The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-18
MORTIMER IS CRAZY
JUDGE M'CLERNAN COMMITS HIM
TO INSANE ASYLUM.
SUFFERING WITH PARANOlA
His Brothers Visit Him in the Forms
of Birds-Fly From Europe in
Less Than Two Hours.

AC9S
It was judicially and pathologically
determined in Judge McClernan's court
this morning that Morton Mortimer, a
crazy man who was brought in from the
and locked up in the county Jail, is suf-
fering with paranoia, and a commitment
ordering him back to the insane asylum
at Warm Springs. from where ne was
released on the 5th instant was issued.
Paranoia makes Mortimer see people
in the forms of birds and dogs, as well
as believe himself the king of the world
and godfather of the universe.
When he was tried for insanity before
Judge Clancy some time ago he was in
a ranting and raving mood, but this
morning he was perfectly composed and
even smiled.
Rational Part of the Time.
He spoke with apparent nationality
on ordinary subjects, and it looked as if
he had a chance to escape the crazy
| house for awhile.
| But presently he began to see birds
| and tell about them, and then his fate
| was quickly sealed For a man with
| cracked mind he had the most rational
| manner this morning and he advanced
| the craziest propositions in the sanest
of ways.
DR.. Sheeran, who attended Mortimer,
| testified that he had acute mania, peri
| odica1 insanity and fits of agitation.
Deputy Sheriff McGarvey testified that
| Mortimer was in the mountains above
| Silver Bow prior to Saturday and that
| on that day he went after him and
| brought him to town from point mile
beyond there.
Sent a Man Tor Him.
McGarvey said that the people in the
mountains could not get Mortimer to
come down, and they sent man on
horseback after him. The man had
whiskers, and Mortimer thought he was
the Savior of the world and followed
him down.
Mortimer was quiet till Butte was
reached. and then he wanted to drive a
little and he undertook to take the
horse from the officer. 1t became neces-
sary to call two pedestrians to the
| buggy and throw him and tie nim.
Deputy Sheriff Dobson testified that
Mortimer was in the habit of holding
conversations with absent people in the
| back part of his cell. notably his wife.
He frequently told his wife. Or her
astral body, that the reason he could not
support her was because they We're
always in different crazy houses or
prisons.
Visited by Brothers.
This morning two of his brothers had
come to see him, he told the officer
when he was being taken to court. They
had come in the form of birds. When
H. ko1r L.
the officer:
DO you own this boat?"
The latter replied: II do"
well, then, by George, want to get
off here. Two of my brothers We're
killed on this boat and 1 want to get
off, he said.
Mortimer showed himself good in the
memory of dates and ordinary matters
when the court began to question him.
He said he was Al years old on the 18th
of last November. He was born in Ire
land. He has been in this country 10
years.
He said he has IA brothers and a
father. They live, he said in New En-
gland, Seattle, Everett and many other
places. Also said he had worked at
Anaconda and had boarded at CoOney's
boarding house there.
His First Arrest.
Then he told the story of his first ar
rest and incarceration in the asylum two
months ago. He said he met a police
man and they had two glasses of beer.
The policeman drank one. He had been
drinking for four days, he said, and had
nervous debility. The officer took him
to Jail and he was sent to the asylum
"Thcy kept me there for two months
and three days. l don't want to go
back there he said.
How about those prayers?" the court
asked, and right there is where the
paranoia got in it's work.
"Oh, 1 didn't say any prayers but my
brothers came to see me-" he replied.
when did they Gomez"
Just Like Birds.
"They came this morning at the Jail
One came in the shape of bird. The
other followed like GOOSE" he replied
as suberly as If he was asking the time
of day.
"HOw's that?"
Well of course, ladies and gentlemen
and everybody can fly like birds, now, y
he continued.
Where did your brothers go?"
They flew home" said the king of the
world. They just called before l came
over here. Sometimes hey goes like a
dog. Sometimes they goes like a goose
More times they goes like little birds"
What did your brother and sister
want?"
They wanted to know if was going
timer said
Did they change into birds before your
eyes?"
Make Quick CHANCES.