Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-26
A PIT|FUL CASE OF INSANITY.
TheOphilus Collins Committed
to the Stockton Asylum.
A Number of Criminal Cases Acted
Upon Yesterday.
Happenings in the Various Courts-Notes
on Various 5uits-New Gases
Which Were Placed
File.

81 don't think l am insane, or l could
not talk as have" said young man
in Judge Smiths court room yesterday
afternoon.
His remark was made as kind OF
aside while Drs. Bicknell and Wernigk
and Judge Smith had their heads to-
gether passing judgment on the poor
fellow.
1t was not an easy case for the gentle
men who pass upon the condition of the
gray matter inside human skulls.
The subject for their expert functions,
Theophilus Collins, a printer, arrived
from Idaho the day before, and at night
had succeeded in getting into such a
row at his fathers home, No. 3 Lancas-
ter place, that policemen were called in,
and it was only after five men had
struggled with and bound the Young
fellow with ropes that they could take
him to the police station Even after
he was in a cell he rolled on the cement
floor and tried to bite himself and those
who were trying to control him.
And yet in the court room he was
capable of being quite rational, grew
somewhat excited at times, but was con-
secutive in his statements rather than
incoherent, and told a story sufficiently
pathetic to remove his case from the
commonplace.
His father, an employe of the Union
iron works, said his son had just re-
turned from visit to Idaho. He and
his vile had been at neighbors for
Thanksgiving dinner, and upon their re-
turn home he saw e light III the room
off the hall which startled him, as
everything had been locked up. Upon
entering the room he saw some one In
corner of the room and recognized his
son. He had not seen him for some
time and said:
rs that you, Thoph?"
"Yes."
The return of the young man created
much surprise in the fathers breast.
He is my son by my first wife," he
explained. "He has been with her in
Idaho. have married again. l have
seen these attacks coming on for four or
five years. My son has been back east
now over two years, and he has been in
the habit of having fits. The occurrence
at my house was terrible, and my con is
dangerous to himself and those about
llliu. Albtl LIS Cdul6 We udu bupDtT anu
my brother-in-law and all of us were
present. He got into discussion with
my brotber-in isw and grew very much
excited, saying he would have his
rights. He took my brother-in law by
the throat, and it took all of us to con-
troll him."
Other witnesses corroborate3 the state
ments of Mr.. Collins, the young patient
exhibiting much patience in the mean
time, interrupting once or twice but
stopping docilely when requested to do
so by DR.. Bicknell.
"Shall begin at the beginning" he
said, when it came his turn.
"My mother left my father when l
was about 7 years old-she left with an
other man."
"You need not enter into details
about that" interrupted Judge Smith.
"But that much was necessary to ex-
plain the after occurrence" said the un-
happy young man.
latter that was with my fathers
folks and my life was q miserable one.
I was made to feel my position. They
made me black the boots of members of
the family. l can name them if neces-
sary. No? Well, they put me to sleep
in room by myself and was alone. In
lily lOu6llucES L COulu hOU ElCCP
night"
Afterwards he said his mother had
stolen him from his father and taken
him to England, where he was for sew
eral years, and then came to America
again. He did not know about the
whereabouts of his father, but in the
west, where he was following his trade
as a printer, he ran across travelling
man who questioned him closely, and
soon after he received letter from his
father from Los Angeles. He came out
here and found his father married to his
present wife, his own mother being in
Idaho.
He was greatly distressed at the stu
alton of affairs and there were number
of unpleasant scenes, according to the
father, in which the young man evil
IDENTIFY was possessed of the idea of rein
stating his mother in her place.
Two years ago he went back 10 Idaho,
where he lived with his mother and
endeavored as best he might to support
her and himself. But he had been rem
dered almost an invalid, which he re-
ferred to with melancholy frankness,
by lead poisoning, and it was his
mother who finally supported him in
stead of his providing for her.
AT last not long since thelf resources
failed almost entirely, and he said he
saw that he must do something. He
accordingly conceived the idea of coming
to his father, and as natural right re-
questing him to do something for his
mother and himself.
1t was with this object in view that
he came to Los Angeles. He had great
difficulty in finding his fathers home,
but did go finally, and only to get into
the excitement which brought on his
disorder.
All this was told with simplicity
that was touching. Toward the close of
his story Collins could hardly be stopped
from going off into immaterial details,
and the examiners finally determined
that it was best to commit him to the
asylum at Stockton, which was accord
ingly done.
NO CONSOLIDATION.