New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-23
INSANE PATIENTS AT A BAIL.
MORRIS PLAINS ASYLUM THE SCENE OF
GAYETY AND HUMOR.

r.Ncy DRESS AFFAIR-pROLL COSTUMES
OF THE INMATEs-CT OF
| ANCIENT HISTORY AND MODERN
NovELsTs sTARTLINGLY
PORTRAYED.
| There was a happy time at the New-Jersey state
Hospital for the Insane at Morris Pans last even
ing Every year since the institution was Ope"'" 80
1916 the Father Of His Country fas been hohoTed on
February % by fancy dress ball, at which the
patients of the asylum enjoy themselves as they 10
on no other occasion. For months past prepara-
tons for the affair have been going on COSTUMES
have been planned and planned again. lor every
thing must be just right for this OCCASION II LOT III
other. and during the last few days the bail mas
| been the one topic or coH'eisa'0" "''e Wv
| afflicted inmates.
| Even the man who spends most OF his time IN
| procaiming through the barred windows tnat ne Is
the great apostle Of liberty, dropped ior the '"'e
his accustomed business and spent ANXIOUS houiS
in irving TO decide whether he would appear az
Croh par,ho rdt or Senator PETER. while the LADY
whose specalty lies in constantly mstaking Visitors
for Grover Cleveland took day off in order 10 per-
feet herself in the military schottische'
| THE POET LAUREATE ALSO AFFECTED
The poet laureate OF the institution, Patrick Cor
| fee go; his Muse strict training about seven
| weeks ago and evolved for the occasion COM
| memoratve ode in l47 stanzas. the hrst OF "nio"
! moves with this majestic stride:
| We gods from Olympus. give aid impore:
| With clio Euterpe and famed Ierpscnote: % c-,v,
| And select his detes FOR our fancy dress pail
| From, this brief extract 1t can readily be seen
that nc a poet Mr. Coffee Is not hopelessly devoid
| OF genius concert given on New Years nigh'
was celebrated by this rival Of Alfred Austin in
| this manner:
Miss Mcguire surpasses the Tyre. $3.50
In eth the enc chorus Miss brennan sang higher
And II I'm not liar she was In II.
| The most notable persons who patronize the
asylum did not consider it beneath their dignity 10
| attend the grand function last evening. The man
who thinks himself Chief-Justioe Cole OF tho Su-
prene Court OF the United States. when the re-
| porter was presented 10 him. expressed hmseH as
| much pleased with the entire affair ana was
gracious enough to direct Mr. Higgins. Warden Ev-
erts private secretary TO extend every faclh'y 10
| tho newspaper man. after which he retired upon
| his dignity The Irresistible fascination which the
annual bail has for the patients Is however most
forc!bly illustrated in the of MI Jansen an od
gentleman with spectaces. who believes 1t his mis-
| sion to evangelize the asylum Even ne despite
| his calling was so daZed by the gltternS attrac-
lions of the annual festivities to don the garD o.
| young Lochinvar and join in the gay whiri OIL inc
! dance
Martha Washington was also present. as she has
| been every twenty-second Of February Tor ten
years past but yesterday she hid her IDENTITY uh-
| der the name of Florence Nightingale
WARDEN EVERITT AS WASHINGTON.
The reception and ball took place in the main hall
| directly at the head Of the grand staircase. the
chapel being thrown open TO accommodate we
assernb.age on the platform sat large nun'per oA
invited guests while directly in front on the pedes
| tai stood Warden NJ X. Evertt and Mrs Everitt'
costumed as George and Martha Washington. At
| precisely o'clock a drum sounded. and "A gayiy
| dressed page presented TWO cards 10 the imposing
herald William Poyner. the Supervisor. who theA
| advanced and presented TO George anu Hi"i ma
| WASHINGTON Dr. and Mrs =. D. Evans This opened
| the recention at the close OF which occurred the
| grand march In which seventy couples appeared al
| Of them In costume. The march was led by Dr. ana
Mrs r. D. Evans Lohengrn and Empress hu-
| genie Immediately followed by Dr. and Mrs Eliot
| Gorton as Macmillan and Inez de Castro; Dr. T. /.
| Prout and Miss Mary Battersby as benjamin
Franklin and Nellie Gusts; DR.. NJ. l.. Perry and
| Miss Hatch as Don Jose and the Infan'a Eulale;
| Dr. j. Henschel and Miss Parker as the Earl OF
ang Miss Ida Kittenhouse as Louis PHILIPPE and
Lady Jane Grey The grand march soon deveoped
and took on all the appearance OF an intricate
fancy drill until the band suddenly , eh8H btn ~, rs
| line melted away in couples and the dance was on
l cSops heir own Costumes and they had spent
many days IN elaborate preparations FOR the oc,a,
sS hat srase to see that tte Bee had
lost his hair and grown Roman mGss snce ba1 9
a iuxuriant crop Of red hair and weighed 200
pounds. while a most benev9ient-lo looking Ola man
With gold bowed spectacles insisted upon appear
| ing as Beezebub
| APPROXIMATIONS OF MR. PLATT BARRED
There was great rush for the privilege OF appear
ing as Thomas c. Plat, and. to avoid all danger OF
jealousy the character was ruled out There were
| however sufficient variety OF persons and per-
sonages upon the floor. the list containing most
/ astonishing number Of reunited couples who had
been separated by ruthless poets ana novests years
| and years ago. Arm in arm stroled Hamlet and
ODheiia who seemed not at all out or place IN an
| asylum thus settling forever; 1t would seem. the
ofi-repeated question. Was Hamlet mady' Romeo
| and Juliet Faust and Marguerite and Little Rilee
| and Trlby were also brought together again. after
0ng %aG OF H wf Eanc to whom in ali
| conscience Tennyson would have given him Patrick
Gilmore ana Lillian Russell s tne ds HE co1ey ana ana
Little 30 peep. Mephisopheles; Tony Pastor. Ii
| HUM Chang with his yellow Jacket Pocahontas
| Diana Sindbad the Sailor. the Heavenly Twins and
| many other distinguished people graced the affair
| with their presence. and mingled In the most
| friendly manner
| THREE HAPPY HOURS FOR THE INMATES
Fully 300 OF the patients and 200 Of those connect
| a with the administration OF the asylum were on
| the floor a. one time another between and 10
| o'clock at which hour the dancing came to an end
| Every inmate whose mental condition made II pos
! slble for him to enjoy such an arar was included
| among the invited 1t IS the opinion Of DR.. b. D.
Evans. medical superintendent OF the asylum. that
such relaxation does these unfortunate people much
svon r@ Mich OF the success OF the occasion Cor
as such I mus; be regarded is due to the efforts
OF DR.. Eliot Gorton and Dr. T. p. Prout. who
| Among the invited guests OF the evening were
Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Reed. Mr.. and Mrs John Jones
! Senator G.. w. Kctcham. Assembiyman Joseph
| Fighter. W. II. shurts. Assemblyman and Mrs: C.
y Duncan. Cyrus Peck Mr.. and Mrs j. r. Parker
| Or P!erson. Stephen Quinn. Mr., and Mrs: John
| Burr Mr. and Mrs. G. w. Ennis. Mr.. and Mrs
| Robert Ki,gore. Mr.. and Mrs. Lutterloh. Harry
| Dobbin. the Misses Dobbins. Mr.. and Mrs. Frank
| Bioodgood, J. F. Lindsey and Senator and Mrs. J.
| F. Vreeland.
STATEN ISLAND HAPPENINGS