New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-24
NOT A LAWFUL ASYLUM.
LOUDENHALLUNDERA CLOUD
ITS PROPRIETOR ARRESTED ON COM
PLANT OF THE LUNACY BOARD

TRATE AT AMITYVILLE AND HOLDS THE AC-
cusED DOCTOR" FOR THE GRAND JURY
EXAMINATION or THE PATIENTS
AM1rYvILAE. WHERE LoUpEN
HAS HIGH STANDING.
GREATLY EXCITED.
On the charge Of illegally maintaining pri-
vate asylum for insane persons. and also on the
charge of confining lunatics in such place Johh
Louden the proprietor Of an advertised sam
tarium" arrested in Amityvllie Long lslahd'
yesterday. and held to await the action OF the
Grand Jury OF Suffolk County. Justice Gayhor'
Of the Supreme Court, at the request of Attorney
General Hancock went to Amityville ana sat
there as a committing magistrate to inquire into
the case The proceedings against Louden were
taken at the request Of the State Lunacy Com
mission OF which Dr. Carlos +. Macdonald Is the
president.
Charles J. Babbitt the lawyer at No. "A Broad
way, in this city, acted for the Attorney-Gen-
eral in securing evidence against Louden, apply
Ing for the warrant OF arrest and conducting the
prosecution of the prisoner before Justice gay
nor in Amityvile. He also brought into the case
Distr.ct-Attorney Walter II. Jaycox ana Sherili
John z. O'Brien. of Suffolk County Three physi-
clans OF Brooklyn. who are experts In luhacy'
were designated by Justice Gaynor to make an
examination Of the persons In Loudens place
They began the examination yesterday ana
found insane persons among the inmates. TWO
of the insane persons were ordered to be re-
moved to the Long Island State Hospiai at
Flatbush. II was admitted by the prisoner that
ne had no permit for the care OF such persons
UNUSUAL EXCITEMENT IN THE VILLAGE.
The uuet little village Of Amityvie was
stirred to unwonted excitement by the proceei-
ings John Louden has been one OF the most
prominent citizens of the place for years lils
place which Is called Louden Hall, Is one OF
the finest buildings In the village, In when
the business Of taking care OF lunatics. idiots
and epileptics appears to be the chief Industry.
The Long Island Home, an institution for the
care OF the insane, which has license from
the State Lunacy Commission. and Is declared
to be an admirably managed asylum and the
Brunswick Home a private institution FOR the
care OF idiots and epileptics. are within a
stones throw of Louden's place.
Louden Hall. with its wide verandas. bright
~ painted walls and roof and high turrets. has
the general appearance of a hotel or large
boarding house at summer resort the
grounds about the place nicely laid
out and present well-kept appearance,
while the outbuildings new and we'll
painted structures. Only last summer Lou
den built a large extension to the main build
ing Inside the building the rooms are we'll
ventilated. comfortably furnished and clean.
Louden formerly was the keeper of poorhouse.
and he Is said to have another "sanitarium
In Greenwich. Conn. He formerly had license
from the Commissioner OF Lunacy to maintain
a private asylum for the insane but the IL
cense for Louden Hall was revoked by the
In
pleaded hard for renewal Of his license. it
is declared. but the Commission declined to
issue license to a man who is not a physi-
clan.
CALLED DIR" LOUDEN.
The proprietor Of I.ouden Hall has been some
times called "Dr." Louden and there evil
dence at the hearing yesterday that he had called
himself Dr. Louden but he has had no medical
education and has claim to the title Of ply
sician He is a strongly built man, about sixty
years old with cold. blue eyes prominent nose
and flowing gray side whiskers. He lives at Lou
den Hall with his wife, three sons daughter and
son-in-aw. After his license was revoked he
professed to keep santarium for invalids VINO
were not insane, taking advantage OF the law
which allows any person to maintain an asylum
for epileptics and idiots The State Lunacy Com
mission has received reports from time to time
that Louden was violating the law and keeping
insane persons confined at his place but no posi-
tive proof could be obtained when attempts were
made 10 verify the reports In one case there
was a report that woman who was not Insane
had been decoyed to Loudens place by her rela-
tives and kept there as prisoner for a time.
Since 1874 II has been the policy of the State
10 bring within It's control the OF all lunatcs
found within the state. whether such lunatics
T1,aS Hot
Lunacy Commission organized under the law
of 1889 to take the place OF single Commission
er. and In 1890 the powers Of the Commission
were enlarged Revolving abuses had been dis
covered in a number Of private asylums for the
insane in various parts OF the state. and the
publication Of some Of the facts caused much
public indignation. After the State Lunacy
Commission was organized there a general
tightening of the bands about the private asy-
lNns, and the result was that most of them were
closed.
A DISTINCTION IN THE CONSTITUTION.
The Constitutional Convention. while providing
full power for the protection of insane persons in
the asylums. was carefui 10 discriminate between
lunatics on the one hand and idiots and epileptcs
on the other hand No power Ia given to the
State Lunacy Commission to supervise the care
OF idiots and epieptics This fact has been taken
advantage of by number OF propretors OF pri
yate asylums
Reports that Louden violating the law by
harboring insane persons continued to reach DR.
Macdonald until he lately made an application
to Attorney General Hancock for aid in investi-
eating the reports. At his suggestion Mr. Bah
btt designated t. act for the Attorney-Gen-
era. on November Mr. Babbitt sent two de
tectves to Amityve. They visited Louden Hall
I'm the guise of men who were searching for
cheap place in which TO have an insane relative
confined. and Louden unsuspectingly stated his
terms and entered into arrangement to re-
ceive such patient
Armed with the atiidavits OF the two detectives.
Mr.. BabbItt went before Justice Gaynor In Brook
lyn. on Friday and secured "A warrant for the ar