New-York tribune., 1889-12-30
JUDGE &C. BARRETTS WIFE.
SIZE LIES IN AN INSANE ASYLUM.
THE PHYSICIANS CERTITCATE AND HER
STORY AS TOLD by THE JUDGE
HIMSELF.

seen yesterday at his home. No. ] East Twenty
eighth-st by a Tribune reporter. in regard to pub
shed dispatch which said that Mrs. Barrett was held
in insane asylum in Dresden and that she had sent
a letter TO prominent American. now in London In
which she says she has been violently seized by
her husbands orders In the letter Mrs. Barrett Is
alleged 10 have said Il have no strength TO write
you the details. ] can only say that it IS a high
handed outrage and that / am helpless and almost
hopeless
When Judge Barrett had read the article, he said
that its general tenor and the impression conveyed
by il utterly false AT first said he. Il had
made up my mind not 10 take any notice Of the matter
but on second thought have concluded to make the
whole story of my wifes misfortune and suherlnss
public, there many Of my acquaintance and
others who will receive wrong impression from this
published dispatch. This Is all the probable as
my wife's insanity made itself visible To
strangers. intimate acquaintance, and the
numerous Americans vino have met her in Europe,
where she has been travelling for the last ten years,
have never questioned her sanity.
My WIFE Gertrude f.. tie widow Of cuban
when l married her. twenty onc years ago. She had
daughter Gertrude f., by her deceased husband
and her l adopted We have daughter liv-
ing, Angela, who is twenty years old. When ! met
the lady whom I married she supporting her
self BY teaching Spanish, being accomplished
linguist. We were married and lived in New fOrk.
For the first few years life a happy one and
noticed nothing strange out Of the way about Mrs.
Barrett. The first manifestation Of the great trouble
which has since wrecked her life extreme
aud unrcasoning jealousy. She accused me Of hav-
ing previously married Young woman who my
real wife, and Of whom She was extremely jealous
She declared that her own marriage with me was
void and that our daughter illcgitimate.
At this time had not the slightest suspicion that
my wifcs mind was affected. although l was inn
measurably shocked by her words. I tried in every
way to reason her ont Of these delusions pointing
out the fact that the girl whom she accused me Of
having married would have been only twelve years
old at the time She would yield to this reasoning
for a day two, and then would relapse. Then l
gradually began TO that her mind must be affected.
although it very difficult to bring myself to this
belief her general conduct that Of a most
charming and intelligent woman. This state Of things
grew worse after few years, until her deusions
took other and even more serious forms.
AT this time" continued the Judge. my life was
made miserable by the stories my wife told about me
10 my friends and often mad considerable difficulty
in explaining them Finally, ten years ago. she
made up her mind 10 60 abroad and live in Europe
with two daughters she has remained there
ever since. travelling most Of the time. Three years
ago however her dclu,ions which lad heretofore not
rendered her violent in any way. became 50 pro
nounccd that daughters health broke down in
tle continual anxiety and care 10 which they we're
subjected one da ehtcr forced TO come home,
and hoping 10 benefit her, ! sent her 10 Colorado.
where she died about wear ago Ny other daughter
remained with her mother until She too. was unable
10 bear the strain any longer, and eighteen months
ago came home 10 New York At this time ! also
found tha nearly all nay wfcs relatives had suffered
from insanity and that her mother had died insane
Finally in july last, received from Drcxcl. Nor
gan Co. this caLcGram from their Paris house:
United states Consul. Dresden. writes that Mr..
Barrett payee Of check 37,G70, insane, shJud
bc placed in asylum cablcd 20 the Dresden
consul 10 do anything that proper, and Oh July
II tine reply came. Her physical condition good.
Well provided for. However, she IS laborns, under
great excitement. and no doubt arrangement. What
should be done: My reply to consult experts,
and place Mrs. Barrett in restraint, if proper. also
induced Angela to 90 over TO her mother and that
everything done in proper order. had formerly
been 10 Paris myself to consult specialists about ny
wiles condition. but nothing had come OF it, as it
impossible, without using force, TO get he9 10 submit
10 an examination
Judge Barrett then produced the physicians certiG
cate upon which Mrs. Barrett had been placed in Dr.
Persons Retreat an institution near Dresden It
tells the story the unhappy woman's delusons and
is follows:
Mrs. Barrett OF Ncw-York. suffers from primary in-
sanity wh the deuson Of being prosecuted The patient
whom ] had opportunity observe during NY Office
and her place Of residence explained to her
dclusions follows lfe having become endangered
by the prosecutions of husband and whereof
she had been informed by detective she had been
PEELED since a. long a period as eight years
caution in the selection Of her acquaintance
the her daughter. in october. 1sss she
had been poisoned Monaco her then place Of residence
by letters her, and later by note prepared fo
hey by her servants. There were two men who en-
dcayorcd to nJurc her absolutely dsbolica
ncr" and who were clothed with a power which per.
mtted them 'to rule all things"
Under the pressure delusions went
and neither feeling fed Germany Here
fct we until by the incautious contact with
apparel used by her ia Monaco shc again
became sick Her bodily complaints which the patient
naturally desired represent being tine consequent
poisoning inflicted upon her aud against which she
contcndod by taxing strong coffee and vinegar as
wen 70, boy coplou-y inhane camphor consisted ot parAcs
thesis In the hands, pains n the back o the head and
continuous nausea. In consequence Of the absemious
ne-, which She had formerly imposed herself and 10
consequence OF the p-ychca pressure under which She
continually labord. she vas besides suffering greatly
s.om anaema. An extended eczema Of the skin n hcl
iody connection with the other symptoms observed
Continued observation, lift doubt OF
primary insanity with the dcu-ion OF being prosecuted.
sill. the transfer 81 the patient 20 the of institu
ton would have been INN latey cou>d. rcd II the
danger c,actaton bad no been indicated being
.oN mate by the following symptoms, The lady who had
,cn engaged companion % the patient by the Amor
can Consulate and attention had been called by
on reported that Mrs Barrett believed herself TO
be pursued br band Of brrands and Therefore appeared
20 ba much worried her walks and crrand- also The
public streets particularly occasion crossing
iaecf-t the state Railroad where the time there
Wa, DO but the t"o ladies sine had her pursurrs
and had answered the statement Of her companion that
latter could by saying that the uncanuy
part it-thst she alone Was able % her pursueTs
,ll IN hcr hotel she have considered
herself quite safe. because she habtu1lv kept gems.
t. nc stationed The and sight IN the mean
time information had been received from The husband
6 rough an Intermediary whose reliability could not bee
questioned that the patient Of family which
sanity horedtary AID that thus far she had cyadod
every attempt thc family take her under care
Now considering that Mis Barrett VIII certainly pass
rom her present comparatively calm mind
Of greater cxcitaby; that She will then certainly De-
troublesome those around her that she may readily
dangerous o. herself that hcs judgment has been
weakened degree apparently that she
the llcs.urr ~ dcusons. i Of opinion that the
patient requires continuous watching Her family being