The Portland daily press., 1898-11-21
THE LINWoOD CASE.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen
Discharge Linwood.

Evidently Oad Ffocecuinss Dack OF Une
| Case-Dr, sanborn Says Man is Mildly
Insane-What the Aldermen Say.
| Members of the board Of aldermen say
that the case of Frank N. Linwood, who
is complained of as being insane and
whose commitment to the insane asylum
at August. has been asked for, is one OF
the most peculiar cases that has ever come
to the attention of this board. Linwood
has been given two hearings before the
mayor and board of Aldermen and Sat
urday afternoon the motion to commit
him to the asylum was defeated by the
board, and that too, in the face of the
opinions of DR.. Bigelow L. Sanborn of
the Augusta asylum and of Addison S.
Thayer, DR.. H. H. Brock and DIR. Owen
P. Smith. the city physician, all of whom
examined the man and declare that he
is insane.
Linwood's story is most peculiar one
to say the least and as 1t has been told
by him before the board of aldermen
twice in succession without any variance
and in a straightforward and most intel
ligent manner it is given here about as
1t was told the board. Linwood lived In
Portland until about four years ago. He
was nurse and was employed for some
time by the board of health of this city in
contagious diseases cases and was well
kown about the city. Four years ago Lin
wood went to Boston and has there fol.
lowed is professio as a nurse. Accord
ing to his story he was sent for by Bos-
ton lawyer and told that his persecution
of Miss Clara Sears must cease at once
or it would go hard with him. Linwood
claims that ne never annoyed Miss Sears
and he told the lawyer so. A few weeks
after this interview with the lawyer,
Lynwood says he had another message
from him and was again warned against
prosecuting Miss Sears. He once more
told the lawyer that he was not troubling
Miss Sears in any way.
Some time prior to last August, and
Linwool gave the day of the month and
time of day, he was standing in front of
the Post bulletin board in Boston when
man asked him if his name was Lin
wood. The STRANGER then took Linwood
into doorway and told him that he
must stop persecu ting Miss Sears. The
stranger said that Linwood's attentions
to Miss Sears were obnoxious to her and
must cease. Linwood told the man that
he wac not troubling Miss Sears. There.
upon the stranger called police patrol
and Linwood was taken to the city prison.
A H. ln~, nfk ,..l, 4,
Deer Isle and from there taken back to
the city prison. again. Here he staid =
day or two and was then sent to the in
sane asylum at Danyers. All this time
Linwood said he did not know why he
should be committed to these institu-
lions and be did not know what crime
he had committed to be arrested for.
After time Linwood was sent to Port
land with q man who bore letter from
Superintendent Harrington of the DAN
yers Institution to the Portland authori
ties which stated that Linwood was in
sane. Here he was placed in the aims
house and the complains charging him
with insanity was presented to the board
of aldermen who were asked to send the
man to the insane asylum.
The above story was told PRESS re-
porter Saturday night by a mem Der of
the board of aldermen who said that was
Linwood's story as near as he could re-
call
DIR. sANBORN'S OPINION.
The first time Linwood was brought be-
fore the Board of Aldermen some testi-
mony in his case was given and the alder
men were not satisfied VITA it and asked
that Linwood be examined by an expert.
Cr. Bigelow L. Sanborn, superintendent
Of the Maine asylum for the insane was
So t for and Saturday morning spent two
and half hours with the man and then
appeared before the aldermen and testified
that he believed the man was laboring
under an Naturalization, was monomanio
and suffering from mental trouble due
to the fact that his brain was not being
properly nourished by his blood because
of som disease. DIR. Sanborn said he
thought The man in his present condition
Was not dangerous o the community but
that he might become dangerous at any
time. Linwood told his story a second
time to the board of aldermen. He was
apparently excited but the aldermen