Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-11
DECLARE WOMAN
IS NOT INSANE
MRS. MARY MCCORMACK GIVEN
HER FREEDOM
Neiehbors Believe Husband and His
Relatives Mlstreated Frall Little
Wlfe-Attorney Promises
to investigate Case

Following examination before the
insanity commission In Judge gibbs
department Of the superior court yes
terday, Mrs. Mary Mccormack of 1910
East Fifty-seventh street was granted
her freedom and her attorney left the
court room announcing that complete
Investigation would be made of the
woman's charges against her step
father-in-law, whom she accused of
having attempted to railroad her into
the insane asylum i'm order to secure
control OF her property
Mrs. Mccormack is % years of age,
and her husband, a driver for the Ex-
celslor laundry, is her second marital
venture.
The couple were married about a
year ago and according to the allega-
tions of the woman, ever since then
her step-father-in-law and her mother
in-law have been attempting to COM
pei her to deed what little property
she has over to them. Yesterday
neighbors testified that they believed
the husband and father-in-law were
in o conspiracy to try and send the
woman to Highland or to frighten
her into deciding her property to them.
The neighbors, and there were about
twenty of them, told the court that
they did not believe Mrs. Mccormack
was insane, but that she would soon
become insane if she were subjected
further to the treatment which they
say has been accorded her by her hus-
band s relatives.
Neehbors Volunteer Aid
]. w. Miles, the father-in-law, swore
to the complaint of insanity, charging
that Mrs. Mccormack was violent.
Later it developed that the only charge
In h.. Ia =
against the woman was that sheA had
quarreled with her husbands relatives
when they had insisted that she walk
over to Ascot park to CLEAN hay for
her husbands horse. NeighborS testi-
fed that they had frequently seen the
frail little woman staggering along
under "a load of kindling which her
relatives had compelled her to pick up
from houses and buildings in the
course of construction
Miles further testified that Mrs.
Mccormack feared someone would
poison her The testimony offered on
that charge was that one time, when
Mrs. Mccormack had seen little boy
chewing the leaves of some weed, she
told him he had better look out, or he
would get poisoned. The husband,
according to the statements of Deputy
Sheriff B. H. Hutchinson, refused to
accept the subpoena to appear as wit
ness until told that to refuse would
mean contempt of court.
Yesterday the husband was asked
what reason he had for saying that his
wife heard noises that other people
did not hear and he replied that fire.
quently during the night she had said
she had heard sounds like burglars
trying to get in the house.
AS that was the only informa tion the
husband had, the examining physi-
clans laughed and remarked that that
was not a symptom of insanity when
manifested by a woman.
When the case had been finished
Judge Gibbs asked Mrs Mccormack
If she had any friends beside her rel
atiVes who would care for her, and be-
fore she could reply ten or twelve
neighbors offered her home with
them and she was promptly dismissed
and the charge against her denied
Attorney Clifton Axtell, representing
Mrs. Mccormack, promises a thor
ough Investigation of the case, which
will be taken up Immediately.