The herald., 1897-05-09
Physicians Certified as Capable
Insanity Examiners
"A CIVIL ENGINEERS TROUBLE
HE TURNS OUT TO BE AN OLD
OFFENDER
Henry Wood Discharged From Gus
tody-Frank Clifford "Goes Up"
for His Second Term-New
Suits Filed-Notes

The new lunacy law and its mode Of
operation was the topic of the hour yes
terday at the courthouse. The new mode
prescribed for committing insane pa
tients is q matter Of Importance to all
the officers of every department of the
superior court, as well as the district at
torney's and sheriff's offices, and the
criticisms of the several provisions of
the bill. as set forth in The Herald yes
terday. were of decidedly unfavorable
character.
1t seems reasonably certain that, save
In the case of violently insane persons,
the dictum of the medical examiners will
not be accepted as final by the person
accused of being non compos mentis,
when an appeal is open to him for the
asking The bill provides that such al
legged insane person may demand that
his case be passed upon by jury, and as
q resultant consequence the technical
knowledge of the medical examiners, as
we'll as their bona fides, shall be deter
mined by a jury.
The onus of the prosecution in such a
case will not devolve upon the district
attorney of this county, but upon the
district attorney Of the county wherein
is located the asylum to which the in
sane patient is to be committed. If, as
seems reasonable to suppose, fair pro-
portion Of persons arrested on insanity
complaint demand jury trial, then the
district attorney of San Bernardino
county will be kept trotting back and
forth to Los Angeles to prosecute cases
in which he can have no interest. This
is one of the points, among others, that
has caused the opinion to be freely ex~
pressed that even if the new lunacy bill
was a workable one, yet it is unconstitu-
tional.
IGle fact that it is specifically stated
that an insane patient must be commit
ted TO the asylum in state of physical
cleanliness and properly clothed; ana
that he may not be discharged without
clothing suitable to the season and, when
necessary. money to the amount OF S25 in
his pocket whereNith to pay his ex-
penses to his people or sustain him until
he obtains employment offers in
ducement to the Weary Wrag-
giles" to start a new line of indus
try. A commitment in the summer sea-
son would mean a suit of light clothing,
and a recovery of mental equilibrium in
the cold, cheerless days of winter Nigh.
draw forth from the county an overcoat
or a heavy suit of clothes. Thus
equipped, and with SIS cash, Weary
Wraggles" might get new start in life.
The difficulty would be in submitting to
inspection by the medical examiners.
The following gentlemen have been
named by the six judges of the superior
court to be capable. under the definition
of the new law, to act as medical exam
iners: Drs. E. N. Mathis. Henry S. Orme
Henry C. Brainerd, Walter Lindley L.
#. Holland, e c. Buell., G. L. Cole, VIM.
w. Hitchcock. S. H. Boynton, r. Wer-
nigk Granville MacGowan, w. G. Coch-
ran, Henry H. Maynard. ]. H. Davisson,
Horace G. Gates, w. L. Wills, Frank X.
Ainsworth.
These physicians being named does
not mean that they hold an appoint
ment, but the law prescribes that a
medical man, to be properly certificated
rs a medical examiner in lunacy, shall
be, endorsed, so to say, by superior
judge.
The expense of each commitment is
by the new law to be charged to the
"town city or county" from which the
person is sent. The margin is wide
enough, but as it happens there is no
town in this state OF golden possibili-
ties.