The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-31
THE CASE OF MRS. MACKEY.
Judge Cole Signs an Order for
Another judicial Enquiry.

Justice Cole yesterday signed an order
requiring that judicial enquiry be made
| into the mental condition Of Katherine S.
| Mackey, wife of Thomas ]. Mackey. Mrs.
| Mackey was taken from this city to the
home of her father. Col. George "A. Porter
| field, at Charleston, W. Va, on Monday
afternoon, but will return to Washington
this morning and be taken TO st. Eliza
| beths Hospital for the Insane, where she
will be cared for until Friday, when she
will be examined as to her sanity.
When Mrs. Mackey reached her fathers
home on Monday night, it is said, she
was in a very lamentable condition. she
was hysterical and a physician was sum-
moned at once by her father to minister to
! her. Colonel PCrteriield was in the city
! yesterday and stated that his daughter was
! somewhat better and would return to the
| city today Arrangements have been made
| for her admission to St. Elizabeth's on a
| special permit, where she will remain until
| Friday when her case will be disposed of
| by the court.
| The petition asking for judicial enquiry
| as to the mental condition of Mrs. Mackey
was filed by Daniel NJ. Goodacre, an officer
| of Criminal Court No. 2. 1t was presented
to Justice Cole by A. Leftwich Sinclair,
| Assistant Attorney for the District Com
missioners. The court appointed Drs.
Frank p Vale and Charles C. Marbury to
make enquiry as to Mrs. Mackey's mental
condition.
The petition is in the usual form. con-
| tanning allegations that Mrs. Mackey is
! believed to be lunatic of homicidal and
| otherwise dangerous tendencies. and has
been such lunatic since or about October
| l, 1900; that she is unfit to be at large in
the District, and if suffered to remain at
! large the rights Of persons and property
| will be greatly endangered, the preseTva-
| ton of the public peace imperiled. and the
commission of crime rendered probable.
! The petition further recites that Mrs.
| Mackey is INDECENT, without property or
| estate and without means to pay for treat
| ment at an institution where the insane
are cared for. This is why the proceedings
We're taken by the Commissioners. the pur-
pose being to have Mrs. Mackey committed
to the Government Hospital for the Insane
| for care and treatment at the expense of
| the District government.
| Mrs. Mackey's sanity was the subject
| of an inqustion before Justice Cole last
| Friday and after somewhat dramatic
| scene the proceedings were dismissed upon
! the ground that Judge Mackey, the petit
toner, withdrew the petition in open court
| Upon withdrawing the petition Attorney
Sinclair asked Judge Mackey how long 1t
would be before he would apply for another
| judicial enquiry into the mental condition
of his wife, and Judge Mackey replied:
Never, again. sir: never till the crack
of doom. l shall take her abroad. To send
my wife 70 the insane asylum would be a
death sentence. The cause of her malady
has been removed. She shall not be sent
to that chamber of horrors
Judge Mackey has since changed his
mind. Yesterday morning he signed and
swore to another petition alleging that his
wife is dangerous lunatic and unfit to be
at large in the community and filed the
same with the District authorities. Attor-
ney Sinclair stated that no further pro-
ceedings would be based on the petition of
Judge Mackey; that the petition prepared
by him would be ignored. The petition
signed by Mr.. Goodacre was substituted
for that Of Judge Mackey.