The San Francisco call., 1904-03-23
WOMAN VAINLY
SEEKS RELEASE
Judge Hebbard DEGREES That
Carrie O'Brien Must Re-
turn to Asylum at Napa
LAWYER MAKES CHARGE
Says His Client Is Being
"Railroaded" to Prevent
Exposure of Institution

70. A writ Of habeas corpus was denied
Mrs. Carrie O'Brien yesterday by
Judge Hebbard. and she was remanded
70 the custody OF the officials OF the
Napa State Hospital for the Insane
who, in consequence Of Mrs. O'Brien's
failure to report 10 the authorities her
Whereabouts. as the law provides a
yaroled insane patient should. caused
ber 70 be arrested and confined in the
Snsane ward at the Emergency Hos
pital pending her return 10 Napa. She
sought her release on the ground that
she was not insane, but Judge Hebbard
denied her the writ on the ground that
Il should have been applied for in Napa
p County. the law providing that once q
person is committed 10 an asylum. an
appeal for release and consequent
restoration 10 capacity can only be
prosecuted in the county wherein the
. asylum is located. She was returned
TO the asylum yesterday afternoon. and
tomorrow an effort viii be made to
secure her release.
FRIENDS SEEK RELEASE.
According to the friends Of Mrs
O'Brien, her arrest is due 10 the ef-
torts Of DIT. W /. Stone, superintend-
ent OF the Napa institution, to prevent
her from making public certain alleged
abuses Of the patients Of the hospital,
which she threatened TO do in letters
she wrote 10 Dr. Stone and to the rela-
tives OF inmates Of the asylum. II was
also intiuated that she was the victim
OF the spite OF relatives. In connection
with the charge that Mrs. O'Brien is
being returned TO the hospital TO pre-
vent her threatened expose Of the
methods alleged to be pursued there,
= J. Kennedy. one Of Mrs. O'Brien's
lawyers. said My client knows
whole lot about the manner in which
the hospital at Napa is conducted and,
because Of her knowledge and the
threats she has made to expose the
officials. she is being 'railroaded' back
TO the institution II is an effort TO
hush her uD. and she viii not submit
10 it,
SnONE DENIES CHARGES.
DIT. ". l. Stone, who was present al
The hearing before Judge Hebbard yes
terday, emDhaticaly denied that there
was any attempt made by any one to
. illegally restrain the woman Of her
liberty or that he feared any exposure
she violated the provisions Of her
parole and il was our duty TO take her
into custody" he said in an interview
T know nothing about the charge that
she was railr0aded, but / do know that
beyond a doubt she is insane. She
was. at any rate. but IT, after her re-
turn 10 the hospital. / find that she is
now sane. she certainly viii be re-
leased, and Immediately. Why, you
should see the letters the woman has
written me. ] have several from her
IN which she threatens me and my
family and i know Of several she has
written TO relatives Of patients at the
hospital. accusing the management Of
The hospital Of all sorts Of wrong
doing"
Mrs. O'Brien certainly does not ap-
pear 10 be insane She talks and acts
nationally enough. and during the pro-
ceedings yesterday displayed no evil
oence tending TO show that she is in
competent, except perhaps that she
broke into tears and grew excited
~.hen informed that she must go back
to the asylum, for a time. at least
Shortly before leaving for Napa she
WAS questioned in regard to the let
ters she had written. She admitted
The authorship and in very deter
mined manner said she would not take
back word she wrote. She refused.
however. 10 discuss their contents. say
3ns that she had been instructed by her
attorney, William Afford. not to dis
Cuss them or anything connected with
.ner case.