Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-30
A FAMILY SKELETON.
Harry P. Kuhn Gives His
Side of the Now Famous
Habeas Corpus Case.
FIVE YEARS OF TROUBLE.
He Thinks he Ought to Be the Best
Judge of His Wife'S Sanity.
DOES NOT WANT HER PROPERTY.
Mrs Kuhn's Friends Say She Only Needs
Hind Treatment.
FIVE YEARS OF TROUBLE.
DOES NOT WANT HER PROPERTY.
L RECONCILIATION is ANTICIPATED

Harry L. hunn s insanity tnan mas been
told in court or given to the public in any
other form.
The husband of the unfortunate lady who
was placed in Di1mont by her husband
and was released from there last Saturday
by Judges White and Magee granting a
writ of habeas corpus to Mrs. Blake,
the mother of Mrs. Kuhn, make a
statement TO THE DISPATCH last
night. Mr.. Kuhn incidentally asserted
that his wife, four years ago, had been
affected in the same manner that she was at
the time he placed her in Di1mont, and
that she went to her mother saving an at
tempt had been made upon her life by Mr..
Kuhn with a deadly poison and that she
was afraid to live with him. Mrs. Blake
pa9iied the suffering lady, and after few
days she returned to her husband and chill
Gren with the grewsome subject obliterated
from her mind.
Mr. Kuhn was somewhat exercised over
what had been published, and the intima-
tions and hints which were rather broadly
thrown out in Saturdays proceedings in
court troubled him considerably. He said
he and his wife were reconciled to each
ether, and that he was only solicitous for
her health when he placed her in the asy-
lUm al Dixmont.
Wants to Put Himself Right.
lie further asserted that he was averse to
talking for publication, but in considera-
tion of the fact that he had been misrepre-
sented in an unhappy manner to the public,
he thought it the time to set himself Alright
- H.. l. H.,
Continuing. Mr. Kuhn said: 81 think 1 am
the best Judge as TO the insanity of nv
wife, inasnuch as we have continu-
ously lived together for the
last Is years, and until some five
years ago nothing whatever came between
u.s. Then she began to exhibit certain signs
OF mental weakness. We still lived together,
however, and continued to do 80 until the
month of February, 1891. At that time 1
was confined to my bed with a serious ILL
ness, hut in a moment Of mental alteration
she insisted upon my leaving the house.
When l objected she insisted and finally
compelled me 20 go by discharging all of
the servants and turning out all the fires,
although the weather was still intensely
cold L left home then, being taken away
IL a cab.
when 1 was strong enough 1 returned to
f.. The house locked against me. 1 pleaded
Wit - but she positively refused to ad-
mi; re and, hoping she would improve as
SIZE lad on former occasions, left and re-
manned away, leaving the children with her
ior more than a month
Wanted Her Child Sent to Morcanza.
There were no immediate signs of her
becoming better and the children began
complaining of her strange actions. In
various ways she exhibited her dementia.
she carried q large carving knife to her
room, she also applied to an Alderman to
send her oldest son to the reform school at
Nor"anza. pom another occasion she re-
fused the children food and even went so |
far as to cOuntermand the order l had left |
at the restaurant supply them |
hungry. These and other peculiar 1
actions and tho condition OF the children in |
duced me to take decisive step and l sent |
them, with her consent, to school at Trinity |
Hall, Washington. Pa, where they have |
been since thea. You naturally see that the |
sending away OF the children had nothing |
whatever to do with her mental weakness.
shortly after the children started to |
school she sold a private sale all of the |
household effects, and at private auction |
sold all Of her diamonds and iewelry, and |
rented the house. She then began staying |
with her friends and relatives and continued |
with them until month ago, when she fur |
aished part OF her house on Shady avenue |
and since then has been living there. Either |
my son, Harry, or myself have visited her |
daily, taking her delicacies, ETC.. which she |
gratefully received until some days ago. |
Since then She would receive nothing. She |
would not have q nurse and told me l would |
do her more good by staying away feared |
greatly for her health and sent for her |
physician. The latter called but was unable |
10 get into the house. He prescribed some |
nOurishment, which she refused to take. |
Followed the Physicians AdvIce.
Il called on her physician again the fol- |
lowing day, and wanted him to go with me |
10 see her and get her into the hospital He |
told me the hospital was not the place for |
her, and advised that she should be sent to |
an asylum. He also said he had an engage |
ment, and could not go with me. / then |
went to DIR. Nelan, who lives nearby, and |
who is acquainted with her mental condi- |
tiOn. He consented to go, and when we went |
10 the house it was locked, with no appear /
ance Of life within. l gained access through |
= window, and upon reaching her room / |
found her door locked, and could not per-
suade her to open il. We then broke open |
the door, and finding her in very feeble
condition and still refusing to take any
nourishment / proposed sending her to Dix
mont which. after consulting DR.. Emerling
and having him see her. we decided to do.
AS for her property, that question was
never raised by any one familiar with the
case as l have never had or wanted TO have
control OF it nor do / now. This matter was
very urkindly referred to by Hon. Judge
NaGee. j had witnesses and letters which
If the Court had heard in my opinion she
would have remained in DiNmont but am
as well satisfied to have her in the hospital
where she will receive proper treatment, |
but did not propose TO stand on ceremony
and let her StaTve to death"
"Do you think any further legal action
will he ta5en?' inquired The DIsPhrCH man. /
Not unless take something of the kind
myself" evasiyely replied Mr. Kuhn, "but
there is no necessity of publishing that"
any thing more"
L L. Hurst was seen but was averse to dis
cUssing the case.
is Mrs. Kuhn worth any considerable
sum Of money!" queried The DISPATCH man.
Merely enough tor her and her children
TO live nicely and comfortably upon" re-
turned Mr. Hurst. ''She has two pieces Of |
property and some few securities the in
come from which is sufficient for her main
tculnCe.'
Does Mrs Blake think her daughters in
generation in DlNmont was effected with a
motive for the transferring of this prop
crUv?"
y do not think she does. The sum is too
paitry for such a base motive"
Does Mrs. Blake, or do you think any
in the DiNmont Insane Asvlum that is not
III accordance with the laN?"
81 cannot answer that question:"
"Mlll any further legal steps be taSen7"
''l really cannot say, but hope not?'
do you think Mrs. Kuhn will sue for a
divorce and the custody of her chiIdren7"
u really cannot say just what will be
done, answered Mr.. Hurst. Mrs. Kuhn is
in such i'll health that it would he very un-
" Use TO broach such a subject"
SWlat IS the of Mrs. Kuhn,s alIeyed |