The age-herald., 1897-10-14
IN BLOOMINGDALE ASYLUM Is John Armstrong Chandler, the
 Divorced Husband of AMELIE RIVES, AUTH0RESS Rumor of His Having Gone to Europe Exploded Placed in Confinement by Relatives
 He Has a Hallucination.

I -~N-0N1eN~ANA
 Rives and great-grandson of John Jacob | Astor, is reported to be insane in the
 Bloomingdale asylum. Mir Chanler left
 the city suddenly last spring and it was
 said by his friends that he had gone to Europe The fact has leaked out
 that he is in Bloomingdale under treat- ment.
 It is denied by his friends that Mr. Chanler is insane or that his mind is | affected in the least. He was taken to | Bloomingdal@, these friends assert, to l gain much naeded rest and treatment
 for nervous disorders. Affection of his | nerves and a general physical break l down were due, they say, to over-work. Harry Van Ness Phillip, his law part
 ner and closest friend, said of his ill.,
 ness today:
 '"Ths report of Mr. Chanler's insanity is entirely unfounded. I saw him yes terday and conversed with him on busi-
 ness matters and he conversed in per- fectly rational manner. His mind is not affected in the least
 MT. Chanler was simply broken down in health and went to this retreat for
 rest and treatment. He is now much | improved.
 'It was given out that he had gone to i,, absolute rest and retirement. Only friends and relatives who stood closest to him were aware of his whereabouts. These have called upon him frequently to relieve the monotony of his confine-
 ment''
 MT. Chanler inherited an income from Aspor of more than $30o00 a year. He
 was educated at Columbia and Rugby and has spent much of his time since at
 taining his majority in Europe. He is member of nearly all the prominent clubs of New York.
 After leaving college he entered the profession of law in partnership with
 Harry Van Ness Phillip. He did not pay much attention 10 business until re- gently, and has allowed his partner to attend to the management of the firms affairs.
 He married Amelie Rives, the author ess, in 1888, and th= couple spant a long time abroad. They were divorced in 1895.
 The Evening World today publishes an article signed by Arthur Brisbin, which says in part:
 "Mr. Chanler was confined against his will on an order issued in the regular way by the court MT. Chanler's family, in committing him, acted upon the ad- vice of physicians and especially upon the advice of the doctor who had been for many years Mr. Chanler's regular physician. They acted further upon the advice of Dr. Starr specialist in men tai diseases and who signed the applica-
 tion for MT. Chanler's commitment. MT. Chanler was committed, not because of
 any overt act demonstrating insanity,
 but because of the fear of his relatives 'titNS liio uiCltdl NOuulllOu ullSHI result at any moment in some violent outbreak.
 He was committed to Bloomingdale rather than to "a more quiet private re-
 sort because of the fear that 8 man of
 his determined character could be kept
 in confinement only by the most rigor-
 ous and systematic supervision. Soon
 after MT. Chambers commitment, Sena- ator David B. Hill, who has known him for some time, paid him visit at
 Bloommgdale. Senator Hill, after long interview, decided that it would be better not to interfere in the matter.
 ''Mr. Chanler is not a violent lunatic,
 but it is alleged is subject to hallucina-
 tions. In his statements, which formed
 the basis for his commitment, his hal
 fluctuations, included the belief that he
 had succeeded by will of power in changing the shape of his face and the color of his eyes, believed himself to be
 the reincarnation of Napoleon and that
 he would make a great fortune by a system of play at the Monte Carlo gam
 bling tables. The affidavit upon which he was committed averred that he was a victim of the hallucinations suggs sted above and furthermore that there was insanity in his family, an aunt at one time having been insane.
 "Mr. Chambers main grievance and his greatest objection to his commit ment follows:
 "He declared that he is a resident of Virginia, not of New York, and that his commitment is illegal in that way. He further alleges that he was lured to New York from Virginia-'kidnapped is the term he uses--although he admits it was done by well-meaning but mis- informed friends. MT. Chanler's rela- lives and friends entertain belief that he will soon be removed from Blooming