The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-05
FRANK FREIHERR
ADJUDGED INSANE
I'hysician Testified He Was Seized
with HOmOcidnI Mania.

1-HFSIclAn resumed ne was SeAAeu
with HOmOcidaI Mania.
Frank Freiherr. formerly bookkeep-
er for b. Ehrlich was adjudged in
sane by a commission from the Court
of Ordinary, after an interesting trial
yesterday.
1t was shown by the evidence that
MIR. Freiherr was addicted to strong
drink, and that his mental derange-
ment was due in no small degree to
the habit. His condition had recent
~ become so much accentuated that
his attending physician, believing him
to be seized with homocidal mania,
declined longer to minister 10 his
wants.
The principal witness was Mr.. Ehr-
| Itch, though there were a number of
others who swore substantially to the
same facts. 1t seems that during the
time the proprietor of the business
was absent from the city. Mr.. Freiherr
assumed charge. Not receiving any
answer from several kilograms which
he sent his absent boss, he took it up
on himself to inform the customers of
Mr.. Enrich the business was about to
bust" and they had better protect
their claims. He went further, and
consulted several lawyers, the Ordi-
nary among them, as to the advisa-
bility of instituting proceedings in
the Supreme Court of the United
States" All this was because his
boss was away, and he had no power
of attorney. Had it not been for the
stability of his credit, Mr. Ehrlich be-
lieves his business would have been
wrecked.
On last Friday afternoon, testified
the proprietor. during his absence, Mr..
Freiherr called all of the employees to-
gether, and securing money from the
cash drawer by means of a Ratchet,
paid them off and told them not to
return. This the accused explained by
saying that he was feeling bad, and
was overworked and knew he could
not come down to run the business the
next day. 1t also developed from the
evidence that when a certain collector
came with q bill Mr.. Freiherr inform
ed him that the business was bust
ed" and told him that if he didn't get
out of the establishment he would
throw him into the river.
An amusing portion of the evidence
was that given by Deputy Sheriff Z.
Z. Jones, who effected the arrest.
When the officer went to the home OF
the accused, expecting to induce his
man by artifice to go with him to the
Court House, he was confronted by
pretty tough proposition. His man not
only refused to go, but gave him
lively tussle. From one end OF the
room to the other the two men tussled,
a large rug on the floor slipping from
under them every now and then, ana
rendering it difficult for either man 10
secure a foot-hold. Some little dam
age resulted to the combatants, but
the physiognomy of neither was mate
rally changed. When the encounter
had, waxed it's warmest an ofhcer'
who had been summoned by the nelgh-
bors. arrived in time to assist the dep
uty and prevent further injury.
The Jury, under the law, were re-
quired to inspect the accused. Accord
ingly the court took a recess while
deputy went to the jail and got the
prisoner. He was in a quiet and or
Derby mood, and his demeanor was any
thing but that of crazy man. In view
of the evidence, and several admissions
by the accused, the jury decided to
send him to Milledgeville, believing
that his was a case that required at
tention ard rest, and that such enVi-
ronments would probably result in the
return of all of his mental faculties.
Freiherr has been tried before for
lunacy. On one occasion he was sent
to a sanitarium. Last fall he was tried
for lunacy, but the jury decided to
discharge him. Several members of the
same jury passed upon the question of
his sanity yesterday, and rendered
opinions differing entirely from those
formed on the former occasion. The un-
fortunate man has a wife and children.
The warrant was sworn out by cous-
in of the accused