The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-18
MRS. THURMAN
BADLY TREATED.
w. F. .Rl1ea Tells of Her
Incarceration at Staunton
on False Testimony.


BRISTOL, TENN, July ia special
from winchester, Va, telling of a divorce
suit having been instituted at Berryville,
va. by which Mrs. Olive Thurman hopes
to be divorced from her husband, General
Charles Thurman, and receive substan-
tial alimony, has created great interest,"
here. for the reason that the couple are
we'll known in Bristol, having resided
here in 1874. the year in which they we're
married. Mrs. Thurman IS now me suest
OF her sister, Mrs. Parrack, in TINS CITY
and from her and her chief couhsel, en-
Congressman William +. Rhea, OF ING
Ninth Virginia District a story OF az
legged horrible outrage is learned
Mrs. Thurman, who Is a woman OF rare
attachments and exceptionally brlillant
intellect was released from the state
hospital for the insane at Stanton, va.
on the eth day of June, after she had
been there for nearly two months. IRON
Judge Rhea it is learned that Mrs. Thur
man was placed in the asylum as the
result of her husbands intrigue TO get
rid of her. On the first day of May last.
General Thurman induced his wife to go
with him for drive to Staunton. through
the beautiful Valley Of Virginia, as re-
lated by Judge Rhea. After riding for
more than three days, the couple reach
ed Stanton. where they were to see a
real estate agent about the sale OF their
fine farm at Berryville, with view to go
ing to California and starting anew.
Soon after reaching Stanton, Mrs.
Thurman was decoyed into the asylum
for the Insane. there to be notified by
the superintendent that he held papers for
her commitment to the asylum. Mrs.
Thurman was shocked at this information
a.. ~l,o ,,r, Inc M
Insisting thtat she had been decoyed
there without ever having been notified
Of any such proceedings: that she had
never been examined for lunacy, and that
the physician who had given testimony
In the commitment had not seen her In
more than year: his home being In
West Virginia.
Realizing her utter heiplessness under
the circumstances, she acquisced and
went to her ward without 2 murmur. Ow-
ing to the fact that the commitment pa
pers represented her as at times dan
gerous, she was placed in an Iron cell,
where she could hear the shrieks and
groans Of the most violent patients In tho
asylum.
She was kept In that cell for two days.
when the physicians. being convinced that
she was not. violent, assigned her to a
omfortable room and gave her the liber-
ties Of the asylum. 1t is stated that Mrs.
Thurman remained In the asylum longer
/. than she need to have In order to tho-
roughly demonstrate her sanity. and to
convince the officials that she had been
the victim OF shameful outrage at the
hands of her husband.
The officials were thoroughly convinced
OF her sincerity. and her counsel now
holds affldavits from the superintendent
In e n AtteS0nE
sanity Of Mrs. Thurman and TO the al
legged inconsistencies OF her husband IN
dealing with the case. He had originally
represented the case to the superlntena'
ent as most pathetic one. Tor the rea-
son that he was greatly devoted to his
wife and did not like the idea OF having
lie. placed in an asylum. but that her
condition had made 1t necessary AFTER
leaving Mrs. Thurman In the asylum the
superintendent testifies that her husoano
never once wrote to her. nor did ne write
to the authorities inquiring as 70 heT
condition. On the other hand. when they
wrote him that they considered his wife
perfectly sane and ready to return nome.
they did not receive prompt reply from
him, but instead received other commu-
relations from Berryvile insisting upon
the alleged insanity Of Mrs. Thurman.
Tho divorce suit now pending vii! De
watched with much interest
General and Mrs. Thurman, soon after
their marriage here. went to Nashville.
70 reside, where Mrs. Thurman, by reas on
OF her charming manners and her hlgH
attachments. soon became popular among
the leading people Of that city, and was
a frequent caller at the home OF Cover
nor William B. Bate. where she was IA
yorite.
For the present Mrs. Thurman Will re-
main with her sister here. Her many
friends in this community deeply sym
rathize with her In her present sad pre-.
dicament, and the story Of her cruel
treatment at the hands OF her husband
has aroused her, friends against him; II
Is now related that for years Mrs. thur
man has been subjected to indgnities at
The hands OF her husband. but thai, all
these years she had borne her humllia-
ton In silence. partly on account OF the
dread OF publicity and partly on account
OF her high sense Of honor and reverence
for the memory Of their only child, whose
body was consigned to the grave after
he had been the light and JOY Of the
home for three years.
RIG NEW ENTEPPRISE