The times., 1899-03-03
FANNIE CROSS SET FREE.
For Fourteen Years She Had Been
Confined NJ u LunntIc.


After having been in the custody of the
District authorities for nearly fourteen
years, as an alleged lunatic, Fannie Cross,
on the order of Justice Bradley, was re-
| leased yesterday from St Elizabeth's Hos
pital for the Insane. The release was the
result of an investigation incident TO habeas
corpus proceedings instituted last week by
Messrs. D. W. Baker and Joseph R. Fague.
! attorneys for the petitioner. The Govern
ment was represented by Assistant District
Attorney Ashley NJ. Gould.
In opening the proceedings Mr. Baker
stated that the release of the petitioner
was demanded upon the ground that she
had been Illegally committed, and, also,
that she was not a fit subject 10 be n
charge on the Government. In support of
the first argument he claimed that Miss
Cross had been adjudged insane by = jury
in her absence. which proceeding, he said,
was Illegal, as it denied her the nppor-
tunity TO make defence So far as her
mental condition was concerned, that would
be matter upon which the court 'ould
pass after hearing her own and other tes-
tmony.
Miss Cross. the petitioner, was the first
witness called. She detailed the chief
events of her life far back as she could
remember She said that her first memory
Of childhood was of being an inmate in the
Washington Orphans Asylum, which in
stitution she entered after the death of
her parents. She was then about eight
years of age After remaining there about
year she was sent TO a training school
for imbeciles. near Philadelphia, and
stayed there for ten years. In September,
1896, she was brought to this city. and
after an examination was committed to the
If7aI aI.-I, 5r.l
where she had been kept until brought TO
the court room.
Miss Cross stated that she had never been
given an opportunity to establish her san
ity, because she was not allowed 10 appear
before the jury which pronounced her in
sane. In conclusion, she stated that she
was desirous Of going to live with her
brother, John Cross. who resides at 500 X
Street southeast
DIR. Charles Emmons was next called in
behalf of the petitioner. lie stated that
! he had made thorough examination of
Miss Cross mental condition. and in his
opinion she was sane He stated that her
hearing and eyesight were deficient, and
aside from the fact'that she had not the
worldly knowledge of ether girls of her
age, which was the result of long confine-
ment her faculties were equal 10 those of
the average person.
surgeons: Herbert ". Lewis. Superntend-
ent OF Charities; DR.. W W Godding, Su-
puerintendent of st. Eliza beth's Asylum.
and Mrs. O Brian. nurse al that institution
were called 10 testify in behalf of the Gov
ernmsnt. The most important testimony
in reference to Miss Cross condition OF
mind was given by Drs. Hickling and God
ding. The former stated that she was
weak minded, but did not class her as in
sane. In his opinion she was not able to
take care of herself, nor did she have the
ability to distinguish between right and
wrong. DR. Godding classed her as an i'm
beetle Under the meaning of the law un-
der which she was committed he said. she
was insane. the law making no distinction
between insane persons, idiots, and imbe-
Giles.
Justice Bradley. in reviewing the testi-
mony in the case. stated that in his opin-
ion the Government Hospital for the In
sane was not an institution intended for the
detention of persons Of such mental condi-
tion as the subject was shown 10 be.