New-York tribune., 1907-08-24
"MRS.EDDY COMPETENT"
DIR. H4MILTON'S REPORT
4Ecnist Says Christian Science
Leader Has No Mental Disease


The first complete report Of the examination ,e
Mrs Mary Baker c. Eddy. tiscoyerer and founder
of Christian Science, regarding her sanity WAS
made public yesterday by DR.. Allan McI.ane Ham
ilton the alienist. During the progress of the
case it thought advisable by Mr. Streeter
counsel for Mrs Eddy, that an expert alienist
make a thorough study Of the case and he rre-
pared pass Judgment upon if it became neces-
sary. DR.. Hamilton had formerly testified against
Christian Science His report, in part, follows:
have informed ,Ts myself in regard TO the mental
Gonog1 nT % bax g r,iS aker u Eddy and for
documents and letters, perhaps one hundred in
View Concord. \. H. i have also read the original
bill fled by her next friends George W Glover
support Of their contention that she is an incom
Qetsni II VII appear from the complaint of these
her property rights Is TO be able TO exercise her
or 10 manage her affairs and protect her property
With prudence and discretion against the undue
influence. control and fraud of others. and TO take
charge of and manage the present legal proceed
The inspection and examination of autographic
letters written by her show inherent evidences of
and connected. Her construction is admirable and
these Well as the ty-pewritten communications
usually Intelligent mind Not only are their con
The exercise of a normal memory In several of
them there interlineations. corrections and ad
Te2cE I sl with some cTs nd R1 f6af She has re-
turned 10 him certain ones with explanatory inter
iineations and there has been promptness and
writing itself is remarkably firm for a person of
her a s0 leEe are & no sf2kS | dr1aS ngn5sF aad a[e
although there is slight trenlor, not uncommon in
faster than her peE. l do not regard this in any
way as aath9logical; From the large = number 9d o6
mental defect indicated In those written TO Mr
4s 4eFoW desire to AVOID the 2iosfon Of the COPY
right laws. an appreciation OF what has been done
preparation of the literature OF the Church ard
rers addressed TO Mr. Mcclellan the same kind of
here the remotest suggestion OF mental feebieness
Ny particular interest is with the papers written n
y7sDers x1ich I understand have been prepared
l1e 5{4d nv her in5icste either alone or to-
sether good deal OF intellectual strength and con
fe1tjan 10 the draft of trust deed prepared IN
March, 1866 and another in FebrnaEy: lgy. one o1
Trust for the benefit Of George W Glover and ms
On August L 1 visited Mrs. Eddy's home and
found her TO be an elderly woman, or dellcale
heat There was, however, visible indication
OF any moor symptoms OF INSANITY or nervous @ m @ ml
sonance with what she said and did She was dlg-
sense Of hurnor which led her to perpetrate Joke
about kae so-cailed next friends whom she re
afectation OF speech. and besides certain amount
Of slight deafness found poshnE not af,r 5e ana Ia Object
my visit and WAS willing, as long as sile couIl,
70 SseF ny g9es1onS s of feeI;ng Tgs hut responded
quickly and intelligently when she heard what
In answer to questions about her affairs she SAID
that she had put her property into The HANDS % M OF
Ian and Mr. Fernald OF Concord; that it was chiefly
in bonds. but that she mad other property and tlaL
she did this because IL in conformity with her
faith and that no man could serve two masters, i
10 see that her money would eventually go where
sfabiished she Stated that she had taken care OF
nor britt him house and furnished II IlOul
top to bottom, and had done everything for him
that in February last she had put money In trust
for HIM that he had paid his insurance nor his
poll his other taxes and that she felt he
running IN debt. and that she had inade a tTust
OF s125.ooO and had put it into the hands of that
honest man tpoiHting 70 MI: StreeteTl and Two TWO
Others She referred 10 the fact that many years
before. when her husband died, she asked her son
10 come home SAVING on are az ., @ IA: g Go L
home and stay with mother anc s8lI! lei you lahe
all Iy property. al my real estate. Here IS home
up mere ana InoS.ef "a.'is t, o 10 f,-se1 Sbs re-
fr-ec 10 TIE condition her deed that George
have i.ife-ent forms Of education She declared
that tte trustees OF the deed were Ny Baker, Ar.
Faie- because he was a good and successful man
and Dc trusted, and that the others would dispose
Of he money eonscientlousiy. . mas ,,,os,,, =,
F5 & fb+ b coTId not be feinnted To invest in
stocks, not even in preferred stocks, and that
orc a. her sfndanfs and had lost s.0O9 and that
sae had never bought stocks since When asked
II she had been interested in mining stocks she
Has any one ever tried 70 nake you t bsy mining
stccks2" she replied. Yes. indeed hflen ASKER
she bought bonds she always picked out just those
that WIN Sic seieccd any she had book which
she consulted in regard TO me populauon ol ,tat S
population was before she would take any interest
IN tnen.. because ii safe TO know = the CON-
any iffc-ence about the size OF the cities sile sig
yes. '=s found it dii. and that she always FORMED
an estimate Of their wealth 49,. t ,o,.,
Throughout the entire conversation shH sloE,u
no evidence whatever Of any mental disease she
did not manifest any delusions "hich She i pIop-
ably would have done had she been q IaTTaA@oiac, @
Il has been asserted she was nor dd she ON NJ
refer malicious animal magnetism wHlch en- IN Utl
dersand was alleged 70 be an evidence Il Ier d
or mind In person she was neal ai.a T4l jit,,
am Informed IS most careful about the coioltoh
he made H. the Arrangement Of The furniture, books
decoration; thar she gives per ov.n .p 60
lection Of food During my visit heard the SOUND
81 electric bells repeated two or tree iiry, IIfrI,d
that mis- was in accordance with code isi sae na1
1aeniers OF her household. She. pays her own
hills sometimes questions the use OF pinEr. .rs a.,
comments upon the change in nen' and taxes tja al
town and the events Of the day - 80 re- hook
science and Health and inscribed her autogra&Pn pm
apologfziHg for her nervousness IN sis"'io "
From my knowledge OF the case. from caTeLI te5
study OF II. letters and documents supdi,rt
10 NO and from my examination of Mrs t.ooy'
firmly of the opinion that she Is coiip nd
that she is not coerced in any way; In fact: CT IL II
would appear as IL she takes the lnluauFe Hpo"
The siiegafions concerning Mrs. Eddy.s belief in
malicious ani-,?al magnetism ridiculous.
convinced that the words only used synony y
moUsly with IN align in1uence, AlaIsaLatstS lser
n3enda ciOus animal magnetism is tnereIore "a d
facon aarler. as the French say She certanly mas
been subject 10 sufficient annoyance 20 t ds
The fesr that she is 10 he SUBJECTED 20 iuIiHeI
turbaree- False reports that sne vas dead & ar ar
among these and her home has been broken INTO iiIa
valua bic documents have disappeared That she mas
delusions regarding her son Is an apsuroitS @ 'ol
her declared incompetent. she had without sug-
seston made the trust deed 10 nave MIN i anu d L