The herald., 1895-07-11

D0W0g0thorerS OF rhe Herald, TO il posSl-
ble. aid the friends in the search for in
Sormation, little deeming that upon this
short and unimportant detail one OF the
most important results was to be OBJ
tanned, wherein from cruelty and abuse a
WQfthy old soldier of the union army
was to be adjudged lunatlc;
maa 70 fully worthy in every way OF edu-
cation that he was made captain N the
Fourth regiment of the United States en-
gineers ON his becoming a member of the
Regiment in 1868, where he served with
distinction until the regiment was dis
banded some months later. when he ac-
cepted service in the Ninety-eighth
United States infartry as captain. which
position he held until he was honorably
discharged by reason OF the close OF the
war.
No thought entered the mind OF the
news cleaner that from receiving the first
knswer to his interrogatories concerning
Conway would cover a period extending
Sron September 8, 1893 when Conway, a
broken down, respondent man, was ud-
mitted to the National Home for Disabled
Volunteer Soldiers, which overlooks the
broad Pacific. in the western portion OF
Los Angeles county, where from causes
without number Conway was buffeted
about from pillar to post until all having
had a whack at him he was uncere emon-
1ously bounced into the insane asvlum as
q hopelessly insane man. railroadeq, as
~ we're, upon the affidavits OF men who
felt they were doing the man favor IN
their anxiety to get him off their hands.
Hauled up uncerem oniously before his
honor, Judge Smith. of department one,
Conway was committed to Highland as
a maniac. Three witnesses, namely Gov.
,. q. Rowland. the commander OF the
home; w. E. Hasse, surgeon OF the home;
and Fred Hodge. member OF the home,
testified to Conway's actions, which tes-
timony, if offered in the police court OF
Los Angeles, would have placed Conway
In the chain gang FOR thirty days, but
endorsed by the medical opinion l. OF such
eminent physicians as DIR. f. X. AIMS
worth and DR.. r. Wernick was sufficient
TO send Conway to Highland with 'bad
man" attached to his record.
This was the inception of story un-
paralleled in its nature, in which man
placed amid horde of rambling maniacs,
where for hours each day his only relief
from the solitude of his prison barred
Soom is IN the pen, large area enclosed
by a high-b board fence. where the daily
outing of all who can be trusted occurs.
A trip across country in the hope of
seeing Conway and getting from him his
st9ry OF wrong inflicted was the next
move, but either by a "hello' of the
sphone or a most remarkable coinciden ce
Conway had been suddenly discharged on
Sunday, July 7th, or is he yet confined
where officials feeling their actions will be
sustained even by the courts, assert with
out fear of contradiction that the patient
has peen discharged as cured" Just as
inquiry has been started in the patients
Interest? True may be the statement of
asylum officials that Conway was dis
charged last Sunday, yet most thorough
search among Conway's most intimate
friends fails to- find him or any word of
him.
The following is the record of Captain
Patrick James Conway, as gleaued from
the official papers covering his case now
On file in the adjutant's Office of the Sol
0iers' home:
Patrick James Conway enlisted on Sep
tember H. 1868, in the Fourth United
States engineers. where after a few
months service he was promoted from
she ranks to captalncy, in which posi-
tlon he remained until by his consentthe
United States infantry, where as captain
commanding company he renamed until
the close OF the war.
His application for admission to Sol
diers' home was made in August, 1893,
from Butte. Mont, transportation from
that point to Soldiers home being sent
him on order of governor then command
ing. The necessary affidavit of disability
was endorsed by Il. j. Leonard, a practic-
ing physician of Butte. Mont., who, over
his signature and affidavit, says:
Conway is unable to perform manual
labor owing to hemorrhoids. structure
and hernia. He is now an inmate of the
county hospital
Upon arrival at the home Conway was
unfortunately placed among lot of men
no in every way inferior to him in intel
hgence and general culture that he be-
came disgusted with his surroundings
and, as he told his friends. if he had been
IN position to care for himself he would
have left the home at once. Taunts. ieers
and slurs cast upon hlm aroused the tenn
Per of the man to such an extent that in
several instances he rebuked his tor
mentors in such violent ways that they
were willing to leave him alone, pre.
aerring by more sly and contemplate
course to get Conway transferred to an
bther company, measure largely en-
gagged in under former administrations of
the home. which under present manage.
pent has been done away with, no person
being transferred save at his own request.
Worry and disease finally landed Con-
way in the hospital on February %, 1894.
where he remained until May OF the
eame year. From information cleaned
at the home it is evident DR.. Hasse did ali
in his power to alleviate Conway's s troub-
le. with but little success. Conway SEEM
ed to think hIsiknowledge and experience
Of the world during periodof ffty-three
years should be of some account, and he
could not brook the intolerance as he
deemed it of the rules and regulations
which, although he saw on every hand
were beneficial.to others, he could not or
would not believe to be of use to him.
His partial recovery and refusal to be
governed by hospital rules caused his be-
ing sent back to quarters with instruc-
tons to report at sick call for eXamina-
lions and medicines. In this he was very
negligent, seeming perfectly contentsd
only when in deep study over his books
on art, science and engineering, of which
he had quite a library from the best
known authors of the world.
Taunts at his actions made him angry,
and soon he became the Paddy Miles"
of the home. All manner OF evil deeds
were credited to Conway, with Just
enough truth in the VIII ole list to make
any seem plausible.
Under the management there the food
was bad. Conway from his army expert
ence knew what the men were entitled
to. and openly said his piece on any and
all occasions, the other men fully endors-
ing him and putting him up to acting as
spokesman in the cause of better food.
When the new governor, Col. j. q.
Rowland, took command last fall there
was no one hardly on the grounds who
was not willing to pour tales OF horror
into his ears about Conway. For some
the governor. Conway at once thought
the fact OF being governor necessarily
made an enemy of him. as had been the
case in the past, SO no did nothing to
place himself on good terms with the gov
ernor, but rather delighted in being Just
the contrary. Finally at supper one even
ing, when the butter fund had been drawn