New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-04
FOUND INSANE AND ADRIET.
A WOMAN DISCOVERED NEARLY ASPlIlA-
fArl.D AT THE EVERETT HOUSE.
SHE SAYS SHE WAS ABANDONED nv THt
AUTHORITIES OF THE sTArT ASYLUM AT
wORC ESTER MAsS.-wANDERING HELP

SHE SAYS SHE WAS ABANDONED nv TiIl-
AuTuoRITIHs OF THE sTAI'T ASYLUM AT
WORCESTER. MAss.-wANDEEING HELP
LESS ABOUT THE srREE1s-TIIE OF.
FICIALs DENY THE CHARGE.
For many years the police, the hospital doctors
and other officials in this city have HAD pltt'f
reason 10 complain of sharp practice commonly
INDUCED In by asylum authorities in nclshborlns
States At frequent intervals the books at Police
Headquarters record the arrest Of an unknown
insane man or woman. as the case may he. found
wandering through the streets OF the ctN.
The suspicion has long since developed INTO abs0-
lutte certainty that in order TO save expense, Ger
tain paupcr inmates of out-of-tOwn asylums have
been brought to Ncw-York and turned a'irlit hero
to become a charge upon the city. If the story
told by poor craz,d Rosa Baum be true. slarlng
instance Of this practice has Just been FURNISHED
Mrs Baum is Just forty years old. The bru-
tality Of her husband Is responsible for the loss
of her reason Up to about two years and half
ago, when her mind gave way. she had worked
in a Brooklyn drygoods store. Her husband had
long ago deserted her, and her only refuge was
with sister, Mrs Sarah Sommcrs, in Boston.
With her she remained for twelve months. and
then it became necessary TO transfer her TO the
IL
III, want Of money stratencd Mrs. Sommcrs
that she was unable further to pay for her sisters
maintenance and wrote the asylum authorities TO
that effect The officials did not propose TO
have "A pauper lunatic their hands. and. Mrs.
Somncrs says, plainly said so. There the cor
rcspondence ceased.
1t was just after / o'clock on Friday night
when short, dark-cyed, dark haired, middl"-agcd
Ia, al llsa1i iptn bA
Everett House and asked for a room. The clerk
assigned her to Room 2; on the fourth floor
II does not appear that the woman attracted any
particular attention, but early yesterday there
entered the Office with aurricd nervous steps,
second woman, who somehow reminded the clerk
of the woman in No. %.
! am Mrs Sarah Sommers. she said. d" | live
in Boston. Ny sister il herein this hotel She
is registered as Mrs Selling but her name is Rosa
Baum. She is dcmcnted and has somehow got
away from the asylum at Worcester
The clerk, followed by Mrs. Sommers, hurried
upstairs. The first thing that attracted their at
tention as they approached Room % was smell
OF gas, and thc odor grew stronger as they stood
outside the door The clerk tried the door II was
locked He Knocked and kicked at the panel, anu
but there was no reply. Then Michael
Earle, the burly porter. hurled his body against
the door and crashed il open.
The woman who had registered as Mrs. Selling |
lay on the bed apparently asleep. Her Jacket and
bonnet lay on chair, and she had removed none |
other Of her clothing. The gas burner turned
full on the windows shut tight. told the rest OF
the story. She wac unconscious. and all but dead
when the hotel physician reached her.
AT the New-lork Hospital late last night 1t was
said she would probably recover.
To complete the story Mrs Sommers showed
etter received from her sister late on Saturday
hight In this letter Mrs. Baum, after saying
hat she had found her way to New,fork and