The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-27
Gagged I'M THE WOODS.
A Farmsrs's Daughter Confined for Ten Years
Like Wild Beast.


Like q Wild Beast
Wysox tPa.) Special
Samuel Case aged eighty years, Is a farmer in
comfortable circumstances. although he lives on
an isolated farm some twenty miles back through
the woods from this place. Tho nearest settle
ment to him is the backwoods village OF Orwell,
which is ten miles from his farm.
The farmers who live in his neighborhood are
also isolated, and but little is known of their do
nestle surroundings. week or so ago citizen
of this county had some business up through
that neighborhood. While on his trip he stopped
at Cases farm to make some inquiries bis
curiosity was excited by a~smali outbuilding,
which stood by itself, nearly two hundred feet
from the house. and still further from an old and
unused road at the back of the farm The build
ing was not more than ten feet square and eight
feet high 1t had q window which was heavily
barred, and door which was locked by ponder
Gus paddock and chain. Old man Case gave him
no satisfaction when asked what use the out
building was put to. and the gentleman, feeling
irresistible desire to know, returned to the
farm quietly by a rounda bout way. and, reaching
the building, stole up and peered through the
barred window.
sAcross the inside Of the window q number Of
poles were fastened in the floor. and in the CELL
ing, forming a cage like chicken yard. AS he
looked he was Mortified TO see rise mp out of q
box of straw in the cage an old woman, scantily
clad. almost 1eshless, with high cheek bones and
gaunt eyes. Her head was covered with q mass
of matted gray hair. The gentleman hurried
away, determined to have an investigation made
of his singular discovery. He came to a house
in the woods two or three miles further on. and
there he told what he had seen, and asked if any
information could be given him. He was told
that this woman he saw was old farmer Cases
daughter Phebe. She had lost her reason twenty
six years ago through overwork on the farm
and about the house. She was then twenty
seven years of age. She had been allowed to
have her own way about the place until ten
years ago. when she became so violent that her
father put up the cage and confined her in it.
She had never been outside of it since The
neighbors apparently thought but little of the
case, and treated it as a matter of course
The gentleman who discovered the unfortunate
woman at once notified the State Lunacy Com
mission. DR.. A. j. Onot Of that commission,
came up last week to investigate it. Case at
admitted that be had his daughter confined, but
finally unlocked it. The lunatic was lying in
her bex of filthy straw in the cage of poles. She
had a remnant of quilt wrapped about her head.
aud had but one tattered garment on her person.
She raved wildly when disturbed. For ten years,
her father said, she had been fed by placing her
food on block, which stood on the outside Of
the cage within her reach. She remained in the
place winter and summer, clad only as she was
found. Case said he could not afford to pay her
board in an asylum, and was fearful she would
not be treated we'll in one. A physician who
had attended Cases Family for years was aware
of the way the daughter was kept, but had never
reported it The woman's mother died five years
ago. The lunatic has been taken to the county
house. DIR. Onot says that, with proper treat
ment and care when her malady first appeared,
she could have been restored to her former
sound mental condition.