Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-11
future I am willing that she shall find
faithful service wherever she can."
DECLARES HER INSANE.
so SAYS DIR. WETHERILL NOW OF
ANNA DICKINsON'S CASE.

He Says She Was Undoubtedly Deranged
When Sent to the Asylum and Was
Not Oppressed-He Stakes His Reputa-
ton on His Opinion.
PHILADELPHIA. April 10.-The story
that Anna Dickinson was sane woman
when she was committed to the Danvilie
Insane Asylum and that her commitment
was irregular; that the State lunacy laws
were in her case fagrantly violated, and
that Philadelphia physicians and officials
were concerned in the injustice done her, Is
officially and particularly denied here.
The letter which Miss Dickinson says she
sent to the Chairman and Secretary of the
State Board of Charities. Drs. Thomas G.
Morton and Henry NJ. Wetherill, of this
city, was received by DR.. Wetherlll, who
visited her Immediately upon receipt of the
letter, after having shown it to DR.. Morton.
Thomas Barlow, the attorney of the board,
accompanied DR.. Wetherll to Danville.
In telling OF the visit, DIR. Wetherill to-
day said: "We found Miss Dickinson in
stalled in the most com mfortable ward of the
whole institution. The Danville Asylum,
like other State Asylums. is oyercrowded.
but only on the mems side. There is room
among the women still for the comfortable
accommodation of a number of new
patients She told us that she was
sane and that DR.. Schultz the
superintendent, suppressed her letters. 1
told her of our receipt of tie letter she
mailed to US, and that we had forwarded to
Howe s. Hummel, of New York, the letter
which she had inclosed addressed to that
law firm. On inquiry of DR.. Shultz after
ward what he thought of her condition, he
said it was his medical opinion that hers was
a case of acute insanity, but she had begun
to improve during her brief residence in the
hospital
In reply to the query as to what his
opinion was at the tiue. DR.. Wetherill SAID:
Neither Mr.. Barlow nor myself had the
slightest doubt but that she was deranged."
"Do you say officially, and do you stake
your professional reputation on Miss Dick
inson's insanity while she was in Dan
ville?"
eyes, there is no doubt about it what
ever"
From a!perusal of her story, and from
your knowledge of her case, do you think.
she is entirely sane now?"
Speaking from what 1 saw of her only,
! will say that it is very probable that she
is insane at the present time. DIR. Seward,
of New York, / see, vouches for the oppo-
site view of her case, and in'the absence of
another examination of Miss Dickinson l
cannot speak positively of her condition"
'She was released from the asylum on
discharge papers, and says that if she re-
turns to Pennsylvania she is liable to re-
arrest and incarceration. Is that true?"
at is not. OF course, if she were mani
testify insane and dangerous she could be
restrained for the safety of the public. But
the whole case would have to be begun alb
ovo. The commitment and examination
would have to be made all over again, and
would be an entirely new case. Miss Dick
inson now in Pennsylvania is as free as air,
and can no more be deprived of her liberty
or placed under restraint than you or !"