The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-24
PAR|SH'S FATE.
He Would Not Support His
Family
So He Is Sent to the Insane
Asylum.
w A ING TO NJ e n.
If You Are Lazy and I'm
prOvident
TARNING TO MEN.
A Grated Cell Awaits You in
DR.. Eastman'S Castle.


A jury in the probate court yesterday
afternoon found O5mer Parish insane,
aud he will go to the asylum 1t was in
some respects a remarkable finding.
Parish. lays the blame on his mother
in-law. 81 just wish you could see her."
he says He says that she has made life
such burden to him that a week ago
Thursday he could bear it no longer and
went away from his home. 1t will be re-
mem bered that Mrs. Parish found him at
the opera house with another woman
after he had been gone week. She is
the one who brought the examination
on in the probate court which ended in
sending her husband to the asylum.
Several attempts were made to have
the trial and after four continuances it
began about o'clock yesterday after
noon. Mrs. Parish, a neighbor, B. f.
Golden and j. w. Ripley were the only
witnesses called, but their testimony was
sufficient to convict
Mrs. Parish was the first one to testify.
"Has your husband ever attempted
suicide?"
"Yes, 9 years ago he took poison to try
to Kill himself. This summer when there
were SO many suicides he said he was
going to jump off the dome of the capi-
toll"
Has he ever left you for any length
of time except this last?"
when we lived i'm st. Joseph he was
gone week and 1 finally found him in
disorderly house"
rs he addicted to drinking?"
"Yes. He drinks whisky. He stays
ou. spree for two or three days.
This last month he has been worse than
usual.
"Does he become confused in conver-
sation?"
He gets greatly excited in argument.
He likes to argue religion and lately has
talked Catholicism, the only church l
never would join"
do you work"
Yes, receive 81 week at Ripley's
steam laundry"
Parish cross- examined his wife.
Did you say that l said I was going to
jump of the capitol dome?"
YES"
Did not say when I read of so many
suicides that if l were going to suicide l
should jump eff the dome?"
NO, you said you were going to jump
Don't you know that 1 have been up
there number of times?"
81 know you have"
"Ihen. why didn't I jump off ttene"
81 think YOU were up there to look at
the place aud get ready to jump off some
day"
did you not say to me today that if
would come home and 1--we with you that
your mother would go away?"
Yes, Osmer, l never wanted to leave
you.'
did you not say to this jury just mo-
ment ago that you thought | AIN insane?'
Yes"
81 will ask you to explain why you
want TO live with a crazy man?"
"Well, l don't think you're crazy. Just
mentally unbalanced and l waat you to
go somewhere you can be trented"
"Didn't take care Of myself all right
the week l was gone from homer"
yes"
"Where was l that week"
"Well, you were seen every day going
in and out of the house at 220 Madison
street."
'Do you not know that 1 was staying
at nazel's boarding house?"
mo, sir.
rs not yoar object in bringing this
investigation and doing what you have
done because l left home and applied
for a dlvorce?"
81 didn't know you had applied for
divorce.
Il want to ask you again why you
want to live with an insane man"
Mrs. Parish did not answer this.
J. w. Ripley, proprietor of the Topeka
Steam laundry. where Mrs. Parish is EN-
ployed and Parish himself formerly
worked, was next called.
''Mr. Ripley have you ever had any ex-
perience in asylums!"
"Yez. l was an attendant in the con-
vaIescent ward at the Osawatomie asylum
for some time"
''What is your opinion to the men
tai condition of this man?"
"Oh, he's insane. l never have thought
anything else l don't consider him
capable of managing his affairs. He
has always appeared to me more like a
1U-year- old boy than anything else"
what kind of an employe was he?"
"He proved Il good hand, attentive to
his business and neat. Within the last
two or three months he grew careless
aad often went home. saying that mis-
lead hurt him. Sometimes he did not
use tobacco, and at others he chewed
and smoked incess antly. When he used
tobacco he grew much worse.
"The last time he came back to work
l tried to bluff him. He was getting
from $12 to SO working as type setter,
but was not giving any of it for the sup
port of his family. l arranged it with
him 10 work for me at dollar day and
for his wife to draw the money. l told
him not to go home without taking
something either to eat or wear, that
Mrs Parish's friends would not stand it
any longer. But it didn't seem to scare
him"
"Do you regard him as fit subject for
the asylum?"
Yes"
"What is his reputation for vsracity?"
sOh, I think he would tell the truth as
quickly as he would lie"
Show does it happen that you wanted
an insane man as an employer" asked
Parish on cross examination.