The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-04
HUNG HERSELF
BY OLD WIRE
Husband TeStifeS TO Insane
Actions of Wife.
SAYS HER HEAD Is STONE
Is Found Insane in the Probate
Court.
SAYS HER HEAD IS STONE

Mrs. John Phillips, Of Kechi, was tried
in the Sedgwick county probate court
yesterday afternoon and found insane.
She viii be sent to the state asylum. but
in the meantime is held in q cell at the
county Jail in this city. Her insanity
takes a peculiar form, seeming to be on
religion and subsequent attempts at sui
eide. The woman, of q very distinct
German type. refused to answer any
questions yesterday at the trial, but was
later interviewed by reporter for the
Eagle and talked very freely to him. but
in semi-meaningless way that showed
without doubt that she is insane.
The trial came off at , o'clock and
lasted very short time, as her husband,
John Philips. was the only witness
called. The woman was brought into
court and sat very quietly during the
whole proceedings. Her figure and face
are both those OF a sturdy young Ger
man woman, but she is not OF a robust
build She wore a hat, and her straight.
light hair was combed abruptly back
from her rounding forehead. With her
grey eyes she glanced about, and when
talking TO her husband in German, she
raised the almost indistinguishabl brows
with a great show Of intelligence Sew
eral persons in the room remarked about
her exceptional beauty which anyone
could see at second look. 1t was not
the frivolous prettiness often seen in
the American girls makeup, but a
beauty that is far deeper than the skin.
The eyes did not have that steely stare
most often in ones eye whose mind is de-
ranged. A part of her appearance that
was especially noticeable was the short
dress about her ankles that gave her an
unnatural girlish appearance.
When her husband took the stand he
was asked the cause of her arrangement,
and he replied that 1t was childbirth.
occurring about two and a half years
ago. He was asked to give what evidence
he had of her insanity, and related the
following to the Jurors and the e1amin-
ing physician. DR.. J. w. Hutton:
Last Tuesday she tried to kill herself
and would have succeeded had 1 not
found her in time She hung herself by
a wire to a hook in her room upstairs
of the house in which we live. She was
nearly strangled 10 death when 1 found
her hanging there and cut the wire.
Just as quick as she reached the floor she
ran to an open window and jumped out
onto the ground twenty-five feet below"
Did it injure her?''
NO. it didn't seem to hurt her, for she
lit on her feet
did she recently show in any other
way evidences of being insane?"
yes. She handed me knife the other
day and wanted me to cut her throat"
did she ever make any threats at
you?"
mo"
Has she ever been an inmate of an
asylum"
For five months at one time within
the last two years"
This concluded the taking of evidence
and the papers were made out commit
ting Mrs. Philips to the asylum.
When seen by a reporter for the Eagle
last evening, Mrs. Philips was sitting
by the barred window facing east on the
second floor of the jail 1t Is the room In
the bridge of the building that connects
the main prison with the residence por-
ton. When asked where she was from,
she gave an inaudible reply, but in ans
wer to another question: said in a per-
fectly clear voice that she had three chill
dren.
do you know that you are insane2"
Insane? What do you mean?"
The reporter tried to explain in as
simple a way as possible what he meant.
but had not got through when the woman
answered:
Mad? DO you mean that am mad at
my folk" and she went on num-
bling some senseless stun. interspersed
with these audible words and phrases:
Communion; they are wicked. they
robbed the gravestone OF Jesus Christ"
Time and again as she spoke her hand
went UP to her head and she drew it
along her temple as though it ached.
Does you head ache?" asked the re-
porter.
NO. it Is stone. Ny body is-is
It's the devil. Sometimes am a turkey
and a COW and a stone and everything
Why did you jump out Of the win
dow"
Did I? wanted 10 get ont Of the
dirt Oh. It was so dirty
Here she again mumbled a score Of
words without connection 4 peculiar
thing in her case is that when she was
talking. If one broke into her converse
ton with question she VIII finish her
sentence and then look at YOU and ask
you what YOU said. The reporter got up
to leave when she commenced her mum
bling again and in saying goodbye TO
her was answered with very softly said
"good-hy
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