The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-30
Is SHE CRAZY Or No!
Beautiful Mrs. WiImerding
Says She Is Not
BUT WILL BECOME so
If She Must Stay in Bloom
ingdaIe Much Longer.

New York, Aug 2s.-From time To time
numerous books have been published Illus
| trative of the horrors suffered by a sane
person in a mad house. or these perha ps
che most notable are Charles Reads
Hard Cash." and a Mad World" by
Chambers. Now Mrs. Jack Wilmer1ing
has added the tale Of her own woeful ex-
perence m the Blocm1ngdale insane asyl-
UNI. and IT is pititu enough. though no
ater than Thursday a board OF experts
declared the unfortunate woman insane.
Mrs> Wilmerdfng. it win be remembered.
was Miss Marie Vanderbilt Allen, q 5eau-
ty and belle great-gIa nddaughJcr Of
Commodore Vanderbilt and one of New
York's 400. Married early % Jack Wa
merding. one of her own exclusive Sc,
the wedding was celebrated with great
pomp and circumstance. but turned out
none the happier because OF that tue
young wife drifted more and more into
the fast circle, lived abroad a great deal
because a victim of alcoholism and ex-
cessive cigarette smoking. and a few
months ago was brought over from Italy,
where Ssho tad been staying with her
father. Colonel Vanderbilt Allen, and was
placed by relatives In the Bloomangdale
asylum
I'm SANE" SHE SAYS.
Mrs. Wiimerddng from first to hast as
declared herself sane: a number OF her
influential friends believe i'll her sanity
and have tried to gain her freedom. 9th
ers are equally strongly convinced of her
need of control. and as Colonel Allen
died soon after her departure from Italy
the unhappy woman, sane or mad, feels
herself utterly sslone in the worh and
forsaken by all protectors She was III
duced by relatives in New York 90 go to
Bloomingdale under the puetex that IT
was SAM taIt1Inl, needing as she did rest
after dissipation, sorrow and material
woes. The larter seemed to run in the
family. Colonel Allen had married three
times. and was involved in alimony suits
at the time of his death. Mrs. Wdlmerd-
ing says frankly of her own marriage:
My marriage to Jack Wilmerding was
a grievous mistake He should never
have married anyone. His mother told
me that His fnfdelities and cruelties
made me desperate and began drinking
nizing the separation were drawn up by
General Tracey. wanted to get a di-
vorce, but his family shuank from the
scandal involving tibet name and begged
me TO be satisfied with a separation"
She states chat when she went TO Capri
with her father she raised money for
the trip by realizing on some securities,
and adds that she has a taste for business
and understands it. When she returned to
America it was upon her fathers slgges-
ton that She become reconciled to her
husband. Indignant at the idea, she re-
torted that she would certainly go back
to New York, but not TO Mr.. Wilmerding.
She would return only to get a divorce
from him, and would then go upon the
stage, as many other reduced society
women had done. DR.. George Cerio, who
was Coonel Aliens physician, accom-
panied Mrs. Wilmerding ON the home vuy-
aga ostensibly because She had been sick
of a fever in Capri
THE FIRST HINT.
At New York they were met by an aunt
of Mrs Wilmerding. Mrs. Franklyn Alien,
who told the traveller that her father,
Colonel Allen, had written that she had
ought TO go to a sanltarium for rest.
After this Mrs. WjlmArding says:
They took me TO Brooklyn and TO
room where two strangers were and
locked the doors while l signed some
papers, which, 1 unders TODD, expressed
my willingness to go. TO a sanitarium or
hospital for rest l Gid not know who the
strangers were and do not know, and I
was coo i'll and hstless to read the papers
I trusted the people l thought were my
friends That is mot always we'll.
Il wrote some foolish letters after I
came here. 1 remember 1 did and that
I knew they were foolish. but IL seemed TO
me that If I did not have some channel
of expression l would, indeed go mad"
People who saw Mrs Wllmerding at
that time declare that she looked the
picture of health. and pretty as ever,
but THAI her bright, active mind. was
pitfuIly cloalded II was stated that her
symptom of paresss were well defined
her nerves shattered, that She frequently
failed TO recognize her nearest friends, /
ost her own identity. suffered /
delussors. and faQcied all wSo came near
her her enemies That tins was brought /
on BY drinking and smoking was the (
verdict
She is said 90 have admitted ,ser t-Iisll- /
gence in from a pint 20 quart OF whisky /
every day, and as many a. sixty cigar /
cites
A DOMESTIC HELL.
That her married s1fe had been unhappy (
was notorious. There had been open guar /
res in public places Young Jack" had I
& vio,ent temper. and objected 20 hls /.
wife's gowns. winch we're frequently 81 .
the manish order; also ne reproved her I
extra vaga nee, though she had inherited /
an independent fortune from Der mother /
One evening at De'monioo's. ii has been /
declared, ne threw a pIaue Of Ice cream IN I
rs wife's face, pate and all So matters +
went from bad 70 worse The couple sep
aratsd
Mrs. Wilrerding went abroad. only 20 /
return walking between a physician and /
a nurse Since She has bean back ta /
her husband tas never gone near 4