St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-17
Only Being Of His K
Ever Known p!

mental oblivion; drugs for q nerve
nepenthe for q soul. First ] must tell
you that L lost sight Of my friend and his
FAMILY for many months. Poor Ned suf-
Tered. among other things. the dictum of
managing editor, who said he must 90, and
he went-where l have never known. But
In the winter OF lSS3-February, l think
l saw an item in an indianapolis paper that
a young woman had been
FOUND IN THE STREET
| insane an q sent to the county farm await
ing medical examination. The woman had
been identified by the marks on her cloth
ing as bearing the name so familiar To me.
Chicago papers the day following contained
more complete details, with an accompany
ing telegram signed by Ned Smith. that If
a girl tallying with a certain description be
found to please hold her in custody as she
was insane. i wrote Ned a letter of con-
dolence. receiving prompt reply, In which
he stated that he could not in letter fully
explain matters, but that some day we
might meet again and then lie would give
me history OF his sisters unhappy lot
But that some day" did not soon come.
In the spring of 1884 | was detailed to
special duty in Jacksonville. Ill. Having
many acquaintance, spare time and nat
uTal curiosity TO visit an insane asylum.
L one day found myself star
ing at the hundreds Of unhappy
creatures who find home in the asylum.
Several peculiar cases were called to nv
attention. had an interview with an aged
man from my native town-thOugh he did
not know me-and to cap the climax rec
ognized in the wOmen's ward. my friends
sister, Miss Smith. She was seated at a
piano. gazing vacantly through an open
window apparently absorbed in her music
taking no notice OF the score of visitors of
which l was one. That she should be
IN AN ASYLUM
seemed almost incredible. The hearty ro-
bust girl had been transformed into a slen-
der, pale-faced woman, and vet her feat
ures were not so changed as to prohibit
recognition. 1t was not difficult to obtain
an interview. Poor girl" said the ma
tron; harmless and quiet. she has appar-
emily lost all thought of the cause that
brought her here-Opium-eating. She at
one time used morphine for headaches.
How she come to transfer her appetite to
opium do not know. But time and again
she was found in a stupehed condition, on
the streets. and not infrequently was an in
mate OF police stations for supposed
drunkenness. Her mind gradually gave
way and her brother placed her here. She
has partially regained her physical vigor,
but will never again recover her reason
She may live many years. but will never be
safe outside asylum walls. Her actions at
times are almost terrifying, and, although a
year has passed since drop of opium in
any form has been administered, her frantic
demands for the drug are sometimes terri
bic to behold. Her lower limbs and her
arms are Scared in hundreds Of places.
caused by morphine injections, most of
which were made by herself. as her family
informed US when she was brought here.
The only faculty she seems to retain is her
memory of music. But for that. and free
access to instruments in the different wards.
] think she would have
KILLED HERSELF
long ago. A paroxysmal demand for
morphine can always be assuaged by
music"
The 10th day Of June. 1885. and I have
occasion to remember it, Ned Smith walked
into my sleeping apartments before l had
yet arisen; Jennie Is dead" was his only
remark, burying his face in his folded
arms at the dressing case. Two weeks
later the papers chrOnicled his death at the
City hospital. brain fever the cause. His
father received fatal injuries in a railroad
accident while en- route TO Chicago to attend
the funeral. while his mother, who was
then in poor health and unable to travel.
now lives in quiet cottage not far from
Calvary cemetery, where her family lies
buried, from whence she says she will
never move until she goes 10 join her be-
loved In the beautiful burying ground.
Truth is stranger than fiction, and If any |
doubling Thomas thinks he has discovered
I'm this fairy tale, l will offer big odds and
prove the story. CHENEY.