The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-04
NERVOUS PROSTRATION
That Is What Some Poor House Pa.
tients Are Suffering From
TOM KANE, THE IMBECILE
A Trio OF Persons of Undoubted
Sanity Before a Commission
Miss kehoe's Condition
Afflicted With Epilepsy.

BUTTE, April IA remarkable case OF
nervous affection was presented to a COM
mission on insanity in Judge Nc citations
court this evening. Mary Kehoe, Jane
| Clifford and Thomas Kane have been in
mates Of the county poor house for some
time, and the county physicians con-
cluded that they properly belonged in the
asylum, and upon instructions from the
county commissioners complaints were
filed against them, and DIR. Wells, j. K.
Richards and Evan Evans were sum-
moned as a commission to examine into
the cases.
Mary Kehoe's case is a most remarkable
one and was mentioned in the STANDARD
several years ago, when she was living
with q family at Silver Bow. About three
years ago she had an attack of nervous
prostration and after that her eyes be-
came sore SO that she could not bear the
light on them. To shut out the light she
covered her head with q dark cloth and
for year or moro she refused to uncover
IL. and even while eating or bathing she
held the cloth over her face. DIR. Leon
ard, who was county physician at the
time, treated her eyes and had about
cured them, but she still kept her face
covered and suffered terribly from ner-
vousness and pains above the eyes.
About q year ago she was removed to the
poor house, but not for an instant since
that time has she been known to remove
the black cloth from her face.
At the examination this evening Mrs.
Hare, matron of the poor house, said she
did not believe that Miss Kehoe was in
sane, but that she was suffering from a
peculiar nervous affection. II am not
crazy" protested the woman from behind
her covering, land / won't go to the asy-
lum.. All that is the matter with me is
nv ewes and my nerves.
Judge Mediation questioned the unfor-
tunate woman closely and she talked as
nationally as any one.
II have my right senses" said she, "but
my eyes hurt So" and then she pulled her
cape clear over her head so that no part
of her face could be seen. She said she
had a brother living at Rocker and
thoughthe would take care of her.
\ There was no testimony given to indi-
cate that the poor woman was insane and
the Judge discharged the complaint
against her and instructed Mrs. Hare to
take her back to the poor house.
In the case of Jane Clifford, the testi-
mony showed that she was subject to cpl
leptic fits and often had them three or
four times day. DIR. McCrimmon
and though not actually insane, she
should be sent to the asylum. The wo-
man said she had n sister living in Butte
and had two brothers in Bozeman, one of
whom had a ranch and she thought he
would give her home. She gave a very
lucid account OF herself, remembered
dates and events that occurred several
years ago. but could not tell where she
was born or when her parents died.
Judge Mediation said that while the
woman was evidently not of normal
mind she certainly was not insane, but
the law provided that an idiot or person
suffering from any kind of demention
should be sent to the asylum, and he said
If the jury found her of unsound mind
they could order her toll be committed.
The jury decided that she was an idiot
and she will be taken to the asylum.
Thomas Kane was also declared to be
an imbecile and ordered to be sent to the
asylum. Kane ran away from the asylum
last winter and froze his feet so bad that
both had to be amputated. Since then he
has refused TO get out of bed. The doctor
testified that Kane had no control over
himself, had no will power and made no
effort to take care of himself. A nurse at
the poor house testified that Kane got
spells during which he would not eat for
days at a time. In answer to questions
asked him by Judge Mediation, Kane said
he went TO the poor house because he had
had trouble with friend of his named
Mary Ann Holland. Kane and the Cliff
ford woman will probably be taken to the
asylum tomorrow.