The Washington herald., 1907-02-25
WOULD ENJOIN COURT
Amelie Rives' Former Hus-
band Makes Novel Appeal.
ASKS IMMUNITY FROM ARREST
Files Petition Before Supreme Court
TO-day-Wants to Go to New York
pFisonment on Lun8cy Commit
ment-Oners to Protect Public.

pFisonment on Lunscy Commit
ment-Oners to Protect Public.
a most extraordinary petition is to be
presented % the Supreme Court to-day
by James NJ. Dohan. Of Philadelphia. of
counsel for John Armstrong Chauler.
| fomcrly husband Of Amelie Rives, the
authoress, and citizen of New York.
now a resident OF Roanoke Mills. y. c.
II will ask permission Of the court 10
( file an application for a writ Of prOhibi-
/ ton directed against .the honorable
| judges Of the Supreme Court Of the State
/ OF New York 10 the officers or agents
of that court. to the magistrates, sheriffs,
deputy sheriffs, police officers. and each
and every person or persons Of said
State" and TO any person Or persons,
/ judges. officers OF the law. or private citi-
zens in the States Of Maryland, Delaware
] Pennsylvania. New Jersey. and the Dis
trict Of Columbia" enjoining them from
1 molesting or arresting Chanler while on
/ a journey from his home in North Caro-
! lima 20 New York, where he wishes 10 ap-
pear In a suit which he has Instituted to
/ recover. possession Of his estate which
was placed in the hands Of Thomas T.
( Sherman as guardian when Chanler was
sdjudged a lunatic In 1897
Wants Guard to Protect Public.
/ It also asks that the order apply to the
1 return journey 10 North Carolina: that
/ he b. given Eve days before the trial and
/ FIVE days afterward. and that a deputy
United States marshal be detailed in at
/ tendance upon him to enforce the provi-
sions Of the writ and to protect the public
from the petitioner IL he is, as claimed
dangerous to the public peace"
! Chanler was sent 10 Bloomingdale in
/ 1897 on al order signed by Judge Glider
sleeve. Of the New York Supreme Court
/ declaring him a dangerous lunatic. lie
/ escaped in 1899 and went TO Virginia
where "a neighbor'' subsequently insti-
tuted similar proceedings. but the judge
/ in the latter State found him sane and
dismissed the suit
/ Makes Charges Against Brothers.
IN his affidavit. accompanying the pc
tition, Chanler makes oath that he is not
and has not been. insane; that his in
/ IcarceTatiOn in the BlOOmingdale Asylum
was the result Of a conspiracy or the
/ part OF Winthrop Astor Chanler and
I Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler. his brothers
T whom he charges With perjury I'm con-
nection with these proceedings: that the
I first named has pecuniary interest in
f keeping petitioner locked up. and that
otherwise his income would be seriously
curtaiied through loss Of legal fees for
which petitioner estate has been mulcted
and he would suffer the loss of prestige
which he ROW enjoys I'm the financial
world by reason Of his control over
plaintiffs property in New York and
] North Carolina"
/ Claims stanford white Lured Him.
It is further alleged that as part OF
that conspiracy the late Stanford White,
/ on the pretcxt that petitioners presence
/ in New York was desired solely and ex-
clusively for convivial purposes" lured
/ him to that city for the purpose Of Civ
| ing the Supreme Court Of that State os-
/ tcnsible and colorado jurisdiction over
plaintiff 5 person. and Of frauduIently en-
abling the Supreme Court 10 arrest and
! imprison plaintiff as an insane person.
! Chanler claims that as ne was then a
citizen of Virginia the New York court
/ had no jurisdiction over him, and that
/ the order was further illegal in that
/ he had no opportunity to appear. was not
notified that the proceedings were pend
/ ing, and that his commitment was almost
entirely upon the testimony of Drs. Starr
/ and Fuller.
! Hul SohNu,o fn nnut Nfoufo C,rFo
] The order. Of commitment shows that
the physicians examined Chanler while
4 he was stopping at the Kensington Hotel
after his arrival from Virginia; that they
/ swore he was violent. excited. is armed.
/ threatens people. is dangerous" that he
had delusions that Ee could change the
color OF his eyes. the shape of his nose
/ and ears. so that he resembled Ma
poleon. and that he was immortal. His
/ brothers deposed that ChaBleT. at his
( Virginia home. had acted in very er-
/ ratio manner; had burned his hand carry
/ ing hot Goals in IL; that he had devised
/ many peculiar projects. such as a roulette
/ scheme TO beat Monte Carlo" and that
/ he claimed TO be inspired In tho lunacy
proceedings in Virginia, Chanlers hallu-
cination was referred TO as the Ma
poleonic death trance" and 1t was
! claimed was brought about by Chanler'
/ "X-faculty.'
Lawyers Afraid of Scandal
Chanler is his petition asserts that his
estate TO the best Of his knowledge is
valued at s1.OC0,0cO; that his suit for re.
/ covering possession is pending In the
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