The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-21
Crazy BackwOOds Notion
Sticking Christian Converts
Through the Ice Responsible
for Life
OF WOE AND SICKNESS.
Mrs. Hattie Nj. Belden Driven
Insane by Results.
Consigned to the Insane Asylum
for Treatment.

Mrs. Hattie NJ. Belden, a young mar
ried woman whose home is near Te-
cumseh has been taken to the state in
sane asylum here suffering from de-
lusional insanity, caused, so the physi-
clans say. by her being immersed in
cold water when she was a girl and
afterward riding four miles to her home
in her wet clothes.
Henry o. Belden, the husband of the
unfortunate woman is a bright young
farmer. He had considerable money
when they were married, but it was all
spent in trying to cure his wife OF the
trouble.
Seven years ago Mrs. Belden lived
with her grandmother in Brown coun-
ty. She was a beautiful and promising
girl. Her grandmother was very relig-
iOus and the girl was converted. She
was then in the bloom of young wom-
anhOod-healthy and happy.
The fact that the weather was cold
did not interfere with the completion Of
her preparation for entering the
church and she was baptised- Accord
ing to the physicians who testified in
the probate court she has never been
well since that time, except for short
periods. Being a girl of charming per
SoualIty she had several SuitOrS and
was eventually married to Mr.. Belden-
Though the married life of the couple
was happy, when the trouble brought
most miserable and it was soon evident
that it was affecting her mind. Mr..
Belden spent his money freely to cure
his wife but all to no purpose and he
was finally compelled to allow her to
be sent to the asylum for treatment.
Under the care of physicians at the
state institution her condition imprOv-
ed and she was soon discharged with
her reason fully restored. But the old
ghost of her former trouble would rise
up to make her existence miserable and
after a time she was returned to the
asylum. Again she was released as
cured and a short time afterward her
husband moved to Shawnee county in
the hope that the change might prove
beneficial to the suffering wife.
Two children had been born to the
couple but one died in infancy. The
other, a boy of four years, is living and
shows a remarkable degree of intelli-
gence.
The hope that the change might pre-
vent a recurrence of the trouble was Of
short duration. Several months elapsed
but then came one of those periods Of
suffering which had made her existence
q night mare.
The husband did everything that he
could to keep off what he knew was
coming but to no purpose He was not
surprised when Mrs. Belden told him
one morning that he no longer had any
regard for her. This hallucination grew
stronger as her malady progressed. She
imagined that other people were trying
in injure her and the husband who is
devoted to his unfortunate wife was
compelled to surrender to the inevita-
BILE.
Mrs. Belden did not appear in the.
probate court here. Her physician said
she was unable to be there and the
trial proceeded without her. After the
physicians had given their evidence the
jury returned a verdict declaring her
insane.
The physicians say that Mrs. Belden
will soon recover her reason and she
may be Is bright as any one for several
months, but when her old trouble comes
back it will bring with it loss of req
SON