Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-08
An Epidemic of Insanity Be-
gins to Break Out.
THREE VERY SAD CASES.
The Latest Sensational Feature of the
FIoOd-Physicians Say it is n Natural
Consequence of Such an Awful Disas-
ter-MOthers Who Mourn Like Rachel
and Refuse TO Be COmforted.
rFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT 1


JoHNsToWN, June The latest startling
feature of the food is that insanity has broken
out among the people Of this place. Three
cases were developed to-day, and an expert on
insanity SAYS it is the beginning of an outbreak
of the disease that will destroy the minds of
scores OF people. The three cases are now
under treatment. but the victims stand poor
chance of being cured.
This afternoon Dr. Alice Bennett, the phys-
clan in charge of the women's ward of the Nor
ristown Insane Asylum, left for that place,
where she will treat woman whom she takes
with her DR.. Bennett was in Pittsburg at the
time of the food, and upon hearing of it she
hastened to this place. She has been working
ever since, giving assistance wherever she could
be of service. The woman she takes with her
is Mrs. Mary Sager. of Johnstown, who was
found wandering around the streets Thursday
after midnight She was stopped in her
walk by one of the guards who was much sur
prised to see a woman at that hour. The guard
challenged the woman when she attempted to
pass the lines, and as she could give no account
of herself, and
Talked in an IncOherent Manner
he placed her under arrest. He thought at the
time that the woman was under the influence
of LIQUOR but upon questioning her found that
she was insane.
When removed to the guardhouse Mrs Sager
began to veil and moan. She cried out piteously
for the return of her husband and two chill
dren. The agonizing way in which she bewalled
the loss of her children was too much for the
guard to stand. He tried in every way to paclty
her, and assured her that her children were all
right, but her ears were deaf to his assurances.
The woman made such racket that the guard
had her removed TO the Bedford Street Hos
pital, where the physicians took charge of her
She made the hospital almost unbearable by
her wells until she exhausted herself and fell
asleep. This morning her condition was
brought to the attention of DR.. Bennett, who
pronounced 1t bad case of insanity, and or
dered the woman removed to q place where she
could be taken care of. The doctor took an in
terest in the woman, and said she would take
her home and treat her herself. This she did
yesterday afternoon. The woman lived IN the
upper end of town, and her house was swept
away with her husband and two children. In
her ravIngs she would
Call Her Children 10 Her
and beseech her husband to save their lives
She would talk nationally at times, and then
would break out into a hysteria of grief. She
became so bad IN the afternoon that she had to
be stupefed with drugs before she could be put
on the train. She at first refused to go, but af-
ter the drug began to overpower her nerves she
became submissive.
1t was when Mrs Sager was being put on the
train that the sensational feature of the case
was unearthed. 1t was then learned that her
husband and one child had been saved and were
then being nursed back to life in farm house
below Cambria borough The attendants upon
the woman had made diligent inquiry in the
morning and had come to the conclusion that
the woman was right and that her husband and
children had been drowned The doctors were
surprised at the news as they realized the cruel
fate which hung over the woman. 1t was
harsh, unTelenting chain of circumstances that
prevented the woman from hearing the news of
their escape before her reason became i'm
paired.
When DR.. Bennett heard the news of the
survival of the woman's husband and child, she
tried to rouse her, but didn't -succeedSR aaiR =
So She shouted in the woman's ear that the
ones who were dear TO her were alive hut she
might as well have shouted into the yawning
abyss of South Fork Lake. The woman
only looked at her in a blank, dazed way, which
showed that she had no reasoning faculties.
DR.. Bennett took her to Norristown, where she
will be placed under skilled treatment.
Enough to Drive One Mad.
Another case is that of Mrs John Pfel. This
is the woman who lost her seven children, one
by one. by putting them out of a garret win
dow and floating them off on boards. The flood
carried them away and they were drowned. The
woman expected to see the house swept away,
which afterward happened. She was carried
down the stream and was rescued with diff
Guilty. The woman was found to be out of her
mind, and has been placed in the general hos
Another case is that of woman whose name
is unknown in Cambria City. The matter was
reported to the physicians at the hospital to-
udl. 1ueN c6ub d Sp6Cldllsb OOhu III company
with an officer to investigate TIE case. In con-
Versation with your correspondent, while wait
ing for his train to start to-day, DR.. Bennett
said: 1.-The three cases of insanity that have
been called to our attention here are only the
beginning of probably over score of them
that will turn up within the next week. A
disaster of this kind is something unusual and
will leave behind it number of victims that
would probably be better off if they had been
drowned. There will be dozens of minds de-
stroyed by the shock People are just begin
min IN 1iVn fhn ifxT TOf he aNnld dnnf
and the reaction has set in. A thing of this |
kind must certainly be followed by an after
clap that destroys the minds of those who have
passed through sensational and narrowing
scenes. Particularly is this the case with peo-
ple who are of a highly nervous temperament
They brood over their troubles, and the result
of it is that their minds give way. Whether
they are curabIe or not could not say'
MCSWIGAN.