The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-23
VICTIM OF ALCOHOLISM
Henry Volkner Ordered Com
mitted to the Insane Asylum.
he WANTS TO GET SOBER
Admitted That He Drank Five or Six
Quarts Of whiskey q Day-Attempts
ct suicide-Threetened to Cut
His Wife's Throat.

y Henry Voikner was tried yesterday be-
fore a commission composed Of Chairman
A.. NJ. Walker of the board of county
commissioners and Drs. Evans and Ray
as to the s~oundness of his mind. The
Commission found that Volkner was a
proper subject for the asylum. at least
for a time. Volkner himself admitted
that he was not responsible for his ac-
i.tions during the time of his sprees. and
,she expressed a wish to be sent some
where to sober up. He is a victim of the
excessive use Of alcoholic stimulants
and in his own testimony he stated that
he frequently drank five or six quarts
of whiskey a day.
The first witness called was DIR. H.. w.
stephens. The doctor testified that he
had known Volkner for three or four
Iyears and thai he was a good man and
q perfect gentleman when not
He had mad several threats around the
house of late, however, and the wit
ness was of the opinion that the best
place for him would be at the asylum
until he could sober up. He did not
believe that Volkner was responsible
III MS o&NiciiS AAfo 49,
might be dangerous il he were not con-
fined. He was very foolish at times
when drinking. There was no such
thing as stopping the man when once he
began to drink. The witness did not
know of any acts of violence that Volk-
ner had ever committed, but he had
made several threats. 1t was the opin-
ion of the witness that Volkner ought to
be confined somewhere until he straight
ened up.
Martin Hunt was the next witness. He
had known Volkner for -four or five
months, during which time he had been
quite intimately acquainted with him.
He said hat Volkner was all right when
he was sober. The present spree had
lasted about six weeks, so far as he
could remember and the witness and
another man had volunteered to stop
with the unfortunate man until he So
bered up. Volkner had at various times
talked in an incoherent manner. he
had talked of committing suicide and OF
giving poison to his wife and baby.
Lately he had seemed inclined toward
the idea of carrying a gun. The day
before yesterday, said the witness, sew
eral people, including himself, were at
Nolkner's house. and Volkner had stated
that it ought not to surprise any one If
his wife and child awoke some morn
ing with their threats cut.
The witness had never known Volkner
to commit any acts of violence, but
Volkner had admitted to the witness
that he was unable to control himself
when drinking. Volkner 'ha been
drinking liquor more or less all the time
the witness knew him.. He carried the
whiskey in his pockets in bottles and
seldom went into a saloon to drink.
Volkner had told the witness that he
loved the taste of liquor. He had been
stupid and apparently unable to talk or
act right during the past month or so.
Mrs. Allen Watterson had known
Volkner for six or seven months. She
also aid that Volkner wa a good man
when sober. Volker had said to the
witness that something would have TO
be lone with him or he would be lam
gerous.
Mrs. c.. Voodry was the next witness.
She had known Volkner for six months.
Volkner had told her that he sometimes
was drunk when nobody knew anything
about il. The witness told of the re-
marks that Volkner had made about
cutting the threats of his wife and
child as related above. One morning
the witness had seen Mrs. Volkner cry
ing. She had asked nat the trouble
was and Mrs. Volkner told her that her
husband had been drinking. hut asked
her not to mention ii, as she did not
want to be disgraced. k had at
times uttered threats against tnt lives
of his wife n child, and had also
threatened the witness. At one time
the witness was in a room of the Volk-
ner residence. together with Volkner
and his wife. He had looked at her In a
peculiar manner, and said that he
might as well have some fun now as
any time" He grabbed the witness by
the wrist and held her, while with his
free hand he drew a knife from his
pocket. He attempted to open the
knife, but was unable to do so with one
hand. He let go his hold on the wrist
of the witness in order to open the
knife, and the witness. when released,
ran out of the house.
At different times, the witness said,
Volkner had threatened the lives of his
wife and baby and stated that he might
tuet as well spend the balance of his life
in prison as not. Volkner had been APP
parently sober for five or six days, and
at that time he had been told that he
struck his wife. He refused to believe
that he had done so, but he admitted
shat when he was drinking he was not
responsible for his actions. He said that
Svhen he got drunk his wife had better
leave the house and let him alone until
he sobered up. Mrs. Voodry told Of two
occasions upon which Volkner tried to
commit suicide by taking poison. Once
he had taken carbolic acid and the other
time something unknown to the witness.
The witness had prepared an emetic for