The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-25
BUTTE News.
TWO POORHOUSE CASES
Thomas Madison Was Ordered
to the Asylum.
A PECULIAR AFFLICTION
Win Not Move. MOI Eat Unless Forced
to Do So Hasn't Spoken a Word
for Months = Has That
Tired Look.

Thomas Mattison and Charles Orr.
two cases from the poor house. were
examined i'm Judge L~indsay's our
yesterday afternoon by Drs. Shultz and
Alexander on the charge of insanity.
one of them, in some respects. was a
strange and curious case. but both were
sickening and disgusting.
Mattison was ordered sent to the
asylum and Orr was sent back to the
poor house. Both were in such a ply
steal and mental condition that they
could not or would not attend to their
own wants. Madison would not walk
unless driven. and all the threatening,
coaxing and cajoling could not get him
90 utter a sound. For more than two
months he has not spoken a word. At
the poor house all he did was to sit
until someone made him get up, and
then stood until forced TO sit down. He
would not change positions unless
someone turned him around and start
cd him off. After he had been started
he walked until he bumped up against
a wall or fell over something. He
would not eat unless someone opened
his mouth and worked his jaws for
him. He YOU not undrcss himself.
and after his clothes had been taken
off he would not put them on again.
IT was evident that he had the strength
and ability TO take care of himself n
follow the common rules Of nature. but
he simply would not do il. The result
was that his condition was filthy 4
sickening. The doctors and the judge
talked to him. but he simply o at
them In a tired sort of way and did not
reply. The doctors called IL melancholy
and ordered him committed TO the asy-
lum. Nothing is known of his history
or his family. He was sent to the
poor farm in October. 1897, but that
was all that could be learned of him.
His age is estimated at 30. and he VIII
be taken TO Warm Springs to-day.
In so far as filth and neglect in the
care of himself was concerned, OrTs
case was similar to that of Madison,
and the smell. or rather stencil, that
came from him chung To the high walls
and furniture for hours after he had
been removed from the court room. Be
sides his natural dirtiness the man was
afflicted with a loathsome disease in ITS
advanced stages. He was helpless, n
had to be carried to and from the court
sn a chair. The evidence was that he
had been sent to the poor house about
the first of the year. but no one seemed
90 know who had sent him there. For
several months he has acted crazy. At
times he talked irrational and at other
times his talk was sane enough. There
seemed no doubt hat the disease had
affected his mind. and the poor house
is not equipped for the roper care of
such cases. The doctors questioned him
and he denied that he was sick or that
he was diseased. He said he was born
in 1860 and would be n years old next
spring. He also said he had been at
the poor house three weeks. The doc
tors found he was not insane. and re
will be returned To the poor house to-
day. Orr is supposed To be o 3S
years of age and has no relatives In
this part of the country. but some Of
them are said to be living in Pennsyl-
Vania.