Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1906-12-29
EXPERIENCE
OF INSANE WOMAN
NEARLY NUDE WOMAN SPENDS
NIGHT UPON BLEAK NEVADA
DESERT,

which included a night upon the
bleak Nevada desert, with no food
and hardly clothing enough to cover
her, Mrs. Mary Harding is confined
in a room at the st. Francis Hotel
in this city, suffering from a mental
ALTERATION which takes the form of
a religious mania. The experiences
of Mrs. Harding are almost beyond
belief. That a woman of her consti-
tuition should undergo the privations
and hardships which have been her
lot during the past three or four
days and still live to tell the tale
is little short of miraculous. But
such is the case, however, and fur
Their, there is every probability that
Mrs. Harding's reason will be re-
stored and that she will in time re-
turn with her husband to their home
clothed in her right mind.
Mr.. and Mrs. Harding are resi-
dents of a little mining camp known
as Eden, in the Belle HELEN district,
about fifty miles from Tonopah. Up
to two weeks ago naught had occur
red to mar the harmony of the home
life of the couple. About that time,
however, Mrs. Harding began to
show signs of insanity. AT first not
much attention was paid to her ac-
lions, as it was not thought that her
trouble would assume a serious form,
For some time Mrs. Harding had
been deeply interested in matters re-
~ligious, and as her mania was of a
religious nature it was looked upon
as simply over-enthusiasm over heI
hobby and but little attention wa:
paid to the matter by her husband
On the morning of the 23rd of the
month, however, Mrs. Harding elud-
ed the watchfulness of her husband
and departed alone for unknown
parts. Hardly has she left her home
when her absence was discovered anC
Mr.. Harding Immediately started il
search of his missing wife and over
took her at Five Mile. Here wer,
also two friends of Mr.. and Mrs
Harding, but in spite Of their watch
: fulness the latter again escaped abou
1890 in the evening and not unit
, the next forenoon was she agail
: found.
Clad only in her house garments
with no food nor fire, the suffering
which the demented woman mus
have experienced can be better i'm
agined than described. Anyone VIII
has passed a night upon the deser
at this time of the year can readil
understand that her experience mus
have been anything but pleasant
The ground was frozen, making
impossible to follow the b
her footsteps, and it was only b
mere chance that she was discovere
on the morning of the oath. At tn
time of her departure from Ffv
Mile Mrs. Harding carried with he
a string of beads, a cross. an candl
and some matches and during all {
her ~wanderings not one of the art
cles were lost. During the nigf
: she had torn her clothing badly, S
that when discovered most of he
garments were in rags.
After her capture a close waite
was kept upon the unfortunat
woman, and on Christmas Eve 81
was brought to this city in the cal
of her husband and a friend fro
Five Mile. She was at once take
- to apartments in the st. Franci
:, where a physician attended her, al
= did all in his power to relieve h
sufferings. During Christmas df
and night her husband untiring
guarded his afflicted wife, and We
terday morning she appeared befo.
! Clerk of the Court Charles Bevi
where an official examination as
her condition was made. Upon Il
testimony of two physicians of I
nopah Mrs. Harding was eommitt'
!, to the State insane asylum at Rem
to which place she will be taken
the train this morning, Sheriff NJ
Mahon has appointed Mr., Hardin
the husband, a temporary depu
sheriff, to convey the oma to t
institution. This was done in vie
- of the fact that he is better acquair
ed than any other with the stran
4, notions of which his wife is posse
sed, and it was thought by those
authority that the trip would
! easier upon the afflicted woman tn
= should she go in the care of a stran
y er, which would naturally have t
effect of increasing her mania in
i, degree.
os The physicians who passed up
- Mrs. Harding's condition are of t
\ opinion that a stay of a few mont
:. in the State institution, with
- quietness and facilities for treati