The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-29
TOLD HIS STORY.
DR.. Potter Talks Before
the Coroner.
MISS BARKDULL'S SUICIDE.
Some Queer Admissions by the
Superintendent.
IISS BARKDULL'S SUICIDE.
SAYS HE Is LAW UNTO HIMSELF.
The Witness Grew Cautious, De-
clined to Answer Questions and
Then Wanted to Argue.

DR.. Samuel y. IL. R0tter, SupeTlH ttuu-
ent of the Home for Inebriates. was on
the witness stand before Coroner hughes
yesterday, in the inquest on the death OF
Annie Barkdull. who committed suicide
by hanging herself at the home NoVem-
Der 4. DR.. Potter was held on the rack by
Attorney McEnerney, who represented the
law. and the District Attorney.
Some queer things in connection with
the home came very near leaking out. and
some Queerer things in connection with the
superintendent did leak out by his own
unguarded admissions. But be became
more cautious as Mr.. McEnerney's cross
questions forced him into fidgety moods.
and the doctor finally tried to take refuge
in argAment as TO the admissibility of GER
tain pointed queries, but Coroner Hughes
would not have it that way.
DR.. Potter related how Miss Barkdull
had been placed in his charge by her
friend, Mr.. Dupret, and how $50 had been
paid for her detention for one week. The
arrangements had been made al Potter's
office. in the Mills building, without his
having seen or examined the patient. She
was taken to the home the same day.
81 had a long conversation with her.
he witness said. during which learned
that there were decisions in her mind.
Except for these peculiar decisions she
was rational on every subject"
"What was the nature of these de-
lusons?" the Coroner asked.
"Oh, about burglars. poison and perse-
cutions by relatives and friends"
ANY other specific decisions"
Yes, but they were of private nature,
c0nfided 10 me as a physician under pledge
of secrecy, and decline to answer further
on that point"
The point was not pressed
"On the following Wednesday," he con-
tinued, miss BarkGuli made her first out
break. At 1880 o'clock in the morning l
was in the pharmacy attending to the
needs of the male patients. A young man
under suspicion OF insanity was standing
10 the yard, quite alone. Suddenly this
youth made number of loud outcries,
such as Help! 'Murderv Policev and
the like. A moment later he repeated
those cries and then l and two attendants
made run for him and took him in charge,
after desperate fight with chairs. Mss
Barkdull was at her window, which over
looked the yard, and saw ii all. Suddenly
she made several Outcries, Poor man,
don't let them kill you! at the top of her
voice. In a few moments the roofs and
balconies of the neighboring houses were
crowded with people. To the people on
the roofs and on the balconies the woman
called out I'm no inebriateI I'm not
drunkard! After getting the man inside
the house l ran upstairs and found Miss
Barkdull standing at the window of her
room. clutching the wire screen with both
hands. My wife and the nurse were at
her side. The woman took her by the
shoulders and took her by her heels and
we carried her into room Al, which is
known as the 'ceiled-room.' not the sealed
room,' as enormously reported.
ION Friday" the witness went on, "Mr
Dupret came to me- and said he wanted
the patient sent to Humboldt County On
the following Monday or Tuesday, and
asked me if / could send woman with
her. | said I could and it was so settled
On Saturday evening | went to see Miss
Barkdul and explained to her what was
proposed for her future welfare-that she
should be sent home to her people. She
said she would do whatever Mr.. Dupret
wanted her to DO, as he was ever loving
and kind. She told me that she would
have become his wife had there not been
private and personal objections on her
part to marriage at all to any man. | then
gave her some medicine and left. | never
saw her alive again.
Next morning aboutS o'clock, while |
was still in bed. the nurse came TO my
room and called Inc. l arose and was
Immediately informed that Miss Barkdull
had hanged herself l ran upstairs and
found that it was true. She was hanging
behind the door. her knees touching the
door, as also her face, and her feet about
ten inches abOve the floor. She hung by
a chain that belonged to a window blind.
1t went twice around her neck. The other
end of the chain was fastened to an ordi-
nary screw that held letter.file. The
screw was about six feet four inches
above the floor. Only a few inches of
chain hung from the screw. [ lifted her
off,
He then illustrated how the chain had
been arranged.
''By what authority was she detain ed ?"
asked the Coroner.
by the authority that every physician
has over patient, and by common law
and Practice. There is 20 doubt that she
was insane with species of mOnomania."
Under cross examination as to what au-
thority he had for receiving and OBTAINING
Miss Barkdull, DR.. Potter claimed the
right under the common law that gives
ply stefan the right to receive and do what
he deems necessary for a patients health
and welfare. He also referred TO an act
of the Legislature passed In 1876 in refer
enee to the Home for IDebriates. This
act authorizes the detention of persons
committed by magistrate or other WISE"
aud he l. i'd great stress on the sweeping
assertion Otherwise" He claimed the
right to be the sole judge as to whether or
not person is capable to decide on his
entrance and detention.
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