The San Francisco call., 1904-03-26
THOMPSON MUST
Go TO ASYLUM
His Illusions Lead to the Be
lief That He Is Dangerous
and Should Be Confined
A VICTIM OF LEAP YEAR
He Says That Young Society
Girls Scattered His Lawn
With Tender Proposals
Oakland Office San Francisco Call

Oakland Office San Francisco Can,
IllS Broadway, March %.
Illusions in regard to his neighbors,
whom he accuses Of fairy performances
in running over the roof Of his house at
night and playing pranks upon him by
rejecting the rays from an electric
light down his chimney, Edward
Thompson. a scion Of good English
family ana wealthy in his own right,
proved himself fit subject for an asy-
lum to-day. His sister, Miss Lucy
Thompson. eOrroborated some OF his
va garies with an erratic story of havinS
seen people letting themselves down
from the roof Of the Thompson house
b. the electric wires. and Judge Ogden
decided the sister was incompetent to
take charge Of the brother.
1t was agreed that his cousin, J. A
c. Macdonald, should take out letters
Of guardianship over his person and
estate and send him to a private asy-
lum in order 10 avoid committing him
20 a State hospital
Thompson is z5 years Of age. but
looks younger and lives with an invalid
. mother and the sister referred TO in a
pretty home at l43l Webster street. His
father was the late Peter Thompson
and a reputed millionaire. His brother
is a professor in the famous school at
Rugby. England. For several years
past Thompson has Occasioned talk in
The neighborhood by his queer acts and
complaints. but has been looked upon
as harmless until the other day he got
out of bed al 3 O'Clock in the morning
and taking a ladder climbed into a sec
ond-story window Of the house of
Dr. Harry p. Carlton, just across the
street. The window was that Of a
room occupied by Mary McWalter, q
domestic. She ran screaming out of the
room. DR.. Carlton procured his pistol
and stated in court to-day that a sec
Ond more and ne would have fired. but
Thompson stepped out into the light
and he recognized him. The midnight
intruder said that he was looking for
his cousin. Ethel"
ThOmpson's Eagaries are said to be
OF a harmless nature. although Attor-
hey Frank PARCELS said that one day
Thompson did tell him. with an express
sive gesture Of drawing his finger
across his neck, that that would be an
easy WAY out OF MS lf0uDlt IN case
they ever tried TO send him TO an asy-
Ium. Generally, however. his imagina-
tion runs TO the Midsummer Nights 5
Dream variety; Of people playing hide
and-gO-seek on the roof Of his house,
while he saws that a few mornings ago
he found his lawn covered with leap
year proposals. He imagined he knew
whom they came from from the fact
that he found a white bow on the lawn
and in explanation of this told a story
of two pretty society girls dressed in
" hite and two in black.
In this connection he said: Il was
walking along the street the other day
and. passing the Fore residence, saw
two ladies sitting on the stOop dressed
IN white. They were Miss lone and Ma
thalie Fore. ] did not think anything
about this, but when 1 turned the cor
ner and saw two other ladies Sitting on
another stOOp dressed in black 1
thought it was strange. and the next
morning ] found nv lawn covered with
leap-ycar proposals.
We'll, ] found a white bow on the
lawn, SC I knew that Miss Fore had left
the proposals, so I went then to call /
sent in my card and went in. but they
did not say anything, so left"
Judge Ogden did not care about hear
ing anything more. Thompson's family
physician, DR.. L. NJ. Paterson, testified
in favor Of his patient, but this evil
dence was all upset by Thompson's s
fiighty statements, and Judge ogden
said ii was only a case of where
Thompson should be sent. 1t was then
agreed TO avoid the State institution by
the guardianship proceedings.