The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-12
!. ME- AMONG LUNATICS.

e Iecause he had recovered his wife,
s.8 from the Women's Insane Asylum,
2. ..23 .,veIrs Island. wh ere she had been
s2 since Sept. IA, 1887. Strange to say,
. bs had been instrumental in plac-
! u there be found it almost impossible
,er hack when he wanted to secure
esa He never would have succeeded
III the assistance lent him by lawyer
sa August P. Wagner, who, after a
y of two months in the purest spirit
1S aitv dId all that was necessary 20
I'd : noor woman. She is not insane and
~ len insane at any time. Accord
LAWYERS statement made to a re-
yesterday, Mrs. Schmidt was never
her mind. She had been occasionally
6us and excitable owing to injuries
bad sustained the day of the great &C
m at the opening of the Brooklyn
Ne when she was thrown down and
VIZ seq said Mr.. Wagner, Mrs
Il AT had been abused on Blackwell's
"A nv the nurses, she said; by the other
y ats the nurses said. The knowledge of
4 facts came to me several weeks back
II the husband, Ernest, who had just
I'D from visiting his wife in the asy-
Fl and was heartbroken and indignant
II lse he had found her hands, face and
n covered with bruises. He asked me to
"a getting her away from the place, the
M jauts in which were cruel to this I'M
III woman. His distress was so great
n is story so remarkable that resolved
n list h.,U. He had taken his wife to Belle
Eor treatment six months ago; thence
adj been sent to the asylum on the
IN He was permitted to see her once in
Eyh,le. but he could not call on her fire.
~ as to do SO he would be compelled
we work and lose part OF a days wages.
4 lav was visiting day.
EUout two months ago he went to the
Mi Monday aud was shown to ward
which his wife was located. She was
4 rational, as indeed she had been on all
n mev!ous visits, but her hands were
;, i and discolored and she had black
! q scratched face, tae consequences
ssuYed him of maltreatment at the
/, If the nurses. Ernest was beside
elf with grief and rage. He asked to
HE Supe intendcnt ami to this official
|tad his wife's condition and words. He
told that the nurses were not allowed
treat the patients, and that the matter
d De looked into at once. Her nurse
callel and she said the bruises and
Ks We're the result of falls and ouarrelS
other patents. This the wife denied
begged of Schmidt to take her home
b LIE came to me. | went to the island
Schmidt There | saw the patient and
Dent. She certainly was marked by
lelce and when we asked, DR.. Dent to
Ter go home with her husband he thought
bal better leave her until these discol-
ions and bruises disappeared.
Finding appeal of this sort u,eless l drew
Ia peution which recited that Mrs
EniGt was unawfully and illegally de-
ed and imprisoned by the Medical Super
sdent of the City Insane Asylum; that
cause or pretense of Imprisonment was
Emilia was insane, which the petitioner
ed. Upon this petition | obtained a
Of habeas corpus, returnable Feb. 23,
. il the Supreme Court. Prior to this
ication for the writ we had done every
Z possible to induce the doctors to re-
e her, for on the certificates which had
re her commirtal there was not word
1t her being either violent or dangerous.
lst we made these doctors bring the
ans case into the Supreme Court
.,bars. judge Patterson was very enI-
ic in his order and the doctors agreed to
sa her 'on contract This means that
PERSONS taking her should sign an agree
/ to be answerable and responsible for
flture conduct. OF course the husband
Id this paper, and then the Judge in
n that DR.. Dent, the Medical Superin-
lent, should give us a certificate to the
rt that the woman was not dangerous
hciined to violence. The doctor gave
certificate, and Emilia Schmidt re-
le to her family this morning. You
observe that the doctors certificate is
ngly at variance with the statements
Ie IT. he hospital to account for the
SEES and black eyes.
b. reporter next went to the house of the
hidtS, which Is in the rear of No. 100
Third street. Mrs. Schmidt was found
Ing in q little room off the kitchen, in
ch her youngest daughter, Mary, was
King TIE evening meal for her father
eldest sister. Mrs. Schmidt seemed
e suffering a great deal from fatigue
general debility. She complained of
re pains in her limos. Sac tried TO
her face and her daughter said that
} her did not like anybody to see the
tcheS on it.
e woman reluctantly stated that she
been abused recently in the asylum, but
d not want to give names or TO do any
K that might bring her into trouble with
people there again.
They abused me on the Island, she said,
le nurse hit me on the hands with the
r keys and scoded me whenever |
red. For a few weeks after | was
we'd out of ward 6 I was well taken
3 of and happy, but then a new nurse
le, and-,and-and-I am happy L am
le.
be husband bitterly denounced the Island
the nurses. He said that when he Wis
bis wife. little over two months ago,
was in sorry plight. Her face and
us We're covered with bruises. She
s Ia In TO bring her home.
She never was crazy" said the poor fell
she was only sick and stupid when |
her to Bellevue. She was quite sane
IN visited her on the Island. They sent
to tie mad-house because she was not
5ht. supposed, and there the hirelings
ught 1t easier TO abuse than to walt on
Everybody in power there tried to
vince me that she was dangerous and
lent. But she wasn't. | had to secure
by means of the Court. And it has
en- US two months to save her. Thank
! we have her safe at home..at last The
tor on the Island was angry when l
1t there to-day. He said thatEhe could
see what lawyer wanted to make SO
ca fuss about. / told him it was because
lid not prevent his nurses from abusing
unhappy wretches under their charge.
wife is safe at any rate!"
Take Care, Girls.
here nall Ir.ad