Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-07-29
MRS. THURMAN'S

Hon. VIM. +. Rhea. of Bristol.
and Mr.. j. Lewis Bumgardner. of
Staunton. have been in BerryvilIe
for a couple of days i'm connection
with the divorce proceedings of
Mrs. Chas. Thurman. Mrs. Thur
man accompanied Judge Rhea
from Bristol, and is now stopping
with Mrs. ID. {. Snyder, near
Berryville. Judge Rhea was seen
and asked if he would give a state
ment of Mrs. Thurman : case. He
said that he did not like to discuss
lawsuits in the newspapers. but
inasmuch a statement had been
recently sent out from Berryville
so grossly inaccurate and unjust to
Mrs. Thurman he had no objection
to giving the readers of this paper
brief statement. We herewith
give Judge Rhea's statement YER
batim:
Il will start out by saying that
when the facts are developed it
will be shown that Thu-man's
treatment of his wife for MANY
years has been the most brutal and
atrociouS ever committed by a
husband against his wife in the
State OF Virginia. or perhaps in
any other State, but. as alleged in
the bill, his browning act of infamy
was the deceit, fraud and treachery
10y which he secured her incarcer-
alton in the Western Staee Hos
pital at StauntOn. and because of
his false representations n TO the
character of her alleged insanity
he had her placed in the worst ward
in the Asylum. in a cell with a lit
tie iron cot and double iron-barred
window. where she spent a horri-
ble and absolutely sleepIcSs night
listening To the Shrieks and groans
of the unfortunate inmates and see
ing the weird lights of the guards
and hearing the turningo of the keys.
Mrs. Thurman is descended
from one of the best families i'm
Southwestern Virginia. and from
her girlhood up was always known
aS unusually refined and intelligent
and of the most lovable disposition.
The physicians who signed
Mrs. Thurman commitment only
had a speaking acquaintance with
her and have never at any time
treated her professionally. The
physician from Charlcstown. W.
Va. whose testimony was obtained
TO secure her commitment. Mrs.
Thurman had not seen since last
September when she was in Char
lestown attending the funeral Of a
friend, and on this occasion sh,
called at the physicians home, not
for the purpose of seeing him pro,
feSSionally; hut while there she
asked him If she should continue
to use some Salve or lotion which
he had previously prescribed for
her for a trouble Of surgical
nature. This prescription was
filled 'hy Druggist Rlencowe on
October /, This physician had
never consulted her in any way
whatever with reference TO her
mental condition and he never
prescribed any medicine tn he
taken by her, and she has not seen
him perhaps more than eight OF
ten times in the last five years.
THE law of Virginia requires
that person suspected of being
insane shall he present before the
committing authorities and shat
he personally examined hy then
wherever practicable.
This was never done. 1t wa.
one of Thurman's schemes to l,re
vent this, for ha knew that if Mrs
Thurman was ever brought befor,
the commission that the OUTRAGE h,
was attemptln9 10 commit coulC
never have been accomplished, bu
she would have made him hang hi,
head and SAeak out of the room
- she did in Dr. Bhckford's offic,
at the Western State Hospital th,
day his infamous crime was con
summated,
~ am delighted ia find such ;
universal sentiment in this com
munity sympathi2ing with Mrs
Thurman and condcmning the in
human conduct of her husband
but of course il could not be other
wise i'm such community a. thi
when the facts are gradually be
coming known.