Evening star., 1898-09-07
BETTINA GIRARD IN COURT.
The Attempt to Release Her From a
Sanitarium.


From the New York Tribune today.
Elizabeth Ordway. better known as Mrs.
Bettina Girard, the actress, was the CEN
trail figure in part two of tho supreme cau1t
yesterday, where she was produced under
a writ of habeas corpus by the authorities
of st. Saviour's Sanitarium, at Inwood-on-
the Hudson. She was committed to the in
stitution by Justice Slower of the supreme
court several weeks ago.
For nearly an hour yesterday Miss Gil
I rafd kept Justice Bookstayer waiting for
her. The writ directed that the petitioner
be in court. at 1880 o'clock. but it was al
most an hour later when she appeared.
The court room was crowded by people
anxious to see her, but those who wanted
to do so were greatly disappointed In the
face and general bearing of the actress.
She Wore a black cloth skirt and black
polka-dot shirt waist. Covering her once
pretty brown hair was a shabby mourning
bat
The whole court proceedings seemed in
tensely amusing to Miss Ordway. When
unkind things, at which many women
would have hung their heads in shame
were said, Miss Girard smiled, and once
she laughed aloud. She said it did no.
| matter to anybody IL she desired to drink,
or at least that this fact was not suficient
| TO deprive her of her liberty.
John q. Pine appeared as counsel for the
| institution, and tried to show that Miss
| that she was entirely incapable of caring
| for herself and her property. He did not
| mince words. He opened by saying that
| the institution in which Miss Girard was
J detained retreat for inebriates and
persons who had become addicted to the
use of drugs, principally morphine and
| opium.
This woman" continued Mr.. Pine, lis
I Unfit to be at liberty by reason of the fact
| that she goes on periodical sprees. Her
| con mitraent to our institution was voIun-
tary. She herself asked to be admitted"
| He then read from an affidavit to the effect
| that he had visited Miss Girard on May %
at Bellevue Hospital where she was being
| treated for alcoholism, and she told him
| that she wanted to go to the institution.
| She did not even have car fare to take
| her there" added Mr.. Pine. and she asked
| me If would give her enough money to
| carry her there"
| been regularly committed to the institution
! for period Of one year, and there was no
reason why she should receive her freedom
| Mr.. Hummel for Miss Girard. argued
| that the papers on which Miss Gfrard had
| been committed were irregular in many re-
| spectS and that the petitioner was being
restrained of her liberty Illegally
| she is locked up, according to the petit
! ton for her commitment" said Mr. Hum
mel, because she uses alcoholic stimu-
| lants Is 1t any reason that a person
| should be locked up for a year because of
the use of alcoholic Hquors?"
| Mr.. Hummei said that before she could
have been properly committed it should
| have been shown that Miss Girard was a
| resident of this state. This had not beer
! done. and he asked for an adjournment
until today, so that he could traverse the
| Y rtt.
| This request was granted by Judge Book
| staver. but when Mr.. Hummel wanted to
| have Miss. Girard paroled until she could
| appear in court the justice refused the re-
| quest. bat agreed to allow Miss Girard to
| go to Mr. HummePs office and remain there
with keeper as long as she was needed
| IN drawing up necessary papers. After
| this she was taken back to the sanitarium