, 1901-12-16
Fl BRIGGS CASE.

Referring to the Boomerang's state.
ment that Sheriff Cook stated in the
Boomerang office in relation to the
Briggs cas- that "he would say that it
was handled in a fair and ~open-handed
manner by the reporter who wrote it,
The Republican has the following
statement to make:
Early Wednesday morning Mrs.
Briggs, who came here from Denver.
was notified by the %janitor at the depot
that the rules required him to close and
lock the building and she would be com
PEELED to seek other shelter. She went
forth into the night and wandered aim
lessly till taken in charge by Night
Waterman Fitzgerald. who. noting her
demented condition. took her to the
county Jail, where she was cared for.
She was examined by County Ply,
stefan Miller and pronounced well
enough to return to Denver. A ticket
was secured by Sheriff Cook, who plac-
ed the old lady on No. 4 Wednesday for
behNei. iHo sHeIIh gave neI TICKET 10
a brakeman on the train and cautioned
him to give her attention. as she ap-
peared unbalanced. The old lady pro.
ceeded as far as Cheyenne. where she
evidently left the train and wandered
out upon the prairie south of that city.
She was discovered in the evening ny
a telephone lineman, who ]endeavored
to bring her back to Cheyenne, but she
fought him SO hard that he was COM
PEELED to leave her and proceed to
Cheyenne for assistance. A r~escuing
party failed to find her and She perish.
ed, the body being discovered next
morning The Boomerang of Thursday.
in commenting upon the case. said:
"Dr. Miller was called up by tele.
phone and asked if the woman had
been examined for her sanity and he
replied that he had made an examiaa.
ton and found hat she was insane. A
few minutes after he called the office
and asked to have a reporter call at his
ONCE. The doctor told the reporter
that he wished to modify his state
ment as he had made no official exam
nation, but had merely talked with and
advised the woman and had found that
she was weak minded. but not crazy in
the sense that the medical profession
call crazy or insanity
The Boomerang is not up in the
mdical profession enough to know
how far gone a person has to be before
they can be called insane. but if a per.
o is weak minded enough to be out
Of their mind and to imagine such
things and go through such actions as
this woman cid. they certainly must
be be irresponsible and should be taken
care of by the proper officials and not
sent away by themselves unattended.
THE Boomerang does not desire to
make any comment upon the matter,
or to unjustly blame any official. but it
would seem from the facts now known
that GROSS NEGLIGENCE. IF NOT
CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE HAS BEEN
EXERCISED IN THIS CASE"
h capitals are ours. In Fridays is
sue The Republican, believing at the
time that the officers of the county had
been attacked in an unwarranted man
ner and that their action had not con-
stituted gross negligence or criminal
negligence In any degree whatsoever,
defended them. The article was sub.
mftted to Sheriff Cook, who was accom-.
panied at the time by Deputy Sheriff
Charles Yund. and was fully approved.
On Saturday it appears that Sheriff
COOK called at the Boomerang Office.
in company with Deputy Sheriff Yund,
and then and there stated to the Boom
erang In relation to the Briggs case
that 1t was handled In a fair and open.
handed manner by the reporter who
wrote It,"
II the sheriff desires to endorse the
Boomerang's structures Upon the coun-