The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-25
F.R. Smith Whoseryed Term at
State Asylum Here.
Says Many Are WrOngfully Held
at That Institution.
HE WANTS no DEBATE.
win Prove That Inmates Are
Harshly Treated.
Somewhat Notified After See
ing Mr.. Bowman.

am an insane man, SO long as L
-s-oasn in this state. and want 10
engage IN Joint debate with anybooS
upon any subject am able TO TAX
we'll about anything and promise
sorne sensational disclosures
This is the defy to the world Of F.
p smith former inmate of the Tope-
Ia insane asylum. who claims to have
-sbougat- his way ont of that institu-
ton
smith is a versatile genius Dy ms
,vvr admission And he looks Il he
has BunaI0 Bin chin whlskers. when
he carefully parts In the middle, CIV
Ing a claw-hammer effect his nous
tsche he grooms carefully into Two
beautiful ringlels 7Inlth ~ e.,
4the State Journal Office TINS Ila9IL llil
Nd wanted newspaper to pack hllA
Up in his work Of reform
. IF lust had a good newspaper
back OF me- he said, i would sur
things mp around in this comm lllllt ", 1
would give people something 10 'alA
about
II have come here from Trenton,
Hitchcock county. Neb-, for the pur-
pnse OF freeing from the state insane
asylum some of my unfortunate COL
1eseues who are wrongfully confined
there. AHETE are Iltn Jul L-A--O w.
ara no more insane that L am one Is
A & vance of Marion county Ihey
robbed Vance of $4,000 after they
mi him in That was worse than
my case They robbed me OF only
SIS 900 I called on Governor Hoch
yesterday morning TO see II Fallce
could not be released Hcch IS rom
Vance's county, and he ought to help
him But he didn't seem to be dis
posed 10 do anything I'm AFRAID lhal
i can't get Vance out had talk
with him a few days ago he IS per-
fectly sane
II want to debate with somebody
Let them pick out their best speaker
and viii meet him Let some outsider
choose a subject for the debate
don't care what the subject Is car
talk equally fuently upon any sub
5ect Just get a subject upon which
neither one of US has had any oppor-
funitv for preparation, and it viii suit
me I will hire a hall, and do the
thing up right. but first I want some
newspaper to back me up in my work
of reform
a How did you happen to be sent to
q he asylum 2'' was asked.
ct happened three years ago" re-
piled Smith. st was living at thai
time in Clark county where. I owned
a lot OF land and cattle. The cattle
men and bankers down there tried to
could do it was to have me ad5udged
insane. Dr. w s. Woods Of Kansas
City, the big banker, was one of the
people who was into it. and another
was John A. Edwards. Edwards is q
cattleman, but he lived in Eureka
Edwards is the Republican nomi-
nee for the legislature in Greenwood
county-)
How did they manage to get your
property
SELL
Did you get your money!
Yes, I got it; mere pittance. They
put me in the asylum, and forced me
to sell In order to obtain my release.
paid $500 to Harry Bone an attorney
at Ashland, to secure my release He
never did anything for me. He was ir
on the scheme to do me uD."
We'll. he got you out of the sylum
didn't hep"
eyes. he got me out; they released
me as improved They said I WASH
cured so I suppose that in the eyes Of
the Kansas law I am still insane and
liable to be put back into that horribl,
place out here west of Topeka"
What's the trouble with the hos
pital out here p"
They treat the patients worse thar
they treat dogs. 7 would rather b.
dead than go back there The grub il
bad Tt Is the cheaD pest kind. and is al
ways the same. The patients are al
lowed no special things to eat, ever
when they are sick"
Whose fault is it2"
TITS Biddle's fault. Biddle is super
intendent. He Is a shifty fellow; yoi
never can tell where he is going t.
light next"
How long were you in the asylum q?
Three months and 10 days I wa
put in June l. 1903
What are you doing now2"
II own a half interest in a hotel a