Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-12
HER SANITY DOUBTED.
A Hearing In the Peculiar Case of Daisy
Hutchinson.

hulCulntOus
II Daisy Hutchinson is adjudged insane it
will have to be done by hard work on the part
Of her opposing counsel. Charles F. McKenna,
ESQ. AT the hearing yesterday she certainly
showed by her actions that she was not only not
out of her mind, but she could take care of her
own business
The case was called for hearing before Com
missioner John c. Shoemaker in the latter's
office in the Bakewen building. There were
present besides the commissioner and his as
sistauts, Drs. McKennan, Mercur, Benham,
Wylie and Sutton, and a number of women.
Attorneys Brein and Fitzpatrick appeared for
The FIRST witness called was Mrs. Elizabeth
Blume. of Allegheny City, sister of the
woman supposed to be insane She testified to
the age and family connection of her sister,
Margaret Bassendorf better known as Daisy
Hutchinson. She said Daisy was about so years
of age. She stated in detail the history of the
case from the time Daisy DISCHARGED the in
mates of her house until the present time.
She said short time after Christmas Daisy
came to her and commanded her to give up
Housekeeping and 60 live with her. She and
her husband did so and at the expiration of
two weeks she began to think her sister was
insane. Every day Daisy had a different idea
about what she wanted to do in the future.
Subsequently she visited the St. Francis Hos
pital and found Daisy in the insane apartment.
She was crying and said that was no place for
her and wanted to get out. Mrs. Blume told
Daisy she could not take her out and her sister
then began to get hysterical.
Doctor Mercur testified, saying the woman had
been brought to his office by Constable Porter
in an excited state. She was sobbing about her
sister being murdered and he came to the con-
clusion that she was mentally uusound. He
gave her mixture of bromide. She came
back the next day saying that somebody was
pursuing her He went to see the constable
and asked him to commu6icate with her
friends. At l o'clock Sunday morn
ing she was called to her
room in a hotel where she said somebody had
drugged her. She still rayed about her sisters
death. She visited his Office Monday morning
and again her actions were strange. He CON-
municated with Mrs. Blume and advised NOV
ing Daisy TO a hospital for treatment He told
Or. McKennan that she needed private place
10 rest and he wanted to send her TO Frankford,
In the meantime they decided to have her COM
mitted to st. Francis, and the papers were
made out
To the query, ''Look at her now and then say
If you think she is insane" the witness said,
II am not qualified to judge without an exami-
nation. / would have to ask her questions" F"
Dr. Mercur said ne would consent to attend an
he had prescribed no morphia. nor were there
any signs Of the drug upon the woman.
DIR. Mckennan, who was resident physician
at DiXmont asylum for two years, was placed
upon the stand. He said he had been influ-
eHced in making his report of Daisy's condition
by the history of the case given to him. He
did not detect any violent signs of insanity but
his general observation made him believe that
she was insane. He said patients of this kind
would deceive physicians, and they had to be
guided by what they had been told He thought
Daisy should have three months rest in some
quiet private asylum.
The hearing will be continued to-day.