Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-07-31
Committed to Fergus Falls Hospital.


Leod county, arrived inthe city Satur-
day afternoon upon reading the
reports of the attempted suicide of his
of a dose of poison to his wife in this
city last Thursday night. The elder
Mr.. Garfield came to St. Cloud to
make formal complaint in the probate
court against his son, charging him
with insanity. The informatio of in
sanity was filed Sunday morning and
Deputy Sheriff Bernick went at once
to the home of the unfortunate man in
the First ward and took him into
custody. The elder Canfeld's action
was prompted by knowledge that this
was the fourth attack of mental aber.
ration from which his son had suffered
and the prompt action of the authori-
ties was taken as precaution against
any repetition of the mans attempt to
do himself and his wife Injury.
The hearing was held in Judge Cal
houn's Office at 9 O'Clock Monday
morning, with Drs. Brigham and
Boehm sitting as the commission, and
with J as. E. jerks representing County
Attorney Donohue. DR.. Mcclure, the
family physician, was present and his
evidence was supplemental to that Of
the father. The evidence submitted
showed the patient to be forty years of
age, born at WATERFOWL, Dakota
county, and to be married man with
four children, while his wife has one
child by former marriage. The
fathers evidence was that the son had
been first committed to the St. Peter
asylum in 1889, having been due to
overwork and over heat. The mental
affection required in '93 and '97, and
three months hospital treatment had
been sufficient each time to effect q
cure. He had had q desperate en-
counter with a brother at one of his
former insane periods and had also
attacked his father. Six weeks ago
the symptoms of the present attack
had been prominent, the patient being
irrational and disconnected in his con-
versation. DR.. Mcclure testified that
he had given his wife aconite in a
poisonous quantity and had taken
about the same quantity himself, fight
ing against the efforts of the doctors
to save his life. He had given no ex-
PLANTATION OF his purpose In giving the
poison and taking it himself. In re-
spouse to an inquiry from DR.. Brig
ham, Garfield said he could not have
known what he was doing; he remem-
bered in a way the incident; he couldn't
say whether he took as much or more
than he gave his wife; he did not know
what he did it for, but she was sick
and he thought it the medicine that
the doctor had prescribed. He would
not answer in the affirm alive a direct
question from the doctor that he knew
it was poison and intended to destroy
both himself and wife. The evidence
showed him q member of the Methodist
church and possessed of a common
school education; to be temperate and
to have no bad habits. The only in
sanity in the family Is a great uncle
who is partially insane, due to an in
jury sustained when young man. On
a former attack he had stripped him
self of his clothing, but there were no
destructive or filthy habits evident in
this case. DR.. Mcclure testified that
he had noticed evidence of mental un-
balancing in the patient for some six
weeks past, troubles over imagined
financial straits being his hobby. The
medical commission and the court
decreed Garfield to be insane and he
was ordered committed to the Fergus
Falls hospital for the insane where it
is thought the hospital treatment will
prove beneficial.
Both the patient and his father are
men of more than ordinary intelli-
gence and the further fact that Mrs.
Garfield is soon to become q mother
will enlist sympathy in the unfortun-
ate case.-St. Cloud Journal Press.