 10 eat
poor house fare, such wretched butter, sOggy
potatOes and Long Island coffee under threats OF
o resort to a mouth-screw and stomach-tube IN case
of revolt at such unaccustomed and disgusting food,
while plaintiffs chronic internal ailments cailed
for specific articles of food which were refused 10
him. lie was compelled TO make his own Dedi
sweep his room and the halls. go out with squad
of patients daily and hoe the garden vegetables ana
hoe manure in the baTn-yaTd where sixty COWS were
fed; he was forced TO go into the public streets OF
Utica under guard and sweep the sidewalks. pull
the weeds out of the streets sgutters ana roadway,
and hoe the cutters out. lie was forced TO take
from three to five doses of drugs daily under
threats of punishment and to perform serviie and
menial labor in cold and windy weather lie
charges that letter which he wrote to an intimate
friend containing information concerning important
papers was sent by the asylum officials to Mr..
Crosby and that the papers mentioned were taken
from the safe in his Goiice and used III the eHOr 10
prevent his release after being altered for tins
purpose Finally he claims that false witnesses
were subpenaed to oppose bis discharge IN the
habeas corpus proceedings before Judge Barnard at
Poughkeepse. and that when he was finally DIS
charged he was so injured by what he had gone
through that lie had lost much of his mental power
and his nervous system became so shattered as to
unfit him for several weeks for resulnng his probes
sOnal labOTs.
Mr. Silkman is Of the managers Of the Society
for Promoting the Condition of the Insane.