New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-25
is +. NJ. FIELD INSANE?
RELATIVES OF HIS WHO ARE OR WERE.


THE FAMILY DkAFfRS OPINlON.
To an ordinary observer Edward NJ Field appeared to
lie a thoroughly brOken-dowh man, mentally and phys
caly when lie appeared before Presiding Justice Van
Brunt and a jury In the Court OF oyer and Terminer
Yesterday 10 have The question determined whether he
Is anc and not responsible for his alleged wrong
doing or whether he Is only shammns for the pnrpo'1
Of escaping punishment. The proceedings begun
b. ourkc Cochran. WHO addressed the jury and told
them what he expected to prove. He reviewed the
life Of the prisoner from his boYh0od and mentioned
number o. incidents 70 show that he had always had
tcndency 20 insanity from the time when he had been
student q; college. Mr. Cochran also said that there
had been tendency 10 insanity In the Field family for
many wears n lie would show the jury by evidence
which would be introduced lie referred to one time
when F. NJ Field had started up In the night, and
getting ont Of bed. lad insisted that he was horse
On another OCCASION while on a boat. he walked up
crying and Insisted that every against him and
wanted TO XIII him. IL was with dinlculty that he was
restrained from jumping overheard.
Members Of Mr. Fields family had known for eighteen
months before the failure that he incompetent to
attend to his business properly. and they had urged
his wife many times to have him put in an asylum but
she would not consent TO 1t. In fact MI COCHRAN ue
Glazed Mrs reld had known before she married TO
Mr. Field that he subject to fits OF mental aDerfa
ton. Dr. Lindcy had advised the family year ana
half before the failure that Mr.. Field was totally In
~'-~''~'
time and lust previous the failure Mr.. Field kept
telling his wife that he making plenty OF money
and he wanted to buy ship and takc journey arou"o
the world lie frs: intended to 20 In a steam sacht
buc he modified his plans and arranged TO go in sail
Ing yes el. lie even went 30 far as to talk WITH
number of men about buying sailing ship
The a snmcnt did not come, Mr.. Cochran declared
lmahy because any Mr.. Fields notes or paper had
been protested. lie might have gone along for num-
her of weeks more. No one knew how he was going
on, but liz might have done the same for some unc
longer lie had been doing for weeks before te crash
came. The assignment was made at that tlme Mr'
Cochran declared solely because Mrs. Field had finally
come to d realizing sense of her husbands CONDITION.
and the plan was TO have assignment and when any
questions were asked why the assignment was maze
the answer would be that OF the members OF the
firm insane.
The first witness called Dr. Joseph Draper the
superintendent of the insane asylum at BIateboro'
Vi. This institution is fftysix years Old, Dr. Draper
said and he produced its records showing that num-
Der Of the members Of the Field family had ded loh
insanity. They the members OF another Drahch
Of the family. however. The Rev. Dr. Henry NJ field
explained few minutes afterward the relationship
II the Two branches of the family. They sprung from
a common ancestor. Captain Timothy Field. who was
II Revolutionary soldier Among his children were two
SON, both Of whom became preachers. Their names
were Timothy and David Dudley. David Dudley was
the fnther Of the present David Dudley, Cyrus W.,
Henry NJ. and stephen J. Field.
The Rev. Timothy Field became the pastor OF the
CONGREGATIONAL Church at Westminster VI. about 1s07,
where he remained until 1885. subsequently nc DC
came insane and was placed in asylum where lie
died n few years afterwar DR.. Joseph Draper was
called upon to testify about this branch Of the Field
family Dr. Draper has been connected with the nsy-
lum for two long periods. The last time he had been
there about nineteen years This was the asylum In
witch Timothy Field had been confined and. although
Dr. Draper had not been nj the asylum all the time
that Mr. Field had been there. the Doctor had the
records of the institution, which described the patients
with great particularly From these records be read
that the DR. Field had been admitted TO the instl
tuition in ei5 and that the preacher WAS about seventy
years old at that time Ills trouble was acute mania.
The entry I'm the record to the cause Of the insanity
was that IL was hereditary his father and mother both
having died from that cause. The records noted tile
fact that the preachers wife also Insane at that
lime. lie remained in the asylum until be died. on
February %. 1s46.
Lorenzo Field son of Timothy. admitted to the
same Institution on November IL. 1859. lie had been
IN sane for time before being taken to the nstu
ton Dr. Draper said. His halluclnaon was that
every one wanted to kill him. lie improved SO that
he was discharged December %, but n few years
afcrward he taken TO the same institution again
Ills case this time the record said, unusually I'M
it was almost impossible to get anything down his
throat lie was subsequently discharged.
4 daughter OF Lorenzo Field had also died In the
same Institution. the witness said. Another member
Of the family in the asylum al the present time,
suffering from acute mania His name Curtis {.
Field and he about twenty-six years old. lie has
been suffering for several weeks. and the given
tho records for his lunacy was that he had inherited
the disease.
Ofsim
Supervisors OF Insane Asyums Of the State of Vermont,
was the next witness His business had been the care
Of the insane In the States Of Vermont and Massa-
chusetts FOR the last thirty lie testified that
william Field n brother of Loronzo had been in an
ASYLUM for time and he had seen him there
several times a year ago Susan, daughter OF
William had also been in asylum and had been
discharged but not cured. Her family, he said were
considering tie ACCESSIBILITY OF sending her back.
son Of Wihlm Field had committed suicide by shooting
himself.
The Rev. Dr. Henry NJ. Field, uncle OF the prisoner
was the next witness. lie explained the relations
OF the different branches Of the family. His father.
he said the grandfather Of the prisoner. lived to be
cighty-six years old His mind clear up to his
eightcth year, when it began to fail and some time
before his death he became practically helpless.
Upon cross examination by Mr.. Nco. Mr. Field said
that the only member his branch OF the Field family
Who had been insane, except the prisoner; Was aior
ASYLUM for five or SIX years. This daughter thought
thai she WAS the daughter Of the King OF France but,
in answer to question. the witness said that he ala
NOT know that she thought herself the wife OF fhipS
Brooks. -. A., ~. -.
H. ogden Bradley, the president OF the BANK OF
Tarrvtown, who the next Witness, iad Known
f. NJ Field for a number of years. When he hrst
met him he said, lie considered linn to be one OF the
brightest young business men he lld ever known.
year or two before the failure, MI Braaiey sad,
he had observed "A great failing In him. Instead of
he bright business man whom he had known, Field
changed that he was not able to transact business
with intelligence. lie would ask question ana then
suddenly start away In the middle OF the answer.
'rhomn, stokes who used to live at Tnrryt0wn, and
had known Mr. Field Rl his lIfc, WAS the next witness
lie had met Field socially in church and h business
iIttlr more than Il year ago. one day Field told him
thnt his daughter attended the same school IN which
t"ses,s dnuVhtcr tauglt Mr. stokes knew that Mr..
MIA Ind no daughter stokes had observed that
La H. I..ir nd hnlf