The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-28

| conducted on Saturday in court room
No. before Commissioner Charles Y.
Pitcher and the following jury: John
j. LOTUS, Samuel Dickens, 8. b. Mer-
| rill, ey-County Commissioner s. W.
Roberts, Alderman Frederick Fuller
| and Select Councilman John ".
| Roche.
Miss Howell was present nj the
hearing, accompanied by Edward Il.
Dean, of Hackensack, y. j 1t was
her contemplated marriage with Mr..
| Dean that precipitated the proceedings
| brought by her brother. She was rep
| resented by Attorneys r.. e. Newcomo
and Clarence Ballentinc. While Mr.
Howell. who was also present, was
represented by his attorney. James II.
Torrcy.
Mr. Torrcy explained in his opening
| address that the law provides that
people of weak minds, in order that
they may be protected from designing
persons, can be declared lunatics and
have trustees appointed for their es-
tates. He wanted the jury to decide
whether az not she VAS capable of
| taking care Of her estate, which he
said, amounts to 100000.
SUFFERED FROM CHOREA
The first witness examined was DR..
j. l., Alderman. of .Ashury Park, y.
| ]. He attended Miss Howell at that
! resort in the summer of 1899. She was
/ at that time suffering. he said. from
| Chorea, or St Nitus' dance. attended
by convusions. she was at times un-
controllable I'm her actions and was.
! in his belief. of unsound mind during
| the entire time she was under his
care. There was little prospect Of her
| ever recovering, he said.
| Mr.. Newcomb produced check for
sol. which was given by her to the
doctor for his services He wanted 70
| know why the doctor had sent her a
| bill and then accepted her check II
he believed her to be of unsound mind.
The doctor said he didn't know, and
explained that he might, possibly,
have sent the bill in care of her
! brother.
Dr. y. Y. Lcct, of this city, vas the
Howell first for nervous disorders in
| August, 1892. She had been q patient
of his ever since. he said. and is suf-
fcring from chorea. which has weak
ened both her physical and mental
q
| of his belief she was not capable Of
managing her estate.
He stated, on s-cxamina tiun
that he had sent Miss Howell all bills
and received checks in payment CT
them, nearly all of which were signed
by Franklin Howell 4 few of the
checks he had received were signed
by Miss Howell In replying to Il
/ - 10
said that Miss Howell had, upon sew
eral occasions, acted nrationally to-
ward him. She would make an APP
pointment, and when he would go TO
her home, she would be out driving.
When she saw him again she would
berate him for not calling.
HAS KNOWN HER FOR YEARS.
DIR. T.. A. Heermans, who lives across
the street frCm Miss Howell, was the
next witness. He had known her all
his life, he said. He had been called
to see her occasionally, but was never
ner regular physician. He had been
socially intimate with The family for
n number of years and had often mec
| Miss Howell in n professional
way.
He had watched her case for up.
wards of twenty years, and said that
during that time she kept growing
worse until about two years ago. He.
was not prepared TO say that she has
been improving since then. Up to- six
months ago when he last attended
her, she was, in his opinion, not able
to manage her own affairs. Since
then he had no knowledge of her Con-
dition.
| Mr. NeWcomb asked the doctor IL
| there were not u great many persons,
not necessarily insane, who, through
| poor health, were unable To attend 10
| their own affairs, and the doctor
| rather astonished everybody by re-
| plying:
There are probably II thousand peo-
pie in this city who are lunutics, but
who have not been declared So"
The doctor said that all the checks
he ever received in payment for his
services were drawn and signed by
| Franklin Howell and not by Miss
Howell.
DR.. Heerman's testimony closed the
hearing, Mr. Torrey requesting that
an adjournment be made, Mr.. Howelrs
illness having intereferd with his pre-
paration Of the case. Mr.. Newcomb
objected 10 this, but Commissioner
Pitcher adjourned the hearing indeii-
nitely.
Miss Howell and Mir. Dean occupied
a box at the Lyceum Saturday night.
n n u Il l. L =. u u. Il ~ L Il -.