Evening journal., 1906-07-10
SANE, YET LIVED
IN AN ASYLUM
Mrs. ShaCkman Free in Spite
Of Husband and Son to
Keep Her Confined
CROWD CHEERS RELEASE

POUGHKEEPsIE. July lo.-After
sixteen years incarceration in State
insane asylums. Mrs. Jennie Shackman,
55 years old. was set al liberty BY
Justice Jay Cox in the Supreme Court
here The crowd OF jurors, htgants
and spectators after hearing the pro-
cedinss, broke into applause when the
Judge ordered the woman discharged
ASSERTING that In his opinion she was
not insane. The demonstration by the
crowd was brought on by the unusual
spectacle Of a son fighting TO keep his
mother in confinement while "a total
stranger. Miss Sarah Melhado Of this
city, who had met the imprisoned
woman In "a casual way. instituted and
pressedf the habeas corpus proceedings
10 procure her discharge. The woman
is the wife Of Isaac Shackman, who Is
in the woollen business in New York.
He was not in court but his son Sig
mund was there an durgcd the court
not to grant the habeas corpus, In
sisting that his mother is insane.
Mrs. Shackman was first committed
to an asylum in Amityville, l.. l.. six
teen years ago. She alleges her hus-
band caused her 10 be sent away. The
record shows that Mrs. Shackman ac-
cused her husband of caring for anoth-
er woman and this charge is put down
as an hallucination, and an evidence of
her insanity After three years IN
Amiiyville. Mrs. Shackman was trans
ferred TO the Hudson River State Hos
pital and she has been there for thir-
teen years and seven months.
DAY after day. year IN and year out
I would sit there yearning for some
one 10 come TO my rescue" said Mrs.
Shackman to-day. my husband and
son scarcely ever came TO see me, and
/ felt as IL ! were in living tomb,
counted as dead BY all who ever cared
for me.
AT last a good angel came i'm the
person Of Miss Melhado Of Pough-
keepsie who cisited the asylum 10 see
a friend who was a patient She talked
to me and heard my story and a few
days ago I was overjoyed to learn that
she had gone to law to get me out"
Miss Mehado was satisfied from the
first time she met Mrs Shackman that
she was a sane and prosecuted woman.
She told the fact to city Judge Mors-
chauser and retained him to procure
"a writ of habeas corpus The writ
was made returnable before Supreme
Court Justice Jay Cox. Miss Melhado
told how she heard Mrs. Shackman
play the piano, saw her work with the
needle and discuss topics Of the dav.
Mrs. Rachel Wolf of Poughkeeps,e.
who was "a pateient for two months In
the same ward, said that she never
saw the slightest evidence Of insanity
In Mrs. Shackman.
Sgmund Shackman. who Is In BUSH
ness with his Gather and who was ape
pointed committee Of his mothers pgn-
perty a year ago, said:
eWcould not get along with mother
at home. The people who say they
win he responsible for her win be pow
erless when she comes down TO my
Office and begins to scream and make
a scene"
your Honor l will be responsible
for the woamn's conduct" interrupted
Judge Morschauser.
Eyes" reiolned the son excitedly
but If she comes to New York and
shopts me, who will be responsible
thehg"
DR. Parsons Of the hospital testified
that Mrs. shackman is paranoic He
said she had "A delusion that her hus-
band came and beat her In her sleep
Mrs Shackman explained this by
saying that once when she was ex-
hausted she said she felt as II she had
been beaten I'm her sleep. James L
/ Williams. attorney for the hospital
] arcurcd against the writ hnf Jusffot
jay Cox sad that the woman's con.
duct IN court warranted him IN order.
ing her discharged. especially as DR.
Parsons said she was not DANGEROUS
While the crowd applauded Mrs
Shackman wept ana huEred Miss Mel.
hado. who win give her a home unit
she can make permanent arrangements
Proceeding will be started to set asid,
the appointment OF her son as com.
mittee Of her property.