The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-05-24
LOCKED UP AS INSANE
BITTER EXPERIENCE OF A FORMER
RUSSIAN MAJOR.

When He Told the Truth. Major sucrow
Was Declared to Ise Insane. but by Re-
sorting 70 a Clever lie He Was Set at
Liberty-His Ruse Was Successful.
It. e. o. Sucrow, the son of gallant
Russian colonel, and who himself was
once major in the same army, has
recently been released from the Wards
island insane asylum by clever ruse.
Its success, he thinks, is proof enough,
if he had no other. that he is mentally
sound.
Major Sncrow was at one time wealthy.
Until within few years ho did not find
it necessary to work for living. He ia
of noble family and was great yachts
man. Ee can rccite o1fhand the COM
plete record of all the international
yacht races and says that he has twice
been around the world in yacht of his
own. He is about 5a years old and
speaks and writes well in English. He
lives at 18 Great Jones street. He
has not been on good terms with his
family for years, and his annual income
was stopped two years ago.
When this happened, he sought some
business enterprise, and his attention
was called to discovery for making
hair grow on bald heads, which had been
successfully tried in two or three cases.
He bought controlling interest in the
restorative and commenced to boom it.
He had read great deal about Dr.
Chauncey nj. Depew and thought it was
pity that SO great a man should be COM
pelled to 60 through life baldheAded.
Furthermore, he considered that his for
tune would be made if he could be the
means of giving DIR. Depew genuine
pompadour.
With this object in view Major Sucrow
fixed up a package of his restorative and
called on DIR. Depew. The package, which
was neatly tied up. was about ii inches
long, 0 inches wide aud 81 inches thick.
His visit was just after the attempt to
blow up Russell Sage by dynamite.
When DR.. Depew saw the package and
heard the majors foreign accent, he
thought it YVES crank and remarked
hurriedly:
My dear fellow, / am very busily en-
gagged today on important business that
cannot be delayed. Leave me your name
and address, and / shall send you letter
making an appointment for an interview
for some other day."
Sucrow went away and waited for the
letter, which never came. In it's place
appeared an agent of the department of
charities and correction, who questioned
him concerning his personal history and
as to the effectiveness of his tonic. Su-
crow was then taken before DIR. Wash
burn of AZ Irving place and declared
insane. He spent one night at the in
sane pavilion at Bellevue hospital and
was then sent. to Wards island. He
was examined several times by different
physicians at Bellevue and at Wards
island and was questioned as to the story
he had first told.
MY statements were all true" said
Major Sucrow yesterday, land SO ! had
to conscientiously persist in them"
After his transfer to the island he kept
the attention of the physicians there Gen.
tered upon him by his frequent declara-
tions that he was not insane, accompa-
MED by applications for his release. For
the first FIVE months Of his incarceration
he made these applications at least every
week, and sometimes as often as twice or
three times q week. At the end Of five
months, just as be was beginning to de-
spair Of ever regaining his liberty. he hit
upon q new idea.
Il began 10 change my SYSTEM" he
said. For The next month did notsay
a word about insanity. nor did make
any further request for my discharge.
AT the end Of the month went to Mr..
Peppard, the head attendant, and asked
for permission TO write to DR.. Wash
burn. It, was reAdily granted, but I
knew that the nlisdfve would Be opened
and read before II was sent, II, indeed. it
was sent at all.
The substance Of my letssr to Dr..