Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-10-19
MORE OF MACKEY.
Willy Judge Mackey Gets His Young
Wife Released From an Insane
Asylum.
Mackey's Oily Eloquence appears to
Have Lost None Of It's
Persuasive Quality.
Judge Comes out Victorious after An
other Engagement with His
Father-in-Law.

\ 80 Ia SAVs
Washington, Oct. 13.-After spend
ing three months and eight days in
the government asylum for the insane
Mrs. Katherine D. Mackey, wife of
former Judge Thomas J. Mackey, of
South Carolina, was released from
Lat institution at 6 o'clock last even
ing. This was in pursuance of a
writ of habeas corpus, which Justice
Cole signed late in the afternoon, and
placed in the hands of her husband at
the conclusion of a hearing which held
the attention Of a large audience in
criminal court No. ,, almost an entire
day. Mrs. Mackey, a woman much
younger than her husband, and a
daughter Of Col. \. -lliam A. Porter
field, of Charlestown, w. Va, was
lodged in the asylum June 9 last, her
father being the petitioner. The case
attracted general attention at the
time. and some days elapsed before
the woman was brought to this city
from Alexandria, Va, and committed.
In his petition Judge Mackey con-
tended that his wife was illegally
committed, declaring that she was not
an indignant person, and further that
she a absent during the proceedings
against her. When the hearing was
begun at ~ o'clock the courtroom was
crowded. Many attorneys were in at
tendance. They were interested in
the legal questions involved. The
testimony occupied more than four
hours, and the argument of the petit
toner half that time. Justice Cole
gave mis- ruling shortly before 5 o'clock
and until that hour the interest was
so intense the dropping of a pin might
have been heard in almost any part
of the dingy courtroom, the scene If
many historic cases and lively legal
encounters.
Deputy Marshal R. S. Farmer was
called by Judge Mackey as a witness.
and explained that he served papers in
the lunacy case Of Mrs. Mackey May
=, while she was stopping at oil First
street. Mrs. Mackey was next sworn
and testified that she came to Wash
ington with her father last spring and
was taken to the office of DR.. Vale.
She vas handed a magazine by the
latter, and, informing him she could
not read. she stated, she was declared
to be suffering with congestion Of the
brain. DR.. Vale telephoned for the
police and she made her escape, join
ing her husband. Witness denied that
she had eve contemplated suicide.
She described her surroundings at St.
~Elizabeth's, stating that she had spent
time in several wards, in one of which
she had six lunatics as companions,
interfering with her sleep.
Mrs. Mackey told the court she went
to Alexandria with her husband last
May, where she was perfectly comfort
aMe and happy. She declared with
emphasis that Judge Mackey had al
ways been kind to her. When she
came to Washington last June, she
did SO involuntarily. She declared
that she was kidnapped, in order that
n might be taken to st. Elizabeth's,
accusing her brother, George Porter
field, and a Mr.. Washington Of doing
this.
Witnesses admitted that she had
frequently changed her place of resi-
dence because she had disturbed in
mates of the houses by screaming.
She did this, she told che court, be-
cause she was in constant fear of be-
ing SEM to an insane asylum by her
father. She admitted that she had
received sums Of money from Col.
porterield from time to time.
Judge Mackey appeared as witness
when his wife left the stand. He
spoke with %eloquence and dramatic
fervor at times, presenting a graphic
history of his life. He declared that
he was one of the last Confederate
officers to surrender, and that he was
the only man in the United States in
dorsed by Gen. Miles for appointment
as captain of engineers in the United
States army in connection with the
war with Spain. He is GG years of
age, and was under fire in the Mexi-
can war at the age of 10. While he
was provost marshal in Paris, Lamar
county, Tex, in 1866, he was attacked
by seven rufians, receiving six wounds.
He killed three and wounded two Of
his a%ssailants. His action was ap-
proved by the government, and re-
corded in Part II of the Joint Report
of the Committee Of Reconstruction,