Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-11-18
ARDEN HUMPHREY CASE.
Report of the Legislative Committee.

that they Find No Cause for an In
vestIgotIon by the State.
To The Honorable Senate and House Of
Representatives.:
The senate committee on the insane
and the house committee on the in
sane, acting jointly, to whom were re-
ferred petition asking for commission
er to be appointed by the legislature to
make investigations in regard to the sud
den and mysterious disappearance of Ar
den II. Humphrey, June 25, 1889, would
respectfully report
On November 2 and your committee
listened to statements made by Mr.. and
Mrs. Humphrey, father and mother of said
Arden, and to letters and papers presented
by them relating to the disappearance of
their son. In accordance with Joint res
olution passed by the senate and house of
representatives, witnesses were summoned
to appear before the committee. At the
hearing November 9 the two principal
witnesses were examined under oath, and
the dispositions of two other witnesses
read. The committee have also heard the
statements of the three state supervisors
of the insane in regard to Arden Ii. Hum
phrey, Mrs. Miriam jackson and James S.
Hoyt, who are mentioned in some papers
in connection with said sudden disappear
ance, have examined a written statement
of DIR. 5. K. Lawton, present superintend-
ent of the insane at Brattleboro, who for
nearly 10 years saw Mrs. jackson twice
daily; and also copy of the official record
made by the late DIR. Draper of the last
three days of the life of James S. Hoyt,
who died Oct. Is, 1887
AS a result of these investigations, your
committee would report as follows:
First. We find that the said Arden
II. Humphrey, farm hand at the asylum
at Brattleboro, was last seen by the other
farm hands going out of the farmers hall,
situated in the rear of the asylum at Brat
tleboro, about $3.50 p. NJ, June %, 1889,
and since that time has never been seen or
heard from by any officer or employee of
that institution, or by his friends, although
diligent and long-cOntinued search has
been made.
Second. We find no evidence rejecting
upon the management of the asylum at
BrattleborO, or the conduct of any officer
or person connected Herewith in relation
to the disappearance of Arden II. Hum
| phrey.
Third. We find that no dependence can
be put upon the statements made by Mrs.
Miriam Jackson, a former inmate of the
| asylum at BrattleborO, as published in GER
| tain newspapers, that the said Arden H
Humphrey, short time before disappear
ance, was stripped and severely flogged and
that because of shame and modification
said Humphrey put himself out of the
way.
DIR. Lawton, who saw her twice daily for
nearly 10 years, including the time of
Humphreys disappearance, says of her:
"She was suffering from chronic delusion-
al mania. One of the most common de-
lusons she entertained was that she was
shocked every night, and occasionally dur
ing the daytime meaning by this that her
enemies came to her room in the night
with a powerful syringe and injected fire
upon her head and other parts of her body,
through a small crack in the wall, under the
door of her room, over the transom, and
through the window. These shocks were
so severe, she fancied, as to cause the
blood to flow from her nose mouth, eyes
and ears. Before retiring she would inva-
riably drive the evil spirits from her room
with a sheet or some article of clothing.
Her decisions were Away present, but she
was not always excited. Her conversation
was almost without exception demoraliz
ing, Astounding in vulgarity, profanity, and
eXtravagant statements"
Fourth. We find no connection what
ever between an alleged assault in 1887 by
one patient upon James S. Hoyt, another
patient, as represented by certain newspa-
pers, and the disappearance of said Arden
II. Humphrey. Nor do we find any evil
dence that goes to show that in the alleged
assault above mentioned there was any
neglect of the officers of the institution OF
the covering up of any facts in this case in
their report. Hoyt's death was at once in.
vestigated by the trustees of the asylum
ard by the state supervisors of the insane
at their next monthly meeting The fol
lowing is a true copy of the record made
at the asylum at the time of James S.
Hoyt's death:
''Oct. 10, 1887. Mr.. Hoyt was found
this morning in bed, in an unconscious con
ditiOn. Temperature nearly normal; small
and irregular pulse; respiration feeble and
irregular. Evidently suffering from con
cussion, and with a confusion over the
right eye. This condition gave way in two
or three hours to restless and bewildereC
state of mind, in which it was difficult tC
keep him in bed for some hours.
scot. II, 1887. Had more quiet night
temperature normal; pupils in natural con
dition; respiration nearly normal thi
|
ing the night. This condition was sue
ceeded by feversh state in the afternoon
Temperature became elevated, pulse rapid
and respiration increased, with evident in
1ammatory symptoms of the brain.
"Oct. Is, 1887. These symptoms in
creased in gravity during the night, an,
ended in coma; and in this condition h
died about $3.50 A. NJ. The cause of tn
confusion upon the head is not easily &C
counted for 1t is possible that during on
, of the transient eXcitements, to which h
was subject, the injury might have beel
accidental; he might have attempted t.
walk about on the bed, and have fallen /
the floor, striking his head upon the wa
! or bedstead, or have been pushed over b
5 his roommate. They had been associate,
+ for three or four years together, and thOug
occasionally having a slight collision, wer
not believed to have any decisions in re
spect to each other, or antipathy of a spec
tally dangerous character; and there wa
, no movable furniture or articles in tn
room that could be used as a dangerOu
, weapon. Both were found in their respect
! i've beds in the morning, and covered wit
- the bed clothing, without any evidence c
any violent collision in the room.
"The immediate cause of death was il
e flammatiOn of the BRAIN"
Fifth We fail to find evidence tendin