Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-25
ASKS FOR IMMUNITY
Petition Filed in Supreme Court
by John A. ChanIer.
FEARS ARREST AS LUNATIC
Called to New York for Purpose of
Litigation.
ALLEGES HOSTILE CONSPIRACY
Recites His Confinement in Blooming
dale Asylum and Describes
Methods Employed.
FEARS ARREST AS LUNATIC
ALLEGES HOSTILE CONSPIRACY

John Armstrong Chanler today presented
an extraordinary petition in the Supreme
Court of the United States through his at
torney, James NJ. Dolan of Philadelphia
Mr.. Chanler is citizen of New York, and
today asked permission of the Supreme
Court of the United States to file an appli-
cation for writ of prohibition directed
against the honorable judges of the su-
preme court Of the state of New York to
the officers and agents of that court to the
magistrates, sheriffs departmentary sher-
Ills, ponce officers and each and every per-
son or said state" and Ito any person or
persons, Judges. officers Of the law or pri-
vate citizens in the states of Maryland Del
aware. Pennsylvania. New Jersey and the
District of Columbia enjoining them from
moiestlng or arresting Chanler while on
journey from his home in North Carolina to
New York, where he wishes to appear in
suit which he has instituted to recover pos
session of his estate, which was placed in
the hands of Thomas T. Sherman as guar
Dian when Chanler was adjudged a lunatic
in 1897. " ''ie
1t also asks that the order apply to the re-
turn Journey to North Carolina, that five
Gays before the trial and five days after
ward be given him, and that a denartment-
airy United States marshal he detatIaS i,
attendance upon him to enforce the nro
VISIONS or the writ and to protect the public
from the petitioner If he is, as claimed
dangerous to the public peace and wei
fare" Oil" WEI
Confined as Lunatic.
In 1897 Mr.. Chanler was sent To R,oon,-
ingdale on an order signed by Judge Glider
sleeve OF the New York supreme court de-
caring him dangerous lunatic.
IN 1888 ne escaped and went to Vjrrini.
where similar proceedings were instituted
but the suit was dismissed.
Alleged Conspiracy.
Chanler makes oath in his affidavit th,.
ne Is not and has not been insane: that his
incarceration in the BloominrdaIe asy,un,
was the result of a conspiracy on the mart
OF Winthrop Astor Chanler and Jewis
Stuyvesant Chanler, his brothers. that tho
first named has a pecuniarv intorost g.,
heepihs petitioner locked up, in that other
wise MS income would be seriously chr
talied through loss of legal fees for which
petitioners estate has been mulcted and
ne would suffer the loss Of prestige which
ne no" enjoys In the financial world by
reason OF his control illegal as it be- over
plaintiffs property in New York and North
Carolina "0 ->oi III
1t is further alleged that as a mart of tho
nunsp,lacy the late Stanford White, on the
Pretext that petitioners presence in New
YORK was desired "solely and exclusveIv.
city. i'iii " thdt
Charges Against Chanler.
Inc order of commitment shows that
the physicians examined Chanler while he
was stopping at the Kensington Hotel after
his arrival from Virginia; that they swore
he was violent, excited, is armed throat
ems people, is dangerous" that he had de,,,-
sions that he could change the color of
his eyes the shape of his nose and ears
so that he resembled Napoleon. and that
ne was immortal His brothers deposed
mat Chanler at his Virginia home had
acted In very erratic manner: had hurned
ms hand carrying hot Goals in it; that he
mad devised many peculiar projects. such
as roulette scheme to beat Monte Carlo
ana that he claimed to be inspired
CHAMBERS Allegations.
Chanler in his petition asserts that his
estate, to the best of his knowledge is
valued at $1,OOO,OOO; that his suit for re-
covering possession is pending in the fed
eral court at New York; that his attend
ance at the trial as party witness and
counsel is not only proper, but absolutely
essential Tor the reason that he has been
iorcea INTO the undesirable position of be-
ing MS own counsel from the fact that he
iouhu II impossible after sundry efforts
and due diligence, to obtain any member of
the New York city bar as counsel from tha
TACT tnat said lawyers shrank from the
scandalous notoriety which would inavitahIv
ensue as soon as the malodor of the in
ducing facts behind the action of the Other
side reached the public nostril.'
Asks for Immunity.
In order that he may not be arrested and
again confined in an asylum under the nm
rescinded order of Judge GildersIeeve. either
while In attendance at the trial or while |
making the journey from North Carolina |
and returning thereto, Chanler asks the |
court to prohibit the officers or others in |
New York and of the states through which |
he would pass while making the journey |
from interfering with him in any way He |
offers to pay for the services and expenses
Of a deputy marshal to accompany him.
He might, he adds. take a boat from |
Norfolk to New York city, which would not |
make the order necessary against the off, |
GERS or the other states, but he prefers not |
to go that way because 'such a short sea |
voyage would upset him and render him in |
no condition to face the trial of an impor- |
tant case such as is the case of Chanler /
vs. Sherman.' L