New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-26
MRS. WILMERDINGS CONDITION.
PHYSICIANS UNANIMOUSLY AGREE THAI
SHE HAS NOT YET RECOVERED FROM
HER MENTAL. WEAKNESS.

HER MENTAL WEAkNESS'
rha ,ro,,,7v a. 10 the sanity Of Mrs. Marie T.
Wumerding VINO is at present in the blooi'i'h 1''e
..I,,ro AZ White Plains, continued yesteFu'y
['S ~. -, c,or,,,,.e,oners Eugene b. Travis, Dr.
&c = Macdonald and Or. II. Ernest Schihl"'
-rn,s commission was appointed as part OF ','e
,roceedinrs instituted by her friends. thfoush nv
Low firm of De La Mar & Levy. Tor the re''aSe "a
Mrs Wllmerding who It IS said. Is sane ana u,'-
Iov,pllv restrained Of her liberty Dr. Samuel D.
LYON the superintendent Of BloominBo"e' J." O."
AFFIDAVIT submitted at hearing Of the case ii ','o
snnrome Court before Justice Gcogh. stated the
methods whereby Mrs. Wilmerding had oeeh Cum
mitted to the institution, and gave IL as MS oi''D
TINT the patient had not fully recovered IN miiu, al
though much improved. She had been pl'0'u q"
his care by her uncle Francis Allen who was one
OF n COMMITTEES appointed TO look after her 'l',''S
Mrs Wilmerding was present at TINS he"IIn7
which took Mace In the County Court room he'
friend Mrs John Bloodgood. sat by her sue ms
ytnerding conducted herself in rational man
ner throughou the proceedings ana mace i'4''
comments on the testimony 10 Mrs. bIoouso"u'
John g. Gleason who represents Frames AHe"
and ,ohn Wallis who had been appointed con.
rnittee Of the person and property OF MIS- WI,
merding was the first witness 10 take 'he s'"ur
He swore that he never represented Na'"e'"-''
Allen or his wife and never had any'hms ~ w
with the sale of certain tombstones OF o''e' ~
tlcles. as had been testified to by Mrs. "lh'ei'i'7
n former hearing in this inquiry NO su'h
thing he said occurred. Mrs. John Boodsood was
the next witness and she testified she HAu "o.'''e
TO DO with the bringing Of the proceedings in"-
Yer Gleason forbOre asking her the q"oH'0"
whether she believed Mrs. WilnerdhB was SANG
now not
nv William E Dold a former assistant superin-
tendent OF the asylum. testified that he was mere
when Mrs Wimerding arrived last Janual!' ~
thought she was coming 10 take the heeIeY so'u
cure at the White Plains institution puI "HrH s'.e
learned she was in Bloomingdale Asylum s''o -
she was glad and perfectly willing TO remain 9I'o
thought her father was dead some time before ne
d,ed and at times was excited and later became
noisy ,r.
As she had the regular treatment regular nuns
and diet she improved and continued 10 HH"oF'
until the witness left the institution. she had Il
number of decisions She thought she was 'He
daughter Of Lord Rosebery and expected TO san
for Europe She wrote order TO Tiffany q Co.
in New-York. for a diamond crown ana o'hof
Jewels.
She was suspicious of all medicines. She would
also take violent diskes against certain per
sons. She rubbed the skin of her face to get rld
of some poison she imagined there. She would
rub herself all over with nalbrush. hours al a
time TO- as she said get I'D OF disease She "ah'eu
her history 20 appear in all the newspapers o. ,"e
world. At times she realized that she was IN
sane and had been for years. Letters written ny
her TO the witness were then read ana ldeh'iAeu
nv him. In some Of these letters she thought her
self the Princess of Wales. She also thought she
was being locked up to satisfy revenge.
Witness had examined Mrs. Wilmerding that
morning for about twenty minutes she had Sot no
he had seen her in June. The fact that smY Ir0oe
nizes that she formerly had aDnoiihal OF r,-
ratio ideas does not prove that she Is sane nov.
She now says she does not believe she was Delns
poisoned in The as} ium - she nel lew ne said
she might might not do herself or some one gse
harm. She might take 10 drinking, ana 'Ha'
ba qqifi I've
Dr. Charles f. Atwood was called 70 the stand
RT eNrr NJ Mrs is Wmerding since last May lie
impressed with The idea mat snG wSs hot bs 81 bang
hvpnotlzed IL ran so beautifully. She thought
she was be taken TO another hospital ana pre-
have any clear ideas about herself or how - tahc
care OF her property and was suspicious OF c.etty
might be in league TO keep her in the asylum;
The witness said 1t was his opinion nm si h~i
not recovered from her insanity when ne ihotsnt
was due to an inherent defective brain. silcd by
ON eross-examination he testified tina, he was at
the asylum when she aIrlv,H DNt 'in Io' Sc 49, ~.
examination OF about ave minutes IN general way.
She is suffering. he said from illusions and do
troll over her appetite for drinking and smoking
shows that she has not yet fully recovered rom
now she would 30 back 10 her old indulscnces ana
DR.. Austin Flint was then sworn. and testified.
He had twice examined Mrs Wilmcrding and be-
leyed her 70 be suffering from dellsionsl insanltE
or property. On cross-cXaminauon he SAID the
FIRST time he examined her he took about two hours
nnd made a complete physical examination. Her
pulse was normal one OF her delusions was
that she was an object OF persecution on the part
OF all her relatives No could say what would
happen if she should be allowed 20 20 free. II
would be q great calamity for herself and others.
DR. Allen Fitch Of New York testified that ne is
now filling q position IN the Manhattan state
Asylum. lie had examined Mrs. Wilmcrdine. ana
said he found her mentally uns0und and incapable
Of managing herself or hcr affairs. II she wcrc
released from the asylum now sho would probably
relapse and be much worse than at first. He had
made a physical examination Of Mrs. Wllmerding.
She shows considerable nervousness and is not In
the best physical condition She had delusion that
all the officers Of the asylum We're in league aCaln5t
her 10 keep her there
The lnnuirx was ihan adjourned for one Mook.