The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-07
ii
JOHN ARM R'.0N5
CHAM j !. ''.|.:.| ;|. FREE
t,,,iii
Many Witnesses Declare TO His
Sanity in Court.
TAKES E: THE STAND u. HIMSELF ].
4 Decree Catered Refusing the Petition for
"a sormiltee to Look Alter Ills. Affairs,
and Declaring Him Fully Able 70 Do
e So on His Own Behalf.
TAKES THE STAND. HIMSELF.
A Decree Catered Refusing the Petition for
3, as. ! ,t.ta s s., .,as.
iSpccfal Dispatch 10 The Tilucs

-. .t.ss lteIa s % atnt
Special Dispatch e TIC Tines.) .. -
/ CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, Nov. o.
/ john Armstrong Chanlers is a sane man
/ and capable of managing his own affairs.
i This was the essence OF the decree
| drawn by order of the Albc1narle County
I Court this morning, after the hearingaof
/ exhaustive personal. medical and Isyrch-
| illogical testimony. Thus SO far as vtr-
| sinia is concerned, Mr.. Chanler is a free
/ man, and doubtless will shortly be gpnt
4 in full possession of his property within
] this State. "a
/ HISTORY OF CASE.
| Mr.. Chanler came to Albe!nar!e' from
] New York In 1851: his marriage to Miss
| Amelie Tives occurred June Il, ISIS; short
/ ly after the wedding the couple Travelled
| abroad: during their stay in Europe and
/ after their return to this country rumors
| of "disagreements and Teconciiations
| were frequently circulated; Mrs. Chanler
! secured "a divorce from her husband in
| October Of 1885 on the ground OF ''incom-
| f,atibility OF temper: In 1895 she married
! a. Russian prince Pierre Trouloetzkoy:
after this marriage Mr.. Chanle1. continued
| to live secluded life in the Castle Hill
| neighborhood al his residence. "Merrie
| Mills: ruElors Of his alleged insanity
| soon became rife and in 1887 he was taken
l
| a commission of Ilnacy.. secured through
! the instrumentalitv of his brothers, Win
! tflropE and Lewis S. Chanler, was declared
!! insane and 90. person incapable of man
| aging his property: upon this verdict and
after due process of law he was commits
ted to the Bloomingdaie Sanitarium in
June of 1899. and Mr.. Prescott Hull Butler
arnointed his commtt-ee: in November Of
1900 he escaped therefroni and went to
Philadelphia for medical terra ment; IN
September. of this year he reappeared in
Alhemarle and through his attorneys In
stituted proceedings for testing his san
ity with a direct view to regaiuing con-
troll of his property In this State To-
days action OF: the County Court-JudEc
John NJ. White sittine:-was the culm'-,
nation OF these proceedings
COURT PROCEEDINGS: s
The Sc has attracted considerable at
tention and consequently when: court con-
vened this morning at 10 o'clock, the. seat
ing space in the building was pretty well
filled. 5aiz&
In addition to Mr.. Chanler's local coun-'
sci, Captain AIicajah Woods Mr.. Ari11i-
!sted c. Gordon, of Stanton. and MT.
Frederick ii W., Harper off, LynchbdrS,
were present. . Among the iatwenty.siX
witnesses present were Dros.J. Maolson
Taylor. a. distinguished neIIo!eSlst, Of
Phila delphia to whom Mr.. Chanler first
went lIUlIl SSitaiStEsA
H Darlington, Of Concordsvi!le, REM
sylvania. at whose. sanitarium he AFTER
wards stayed for some months. y
In personal appearance. Mr. Chanier,
is the picture of physical health 4fie
has black hair. brushed high across inc,
forehead; dark brown eyes, q clear cut
nose and chin and a firm mouth He IS
perhaps five feet ten inches in height
and has military carriage; This morn
ing he wore a long gray overcoat owe.
light checked suit. His testimony was
given il, a clear. concise decisive mans
-ner and his bearing during the entire
case was one of quiet dignity and close
attention to the details in hand.
is Mr. Cary Rutfin Randolph, of heswl2k,
who presented the petition testified 70
the facts that Chanler had been confined
10 the Bloomingdale Asylum and HAD
escaped. He therefore presented The
petition.
MIR. CHANLER TEST1FIES.
Mr.. Ctanler then took the stand and
told briefly of his movements and exper-
fences since he left Bloomingdale, as re-
cited above.
The next witness called was DR.. H. c.
Wood, OF, Philadelphia, who was ABSENT
but who had prepared his opinion in the
case. This Mr.. Goroon= read 1t stated
that the doctor had carefully examined
Chanler and could find no ground for
Prof. Joseph Jastro, who occupies the
chair Of physiology at University of Wis
consin, in aElearneG@ paper give virtually
the same conclusion.
the prisoners counsel also placed OH
file extracts of CHAMBERS diary, cancelled
checks on the West Chester ana Lynch
burg banks, letters from DR.. William
Jones, Dr. Thomas j. Hudson and Mr..
Philip. Chanler's former law partner in
New York, and an extract from MIR.
CHAMBERS journal read to DR.. Taylor JAS
tro.
DR.. J. NJ. Page, professor in mathema-
ties at the University IF Virginia, was
then called He said he had known Chan
Ter since 1883, intimately from 1885 He
had seen Chanler frequently in the last
few months and had had many converse
tons with him. Had always thought, him
possessed of great mental. capacity and
shundantly able to take care Of himself
and his property.
SAFE BUSINESS MAN.
Major Z. NJ Embrey: I am from
Roanoke Rapids, n. c., being connected
with the Roanoke Rapids Company.
have known Chanler since 1893, when he
became managing director OF the COM
pany. l saw him at the town every day;
had him at my house; he ate at the table
with me, and slept in an adjoining room.
Looked on him as a sane man. Since he
until Carnival week in Richmond, Va.
when he ATTENDED the Horse Show. dined |
and went to the theatre with me- He was
sane in every way 1 believe him sane
and amply able to manage his own af-, |
fairs. He was a very prudent business
man. Was excellent manager, showing |
no Indifference or extrava gance.,
Mr.. w. Wynn: Am proprietor of the
Arlington Hotel, Lynchburg, Va. Chan
Ter came to Lynchburg JIM July. 1901. and 4
registered at my hotel as John Chiffon.
He ate at my family table for about two
months He also dined frequently at my
house, as do not live at the hotel. n
did not suspect his identity at all.
EXPERTS.
DR.. J. Madison Taylor. chief Of clinicst
to DR.. S. Weir MITCHELL, and Dr. Horace
H Darlington. of Carnettsvile Pa, who I
examined Chandler while staying Mt their
pronounced him q sane
man.
Several persons. resident near Merrte |
Mills declared he was. q sensible, prudent; I
man.
Charles FL Dickinson said: am oivil /
engineer of the Chesapeake and Western;I
met Chanler in 1883 at@C Castle Ell, and |
have known him intimately SINCE In 1894
he bought .'Merrie Arills:.. atfl,hsfti 1895 went
to North Carolina to look after business /