The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-03
CHAMBERS WHIMS
CAUSED RUMORS.
Wild Stories for Which
There Was No Ground.
WAS NEVER INSANE.
His Chief Engineer VIII Help Estab-
lish This Fact.
A STUDENT OF PSYCHOLOGY.
lie Gave So Much Attention TO This
Subject That His Friends Thought
His Mind Unbalanced Report
Circulated That He Would
Establish an Elc-
phans Farm.
A STUDENT OF PSYCHOLOGY.

It leaked out yesterday that the latest
developments in the case of John Arm
strong Chanler, the wealthy New Yorker,
who was divorced from Amelie Rives.
now the Princess Troubetzkoi. will prob
ably prove beyond all question that Mr..
Chanler is not and has never been insane,
despite the fact that he was closely
guarded in Bloomingdale Asylum, up in
New York, for long time a hopeless
case.
The story of Mr. Chanler's escape from
that institution by shrcwd means, his
successful efforts &c conceal his identity
until he secured certificates from num-
Der of the most eminent specialists de-
claring him to be of perfectly sound
mind, and his legal fight to get posses
sion of his valuable property interests,
(which have. been in the hands of com
Inittee appointed by a New York court,
is all familiar to the public. The exact
amount of his property and how his in
tereSts have been administered have not
been made public, and consequently Just
how much money and other property he
possesses is not generally known.
Is a WEALTHY MAN.
GIr. Chanler is reputed 10 be wealthy
man. He is closely related to the Astors.
of New York and through them to other
fabulously rich people. who never mind
the cost of anything so long as it pleases
them. II was reported that his wealth
footed up several millions before he was
put into the Bioonlingdale Asylum
Whether it has Increased or decreased in.
value through others handling is not
known here.
Sufficient to say that MIR. Chanler was
in Riclmnond during. the recent Horse
SHOW. People naturally scrutinlzed him
closely, in view Of the reports about him
which had been circulated. but he con-
Quoted himself like a gentleman of dig
nifty and refinement. and nobody seems
TO have discovered any reason to believe
him other than perfectly sane man, fine
docking, gifted in conversation and alto
gether natural in demeancr.
SANITY TO BE PASSED UPON.
But the courts will soon decide whether
or net he is mentally capable of taking
care of himself and his property, for
which he is now making a legal fight.
die has industrial interests at or near
Roanoke Rapids, in North Carolina, where
he is very popular with u host of friends.
HE also has agricultural and mining prop
critics in Albemarle and Louisa counties,
Va; a handsome country-seat in Albc-
<larle known as Merrie Mills, and there
~re rumors that he owns real estate, bank
stocks, bonds and other property in New
York. Mr.. Chanler wants to get posses
sion of these, just as any other man
would wish to do, and he is going TO
make things lively for the other SIDE
Judging from the array of able counsel
with which he has surrounded himself.
This case. Shich promises to be an in
teresting and important one, will come
up for u hearing next Thursday in the
court. No less distiu-
guished counsel than U. S. Senator John
w. Daniel, of Lynchburg. and his SON.
in-law, Mr.. Fred Harper. also of Lynch
burg; Major Micaiah Woods. of Char
1ottesville, and Mr.. A. c. Gordon. Of
Stanton. will represent Mr. Chanler
side of the case. On the other side will
also be strong legal talent, among which
will appear Judge Augustus Van Wyck,
of New York. brother of MAYOR Robert
A. Van Wycis. of Greater New York. It
is reasonable to suppose that this legal
controversy viii be Oh the nip-and-tucil
concerned. A large number Of witnesses
and a big batch of documentary evidence
are expected to figure in the case.
MIR. DICKINSON TO TESTIFY.
But one of the most conspicuous wit
ncsses, on whose testimony will probably
hang "A good deal of Importance, Will oe
MIR. G. T.. Dickinson, of Aibemarle -dr.
Dickinson is Il well known civil eliSl-
ncer. He was closely and intimately as
sociatcd with MIR. Chanler during the lat
1er's residence in Albemarle, and knew
him like a book. In fact, they were
thrown together at Mr.. Chanler's home,
ia business. and in many different ways
They were daily in each others company.
Mr.. Dickinson had charge Of MIR. Chan
lcr,s building and other property improve
in a professional capacity. made
his plans for construction and the like,
and was in frequent consultation with
him. After rumorS began to spread about
the neighborhood, Mr.. Dickinson natu-
rally watched Mr.. Chanler's disposition.
manner and general conduct, but he saw
no reason to suppose that there was any
ground for the reports. He saw that Mr..
Chanler had some tastes that We're a lit
tie unusual for a man of his life and
property interests. but the latter was fond
of certain scientific studies and cxper-
mental Investigations, and being a man
OF wide means and not obliged to follow
any actual line Of work. he could afford
to crafty his tastes in this direction.
PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH
For instance, he was Very fond Of psych-
olosical RESEARCH. The association of
ideas. the memory. the will-power,. the
Of images. the. extent of
tne human VISION, 1he various theories OF
thought. and other mental phenomena ap-
pealed to his taste. He wanted to knoE
al about them. The more he studied. the
more he wanted to know, and he even
got a theory or TWO into his head upon
which to work out an important scien-
fife discovery. Now and then he re-
ferred to some of these abstruse sub
3ects. and people whose mental apparatus
failed to respond to them and didn't know
any more OF what he was talking about
than If it We're so much Sanscrit opened
their eyes and mouths and started re.
pcrts that Mr.. Chanler was mentally IN
balanced. In these days. when a man