New-York tribune., 1896-11-15
RECIPROCAL INSANITY.
THE CURIOUS STORY OF TWO SISTERS.
THEY BECAME AFFECTED WITH THE SAME DE-
LUsTON SIMULTANEOUSLY

THEY BECAME AFFECTED WITH THE SAME DE-
LUsroS SIMULTANEOUSLY.
II may be communicated or It may be simutane-
Gus; French writers sometimes style 1t "fole a
deux." but 1t is frequently more than the madness
of two people, instance being on record where
father mother and six children all stimuli
taneously affected by the same fixed deluson.
One Of the most interesting cases OF communi-
Gated insanity. which In few weeks Will be
professionally commented upon In the medical rec
ords Is the OF sisters. at the present time
confined in the Flatbush Insane Asylum The case
Of these sisters is unique in many respects. mas
much 1t furnishes example OF rararoia. or
fixed delusion. and reciprocal or communicated In
sanity with such a beautiful foundation In TACT as
to have kept the physicians in charge OF ther case
for some time in doubt 10 whether they had
under their two greatly wronged women or
two lunatics
They are old now, these unfortunate women one
Of them already passed the threescore years ana
ten; tho other is ten years younger 1t is probable
that they have lived together almost ALL II not quite
ALL OF their lives About thirty years ago they came
from Scotland one OF them at that time being
widow. and the other an old maid ot thrty or
thirty-fve. They were not devoid OF shrewdness
and in;egence though they were not educated
When they arrived In Brooklyn they opened
observation-disclosures They were Industrious frugal.
cautious and they prospered. Some fifteen years
ago the older one OF tho sisters the wdow. went
10 New-York City on business or pleasure In
those days the ramshackle old stages used to ply on
Broadway At the Fulton Ferry tho widow got
into one OF these stages uptown. Whether
she made her visit to the shopping district or not
Is not clearly demonstrated in the evidence at hand.
Either in getting into the stage uptown or In
getting into It 20 return to her home she was. so
she says by the carelessness OF the driver thrown
TO the ground sustaining injuries OF more or less
serious nature.
Through a law firm she began action against
the stage company for $1,000 As Is usual In such
cases. the suit dragged along from year to year
vearvirC the patience and no doubt draining the
purses of the two poor sisters II would seem. by
what they say that they were not content with the
treatment they got at the hands or the trst firm
that had their suit and It was transferred 70 some
body else with whom they were no doubt not one
whit better satisfied. And It dragged and still
draeged Put at last they won their suit and that
too with such partial. such more than scn-
erous Jury that $1,000 instead OF IN" 1000 which
they had sued for. awarded them.
They were doomed to sorrow and Disappointment
Lowever for the lawyer 80 when th' money had
been paid proved recroant to Ills trust. and kept
this $50 90 for odd pocket change There Wa moth
ing then for tho unfortunate sisters 20 do but 70 be-
Gin suit against him. which they promptly di. More
Crg delays more anxiety. moro money 20 put up
l. II any wonder that they went crazy; At last the
dlshcrest lawyer Effected a -ettemen; with them by
buvinr the house IN which thoy had Tor 30 many
years kept boarders buying It and either recording
the decd in their name making now deed HIM
self 10 ther They assert that this house was only
worth g5p1 but IT Is probable that some salts
factory arrangement was made IN regard to the
subsequent payment OF the other s5.cvl.
ID to this poin, this Is ihe story As they tell H.
Divestcd OF the dcusions of an insane mind. and
brought down TO the cold facts. the elder sister
was thrown from the Broadway stage. she dii
gin suit agarIt the company. The suit was
posfpor ed and delayed from ono cause or another
until several years had elapsed. they all the time
being hard work keeping boardcrs. and there IS
no doubt paying all the money they could rake
and scrape together TO tho lawyers But there the
story must stop There Is no reason to believe that
any verdict was ever reached. or that any money
was ever paid over 20 any la"Sci, o, U.a' VIZ VIZ
lawyer proved 20 be a rascal. and. nna!iy 10 keep
money hat they should have received The man
who owned tho housr had 70 knowledge or any SAFE
orommd et ;ha nropcr time 20 collect his rent From
his te ants he learned news about himself. Tor ne
for thorn that he would ana the deed all prop
erly put record In the rishi place. me landlord
al to no avail ard he was at ast forced 10 begin
n suit Of eJec,ment against them II, succe"deI N
in putting them out. and he put a To let sign IN
the window. resolving not to take paranoiacs VINO
imagined they owned his property for his next
II not method, there vas at least persistency in
their madness. They went 70 the house. burst the
doors open got their furniture in and actually
began taking boarders again. They surely must
fave pacacd the owner In some way tor II would
appear that he let thon stay awhile but In the end
was obliged 10 bring the law 10 his aid again;
Then followed long period tor thcsc SISTERS VI
hsing arrested brought up IN court asked it they
would give their claim 10 the house t,hey always
promptly answered that they would not, unless the
law forced them do soj. lodging H. jail and being
asked TO plead guilty. to which they said To what
shall we plead guilty? We have done nothing wrong.
Why don't you ask those who have wronsed US
10 rlead guty2' They we're 30 deeply in earnest,
evidently SO perfectly honest IN their deus Ion, that
they vcll-nigh convinced more than one that they
pVtt
~ every hand But In the end there was no help FOR
II: after having lain I'm jail four weeks they were
committed TO the Flathush Insane Asylum ten
months ago and there the two poor old souls must
urobaLlv live suffering the most poignant grief, un-
IN death comes their relief for they arc well
aware that they are In an insane asylum
The peculiarity of the is that the two sisters
are both afflicted with the same delusion. Whether
this dcluson simultaneously into their minds.
or which one communicated ~ to the other. the
doctors do not know But there they are with fxed
delision having II most beautiful foundation In
fact as beautiful any novelist ever woe fiction
out OF.