Telegram-herald., 1891-04-12
SISTER SUSAN'S TALE
shs Denies Anna's Picturesque
Charges Of Inh1manity.
DR.. SEWARD WILL Be SUED Al oyCE
ssaa Devoted a~r Loving ka<rgtss 10
AossG Aaaa fsso FreHiasass ana her
EstiFs Life ma. bs~a sPeat Foster
ias her orAIsEtsa4 Aazblsisas-

scsASTos. Pa. April 1l.-niss susan
4. Dickinson was IN the city Friday In
consultation with friends relative 70
the statements made by her sister 20
reporter II New York Miss Dickinson
said that aha had autographed Dr..
Seward that hs would be held in dam
ages for tina injury he Is doing her
sisters mind confirming her delusion,
and also that friends of West Pittston
and vicinity viii ts.tisy that she has de-
voted her life for years 70 the welfare
and interests Of Anna In conclu-
sion Miss susan says that abe sees now
that her friends told her truly
when they said she was fool
ish 20 devote her life To Miss Anna
Hereafter Anna must fnd faithful
servants wherever she can Miss Susan
does not explain why. when the Scran-
ton Republican first gave TO the world
the story Of her sisters insanity. she
sent . strongly worded denial of IL To
every paper IN the region claiming that
che report MAS - cruel outrage"
PHILADELrHfA, April 1.-The story
that Anna Dickinson was sane
"H@A 'Ao " - ~ st<o A|oA@-
vile insane asylum and that her CON-
mftment was irregular. that the state
lunaey laws were in her case fagrantly
violated. and tina, Philadelphia ply
-icians and officials were concerned in
he injustice done her, Is officially
lad parti cularly denied here. The
bitter which Miss Dickinson says
she sent TO tho chairman and
secretary OF the state board of
charities. Drs Thomas G. Morton and
Henry NJ. Wetherill, Of this city. was
received by DR.. Wetherill, who visited
her Immediately upon the receipt of
the letter. after having shown il 20
Or Morton Thomas Barlow. attorney
Of the board, accompanied DR. Wetherill
10 Danville. In telling Of the visit DR..
Wetherin on Friday said:
We fo1ad Miss Dickinson installed In the
most comfortable ward OF the whole instttu-
ton The Danvilie asylum. like other state Asy
iumA Is oyercrosted. bat only on the nen's
side There IL room among the women stiu for
ths comfortsble accommodation of . num-
Der Of new pstient2 Miss DicNnson's ward
has = handsome parlor and Q large dining
room Her room vas tAstefuliy furnished and
had pictures mirrors and every decoration and
sDpurtenance that a refined woman could de-
sire n bad all been pu, In order by the at
tendsnts a couple Of hours prior To our arrival.
Yet IL vas already Ia sach . conditl = as is al
ways found Ia the apartments OF persons vio-
Ieatly or acutely teranged IL Was confused
and upset aud was In keeping with Miss Dick
tnson's appearance and manner.
The interview vas necessarily brief because
she declined 10 talk 10 US or At beast would say
very little. Whsr DOT actually talking 20 Us
she walked exslteily up aud down the room,
giving uttersnce 20 incoaerens words and
phrases aud acting In exactly the manner that
insane people are accustomed 10 act Mr.. Bar
low requested her TO sit down quietly and talk
~ over. bat be said nothing about anticipating
legal proceetiags a. she charged Indeed, I
an positive that neither Mr.. Barlow nor had
any iiea In mind regarding legal proceedings.
On inquiry Of DR.. Schultz afterward a. to what
be thought of her condition he said 1t was bis
medical opinion that she was case OF light
Insanity. but she had begun 10 improve during
Der brief residence Ia the hospital"
In reply To the query as to what his
opinion was at the time. DR.. Wctherill
said: Neither Mr.. Barlow nor myself
had the slightest doubt but that she
was deranged. I have been studying
the medical aspect OF insanity since
1875 and Mr. Barlow has been inter
ested In il from a legal standpoint since
lsTs"
do you say officially and do you
stake your professional reputation on
Miss Dickinsons insanity while in Dan
viIle?"
Yes. there Is no doubt a bout 1t what
ever"
From perusal of her story and
from your knowledge of her case do
you think she is entirely sane now?"
speaking from what | saw of her
only, viii say that il is very probable
that she is insane at the present time.
Or. Seward. of New York, I see.
vouches for the opposite view OF her
case, and in the absence OF another ex-
animation of Miss Dickinson cannot
speak positively of her condition"