Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-26
SANE IN AN ASYLUM
For Seventeen Years Mrs. Mil
Ter Endured Her Suffering.
HER HUSBAND WAS BRUTAL
Preferred Her Incarceration to Life
of Misery at Home.
SEVERAL PHYSICIANS IN PLOT
Woman is the Mother of the Philadel-
pnia Heiress-A Remarkable
Story Recounted.
SEVERAL PHYSICIANS IN PLOT

NEW YORK. December 28.-B-caking tho
silence of years, Mrs. - .Zabeth Miller,
mother of Ida May Miller Kuehn, the lost
Philadelphia heiress' yesterday told for
the first time a remarkable story of seven
teen years incarceration in an insane asy-
lum of inhumanities she suffered at the
hands of her husband of estate juggling,
missing property and of an alleged con-
spiracy which deprived her of approxi-
mately 100000.
Refusing to be interviewed during the
excitement following the disappearance of
her daughter, she talked freely yesterday,
feeling she said, that it is time the real
facts concerning her husbands estate and
herself We're made known.
She declares she was never out of her
mind although she spent seventeen weary
years in asylum iH Norristown, Pa. her
husband sent her there. she says. because
he wanted to get her out of the way, and
other persons interested In keeping her
silent tried to keep her in the asylum after
the death of her husband
Possessed of fortune under the terms
of her husbands will. She HIS received
only 500 she says, since his death. and
has had to work and save to get along,
receiving no aid from relatives. There is
nothing about her to suggest insanity. On
the contrary, she talks fluently and gives
every eNlueUce OF n strong, alert mentality.
Calls Husband Brutal.
my story" she said, lis merely the rec
ord Of a wrecked life. and 1t would have
remained my own secret but for the I'M
fortunate marriage OF my daughter. SO
many untruths have been printed about
me that l will gladly make public few
facts. AS to my being insane, l will let
you make your own differences. l never
oft 7
fess ] willingly spent many years in an
asylum-anything was heaven compared
with the life led with my husband during
the years that he laid the foundation for
the fortune which has been the subject of
so much discussion.
ut has been juggled with and misman-
aged until there is no telling how large il
is. 1t was certainly worth not less than
100000 at the time of my husbands death
and l would not be surprised If 1t
worth twice that. Although a brutal hus-
hand-an inhuman husband-Mr. Mi Ter
was a shrewd dealer and he got every
thing out OF every one and everything
He lad at least & dozen houses in various
parts of Philadelphia. and nothing has
been heard Of them since his death-by
me. at least.
My husband had stocks and bonds and
mortgages which should have yielded IL
great many thousands of dollars, to be
Immediately divided among the Icgatees,
and yet |, who was to receive one-third
of his property, have received less than
5000, and can get no satisfaction when I
seek for an explanation. What my daugh-
ter has received do not know. 1 saw
her but occasionally after the death of her
father, three and 4 half years ago and
she never confided in me. She has at
least had a good home, and not even that
has been provided for me- What the DIS
position toward ME will be now that my
daughter has married 1 do .!os En1w hut
| hope that my chances for resluin. some
Of my husbands property, which ~a.s
tended for me- will not be lesscned.
Il do not approve at all of the marriage
of my daughter to Dr. Kuehn. ! did not
know him and she knew practically moth
ing about him.
Asylum Proved Refuge
Before my marriage to M. Miller l was
a portrait painter in Philadelphia. We
Were married in 1877. when he was just
starting out in the business which he made
very prosperous. His ,ruc character was
not disclosed to me Until We had been
married several months; then he began 10
beat me and treat me in ways that were
positively inhuman.
I'm the early part of 1856 ne had three
physicians come to the house lock me in
"A room examine me, and send away
TO Norristown Asylum. l was treated
kindly in the asylum, and found the life q
pleasure compared with what l had borne
with Mr.. Miller. 1 knew that if ma Ie a
fight l could be released, but the thought
VI living again WIN my nuSDdnd
bearable. and I stayed voluntarily, glad of
comfortable existence.
AT the end of two years my husband
got me released. He treated me kindly
for a few days, but then resumed his old
tactics, and 1 reoelled. / was taken off
again to Norristown and kept there until
his death, three and half years ago.
had no difficulty in getting my liberty.
with money l had made from embroid-
cries 1 had made and sold while in the
asylum, l rented house in Norristown
bought piano and violin and began to
teach music. l also worked as a nurse.
the death of my husband. 1 received about
$500 from Mr.. Henderson, who was APP
pointed trustee for me while / was In the
asylum, but have received nothing more
My sister aided me Bit but. all in oil,
have had a hard time getting along.
wouldn't mind it so much but / have de-
-termined now that. inasmuch as 1 am en-
titled to a third of the property, am 60
ing to make an effort to get It,
Has Little Use for Kuehn.
"Dr. Kuehn's feeling for me was Well
defined when l called at my daughters
house SOME time ago and asked if she
were there. He slammed the door in my
face catching my hand in the jam and
badly bruising 1t. Following that 1 made
charge Of assault and battery against
him, and 1 intend to press it. The whole
matter Of the estate is an outrage and
when it Is probed there will be a big
scandal.
Il understand DR.. Kuehn already has
evidence showing that forgery has been
committed by certain persons connected
with the property. All access to the books
kept by my husband was denied me, so
there is no way of my knowing just what
the value of the property was at the time
of death. l do know, however, that it was
in excess of what We have been led to
believe, and know further that certain per-
sons have deftly got possession of a large
slice of it.
L expected yesterday to see my daughter
She telephoned that she would call on me
before she left for Philadelphia but she
did not come. She Is completely under the
influence of DR.. Kuehn There is no hyp-