The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-04
FREE TO COMMIT SUICIDE.
ROSE BAUM WAS a LUNhTIo Ell
PORTED BIZ MASSACHUSETTs

| She snys the Agent Left Her Fenniess 4,
tho Streets She Went to tho Everett
House and Arphyxiafed Herself-Asent
| wr,rhtineton Omcintea in the Matter ..
| u.b,Ir OF the state of Massachusetts.
| A short stout woman. who looked weary
| and travel stained entered the Everett House
| on Union square late on Friday night and
asked for a room. she told the clerk she had
| arrived on the late train from Boston. She
| repistered as Mrs. Selling Boston. Mass"
| The clerk assigned her to room % on the
second floor. Her baggage consisted OF q
| handbag She appeared to lie respectable
traveller. and the clerk did not hesitate about
letting her have a room.
The woman was not seen much outside Other
room on Saturday. At O'Clock yesterday
morning q woman. who said she was Mrs.
Sarah Summers OF Boston. called at the hotel
and said that Mrs. Selling" was her sister.
Mrs. Summers told the clerk that her sisters
real name was Mrs. Rose Baum. and that she
was insane and had escaped from the lunatio
hospital state In stitution. in Worcester. Mrs.
Summers waited in the parlor while the clerk
sent the boy to room %. The boy could get no
answer to his knocks.
Head Porter Michael Earle broke in tho door
and found the room full Of gas. Mrs. Baum
was In bed unconscious. She remained In q
state Of coma all day In the New York Hos
Whether she intended to asphyxiate herself
not is Ths b WINDOW M the ro
wind NAV have blown out the light, On tho
table however. was q note reading. If any
'ha hnG BOND 0s Street, Mr. Hornthal Is an
undertaken.
sister to this city. In response to letter which
che received from her on Saturday: The fam
that TIA w Mrs Baum was IN New 5ork and thought
she had escaped from the asylum. because
they had got no word from the asylum super
In the letter Mrs. Baum said that man who
she imagined was an agent OF the asylum had
wandered around ali Thursday night and ali
to go hotel and then en I e' WITH
her folks. Mrs. summers was willing to be.
letter. She, said that Mrs. Baum was 10 years
Sld and had t been e. Brooklyn Bro
Her husband deserted her there, two and half
this. and adj her family took care Of her " un:
I'll she, dsveloped signs Of insanity. and
That was eighteen months ago. They were In Ia
moderate. circumstances and able to pay her
forced to stop owing to lack of funds They
asked the T authorities to retain her az a State
asylum that Il they old f not pay what was d"s
Mrs. Baum would be discharged. They
thought they would be able to get IoonSy
enough to ray up arrears. and were doing
when they learned that Mrs. Baum was in this
city.
1t was learned from Worcester that tho
woman was brought to New York by S. C.
Wrghtingtop. agent OF the Massachusetts
State Board OF Lunacy and Charities. which
rightly or wrongly. has been accused in the
newspapers OF dump surplus Massachusetts
paupers here in droyes but which has never
been accused OF leaving pauper lunatic PEN
niless in the streets here to attempt suicide at
her leisure. Rose Baum. 1t appears. had mol
ancholia. disease characterized by tendency
to suicide.
She had been in the Worcester Lunatic Hos
pital for eighteen months. committed from
Boston. and. when her sister could not pay her
board any longer she WAS considered nearly
cured" The state Board was notified and it
was decided that. as a former resident Of
Brooklyn. Mrs. Baum was not entitled to sup
port as State patient. DR.. II. NJ. Quinby. Su-
perintendent Of the Hospital. says that Mr..
Wrightington. who lives In Boston. came to
Worcesteron Wednesday and took Mrs. Baum
away.
In such a case II the lunatic has any friends
friends or: II she is dependent on State sup
ment OF Charities and Correction. An explRna-
ton from Mr.. Wrightington OF the course he
pursued with Mrs. Baum will probably be
forthcoming. Her version of it is given above
Or. Quinby knows nothing OF what became Of
Mrs Baum. but Is onlldent that Mr.. Wright.
inGton did not abandon her In the streets OF
New York,