The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-07-25
HusnANp ANp wrrr rNsANE
The sad Case Of Captain Roper and zis
Religious Mania-Ths UnpardonabIe

~~N ~~N~ ~"~N - MktW~f wv &tAAa 8&AR
Religious Mania--xhs Unpardonable
sin.
Special TO the Boston Globe, lTytland, Me.
LET me pray; every act of my life
has been wrong let me pray. I am .
great sinner; let me pray, call my wife
and let me pray for her. shouted Cap
tain Robert A. Roper, wildly, as he drew
his pale and haggard face close 70 the
bars Of the door leading to the insane
ward Of Greeley Hospital this evening.
"Ne wonder he drove his wife in
sane" said an attendant. "Sheis sleep
ing now; that's what she needs. She
couldn't see hat he was insane, and he
wore her life out. Come and look at
her" and he led the way to a room
where tired, weary, almost dying, the
wife Of the insane man was sleeping,
closely watched by a nurse. Mrs.
Roper has a very gentle, pleasant face,
and it was not difficult to see that her
life had, as the attendant said, been
worn out in devoted, self-sacrifcing Ia
hors.
Some two years ago Captain Robert
A. Roper, q former resident of Brooks
vile. removed to q quiet. pleasant
home at l046 Congress street. He was
very happy in his family relations. His
wife was devoted to him and he had two
children. When not at sea he found
work at hand, and once or twice ship
ped as mate, but most of the time he
commanded q vessel. When little
more than q boy he served in the navy
on a monitor and was in several en-
gasements. II was believed that he
was permanently injured in the SER
vice. In general he has been a quiet
man, but given to taking a very sad
view OF life. In his belief every act of
his life had been wrong, and he there
fore felt that both himself and family
must fall under the special wrath of an
angry God. "There never lived q more
honest man." said a gentleman who
knew him we'll.
He had been at work on shore for
some time, when he suddenly sent word
home that he must go, and shipped,
While absent he wrote his wife q letter
that troubled her greatly. IL is thought
that in the letter he accused himself of
some terrible crime that was wholly the
result Of his imagination. From that
time the poor woman was in great
trouble, seeming to dwell upon the idea
that some dreadful calamity was about
to fall upon her children. Captain
Roper came home wild and excited.
He neither slept nor gave his wife an
opportunity to sleep. 1t is said that for
several days neither partook offood, he
not caring for it and she having no OPP
portunity to- obtain it, as he kept her
constantly with him. 1t is believed from
some things she said, that he accused
himself of crimes of q very terrible
nature to her, and that she
was driven mad by reason Of his insane
disclosures, coupled with her loss of
sleep. He talked day and night"
said a neighbor. 1t would seem that
her devotion to him was boundless,
leading to loss of reason Of last. At
the hospital, at intervals Of wild insani-
ty, she kept asking for him. Captain
Roper divides his time between prayers
to God for forgiveness and appeals to
the attendants to let him see his wife,
that he may tell her o terrible secret
1t is q singular fact that while given to
these insane religious feelings Captain
Roper is not and has not been an at
tendant at any church. His wife is q
Messoaist, and is q very pious
Mrs. Roper is expected to recover. Her
husband will be sent to Augusta. His
recovery is considered a very doubtful
matter.