The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-04
SANE IN AN ASYLUM.

MIS-. Hendrix Describes Her Fxperi
encs as Ten-months' Nightmare.
From the He.0 York Commercial.
at seems as IL had Just awakened from
horrible nightmare of ten months dura-
ton. If life in 40 asylum isn't nightmare
don't know what is"
That is the opiniodlof Mrs. 8. E. Har-
mon-Hendrix, who has just got out of the
Long Island Home, an asvlum at Amity-
vile, L. |. 1t didn't require a writ Of
haoeas corpus to get her out although
Lawyer F. w. Leonard secured such an
order in the supreme court, Brooklyn, sew
eral days ago.
Mrs. Hendrix saws she is perfectly sane.
The Lunacy Law Reform League says she
is sane. She looks sane and talks sanely. She
Is the daughter OF P G.. Harmon. who
owned a brewery on Cherry street many
years ago and retired from business with his
strong box full of money. He Is 20 years
old now aud lives in solitary elegance at
the Gladstone hotel, which overlooks Cen
trail park.
Mrs. Hendrix IS a widow. Her husband.
Charles W. Hendrix, died IN 1889. She was
divorced from him at the time. She lived
at No. $40 Lexington avenue a year ago.
Her father lived with her. She was taSen
to Bellevue hospital and sent to ian asy-
lum" at Whitestone. DIR. Hammond OF No.
SO West Forty-fifth street and DR.. Cameron
Of No. 100 West Forty-seventh street had
attended her.
After she had been transferred from
Whitestone TO Amityville, Mrs. Hendrix
managed to get number of letters con-
veyed to her friends In this city. She told
them she was imprisoned aud chat she was
in her right senses. She begged them to
aid In securing her release
The Anti-kidnaping Union heard of the
case and Immediately set about work to aid
Mrs. Hendrix. Mr. Harmon heard about
the proceedings. He went to the asylum,
and his daughter was sent for. Supt
Bowman Of the Long Island Home
name Of friend 20 whom she could go
when she reached the city, aud an attend
ant accompanied her.
Mrs. Hendrix was at the office of the
Anti-kidnaping Union yesterday. She is
middle-aged, and looks. i'll. She wore q
sealskin sacuue, a black silk dress and a hat
covered with glossy veil.
81 went to the home of my sister when
returned to the city, she said, "but my
brother-i1-law said his house was full of
guests, and declined to accommodate me
10 and II o'clock at night l went to the
Hotel Devonshire, and remained over
night. Two cousins called on me there and
took me to the Gladstone hotel, where my
father lives. They went to his private
apartments and | remained in the parlor.
They want me to go TO a sanitarium at Nor
risbown, N. j. If I can get control of my
money 1 shall be all right. But l under
stand my father wants to be appointed my
guardian
Mrs. Hendrix fears she will be kidnapped
and taken out of the state. She says she
cannot trust her father. Clarissa c..
Lathrop, secretary of the Anti-kiduaping
Union, will investigate the case to- day.
Lawyer Leonard. she says, is not employed
by the union, and she does not understand
how it was that he secured a writ OF habeas
cor pus in the case.
Mis- Lathrop addressed the Baptist con-
ference at the Baptist tabernacle yesterday.
She called the attention of the clergy to the
incarceration of sane persons in insane asy-
lums, depicting the horrors of such an ex>
perience and the necessity for reform in the
lunacy laws and more humane treatment Of
the insane, and advocated Christian work
and cooperation in forwarding this move-
ment. Two bills were proposed by the
league, one postal bill, enabling patients
to write out to one person without super
vision, and another transferring all power
and control of insane asylums from the
superintendents to the boards of trustees
As the bylaws Of the conference prevented
the clergy from indorsiug any special So
cjeties, the following resolutions were
unanimously adopted:
WHEREAS, There are well authenticated cases
of the malicious or hasty committal of sane per-
sons to the asylumS for the insane, and the
laws as now enforced seem inadequate to pre-
vent such cases from arising.
RESOLVED, That the conference heartily com
mends the efforts of individuals or societies
~. - ct
legislative acts or other safeguards against
such Incarceration Of sane persons and for such
other protection of all persons confined in such
institutions as is desirable.