The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-15
KEPT in A MADHOUSE
Five Physicians Of Dubuque Declare
That Mrs. O'Laughlin Is "
Perfectly Sane. .
Commitment by Her Son Said to
Have Been Without War
rant of Law.

Special to The Journal
Dubuque. Iowa, April 15.--The alleged
illegal confinement of Mrs. Margaret !
OI1aughlin Of Wabasha, Mimi, in st. |
Joseph's Mercy hospital for the insane, in |
this city, may lead to the indictment Of |
her son, Frank O'Laughlin, on the charge |
of kidnapping. Attorneys for the aged |
woman, who have been trying to secure
her release from the asylum for three
weeks. threaten to begin proceedings
against her son. After long g-drawn-out
fight in the district court three weeks ago,
in which much expert medical testimony
was introduced, Judge O'Donnel remand
ed Mrs. O'Laughlin to the charge of the
asylum authorities, as her attending ply
sician declared that she is insane and
that it would require several months
treatment to restore her mental strength.
week after Judge O'Donnell remanded
Mrs. O'Laughlin to the asylum. a habeas
corpus proceeding was brought against
Frank O'Laughin in Minnesota and he
was at once ordered to produce his mother
in court He refused and undertook to
justify his refusal by contending that she
was physically and mentally unuable to
travel.
Monday Dr. Bond Of Wabasha and DR..
Adams Of Lake City, Minn., the latter
being her physician for twenty years, ar
rived here, and accompanied by Mrs.
O'Laughlin's sister, went to the asylum
to see the latter and ascertain whether
she was able to- travel. J.. G. Hurd, Mrs.
O'Laughlin's attorney, accompanied them,
but they were denied the privilege Of see
ing the patient, except by permission Of
DR.. Mccarthy. the house physician. He
declined to give his permission. The sis
ter in charge showed Mr.. Hurd the rules
of the state board of control governing
asylums, which state that a patient can
not be communicated with except by the
permission Of the person In charge or the
toto ND S,,f~
tho sister that under the rules she could
give permission, but she would not do so.
The party then returned to the city and
Attorney Hurd called on Judge O'Donnell
and stated the situation to him and he at
| once made order that the state permit
| the Minnesota doctors and those with
| them to see the patient.
! The Minnesota doctors examined Mrs.
| O'Laughlin at length and found her per-
| fectly able, physically and mentally, to
| travel. The doctors will testify before the
| Minnesota court that she Is able to return
| home.
| Mrs O'Laughlin's attorneys will make
| the asylum and the fight in the courts
| promises to be very interesting.
Six months ago Mrs. OLaughlins son,
| Frank brought her to Dubuque and placed
her in the sisters asylum without warrant
| Of law. The Iowa law provides that no
person shall be committed to a private
asylum unless under a. commitment by the
commissioners Of insanity, or on cer-
/ tificate signed by two reputable physi-
\ clans. .
Soon after her arrival at the asylum, DR..
| Mccarthy Of Dubuque, and DR.. A. M.
Pond Of Webster City, made an examina-
ton and issued a certificate to the effect
that she was insane. Five local ply
sIcians have declared Mrs. OLaughlin to
be perfectly sound Of mind, while two,
the asylum doctors, say she is insane.