Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-06-21
LOCKED UP AS INSANE
BITTER EXPERIENCE OF A FORMER
RUSSIAN MAJOR.

Russian colonel, and who himself was
once a 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 Sucrow was at one time wealthy.
Until within few years he did not find
it necessary to work for living. He is
of noble family and was great yachts
man. He can recite offhand 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 90 years old and
speaks and writes well in English. He
lives at As 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 a discovery for making
hair grow on bald heads, which had been
successfully tried in two or three cases.
He bought a controlling interest i'll the
restorative and commenced to boom it.
He had read a great deal about DR..
Chauncey NJ. Depew and thoughG it was
a pity that so great a man should be com
PEELED TO go through life baldheaded
Furthermore. be considered that his for
tune would be- made if he could be the
means q giving DR.. Depew a genuine
pulnpad0ur
With this object in view Major Sucrow
-.t1
called on Dr.. Depew. The package, which
was neatly tied up. was about II inches
long, 9 inches wide and - inches thick
His visit vas 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 was a crank and remarked
hurriedly:
MY dear fellow, l 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
Sucrnw went away and waited for the
letter, which never came. In its place
appeared an agent Of the department of
charities aud correction. who questioned
him concerning his personal history and
as TO the effectiveness of his tonic. Su-
crow was then taken before Dr. Wash
burn of A. Irving place and declared
insane. He spent one night at the in
sane pavilion ut Bellevue hospital and
was then sent 20 Wards island. He
was examined several times by different
s.F IN
island and was questioned as to the story
he had first told
My statements We're all true" said
Major Sucr0w yesterday. and so / had
to conscienuously persist in them"
After his transfer to the island he kept
the attention Of the physicians there cen
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 a week. At the end of five
months. just as he was beginning to de-
spair Of ever regaining his liberty, he hit
upon a new idea.
Il began to change my system" he
said. For the next month did not say
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 |
knew that the missive would be opened
and read before it was sent, if. indeed, it
was sent at all.
THE substance of my letter to DR..
Washburn was that | now realized /
was not in my right mind when | was
committed, that the statements / had
made about belonging to a noble Rus
sian family and having once been rich
were delusions that had now been dis
PEELED, and that / had made great mis-
take in having anything TO do with the
hair tonic business told the doctor
that was humble mechanic and could
earn about $i8 per week at my trade.
also said that this was good time Of
the year to secure employment, and |
wanted to be released. A few days later
wrote letters to Drs. Adamson, Camp
bell and Petit Of exactly the same inn
port. had the story down fine and did
not vary a single detail in any of them.
"a few days afterward DIR. Petit sent
for me and made an exi nination, during
which he asked me to tell my story
again. Then at short intervals Drs.
Adamson and Campbell examined me
and asked questions regarding my latest
story. told it TO them all exactly as !
had written it in the four letters, and as
result was in a short time discharged
as cured.
But" added Major Sucrow, here is
Just where the point comes in. The
story which proved to the doctors at
Wards island that was no longer in
zane. and secured my release. was the
Dnly lie had told in connection with my
whole experience as a 1unatic.' Now