Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-10-31
TIE CASE OF MRS. MACKEY

| JusLlce COle In Wasnlng on ytSttr.
day signed on order requiring that judi.
cial II quiry be made into the meOtal
condit on OF Katherine S. Mackey,
wife Of Thomas J. Nsckey. Mrs. Mac.
Key was taken from Washington to the
| home of her father, Col George A. Por-
terfeld, at Charleston, w. Va, on Mon
day afternoon, but will return to Vast =
ington today and be taken to 81. Eliza.
oeth's Hospital for the insane, where
she will be cared for until Friday, when
sbs will b examined her TO her sanity.
When Mrs. Mackey reached her
falner's home on Monday niohl, it is
ssid, she was in very lameniable con-
dition. She wes hysterical and p0y
slcian WAS summoned at once by her
father to minister TO her. Colonel Por-
terield was in Washington yesterday
aud stated that his daughter was some
what better and would return TO the
city today. Arrangements have been
made for her admission to St. Eliza
Oeth's on a special permit, whore sne
will remain until Friday, when her
case will be disposed OF by the court.
The petition asking for judicial in-
quiry ss the mental condition of Mrs.
Mackey was filed by an officer Of Crm-
nal Court No, @ The court appointed
Drs. Vale and Marbury to make in
quiry as to Mrs. Mackry's mental con-
dition,
The petition is in the usual form, eou-
tanning allegations that Mrs. Mackey is
0eli we'd TO be lunatic Of homicidsl
aud otherwise dangerous tendencies,
and has been such a lunatic since or
about October l. 1900; that she is unfit
to be at large 10 the District, and If suf-
tered to remain at large the rights OF
persons and property will be greatly
endangered, the preservation of the
public peace imperilled, and the COM
mission OF crime rendered probable.
rhe petition further recites that Mrs.
Mackey is INDECENT, without property or
estate, and without means to pay for
treatment at an institution where the
insane are cared for. This is why the
proceedings we're taken by the Com
missioners, the purpose being to have
Mrs. Mackey committed 10 the Govern
ment Hospital for the Insane for care
and treatment at the expense of the
District government.
Mrs. Mackey's sanity was the subject
of al ipquisition before Justice Cole
last Friday, and after somewba. drs-
maIic scene the proceedings were dis
missed upon the ground that Judge
Maokey, the petitioner, withdrew the
petition 10 open court. Upon with.
drawing the petition Attorney Sinclair
asked Judge Mackey how long it would
be before he would apply for another
judicial erquiry into the mental condi-
ion of his wife, and Judge Mackey re-
piled
Never, again, cir; never till the
crack of doom. shall take her
abroad. To send my wife to the insane
asylum would be death sentence.
The cause of her malady has been rt-
moved. She shall not be sent to tha,
chamber OF horrors
Judge Mackey has since changed his
mind. Yesterday morning he signed
aud swore TO another petition alleging
that his wife is dangerous lunatic ard
unfit to 10 at large in the community
and filed the same with the District au-
thorites. Attorney Sinclair stated that
no fuither proceedings would be based
ON the petition of Judge Mackey; that
tie petition prepared by him would be
ignored. The petition signed by M
Goodacre was substituted for that OF
Judge Mackey.