Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-26
ORPHANS GET
SYMPATHY OF
COURT CROWD
HANDCLAPPING MARKS TRIAL
OF SISTERS
JUDGE SAYS ANNA WADE AP.
PEARS TO BE SANE
May Yet Have to Go Before Lunacy
Commission-Younger of Girls
Tells Straightforward but
fearful Story

demonstration IN tne form OIL nanQ-
clapping is rarely witnessed in a court
room, but took place yesterday in the
superior court when the friends of
Anna and Margaret Wade, the orphan
girls who are seeking to be released
from the guardianship of DR.. ]. M.
Holden of Long Beach, noisily ex-
pressed their delight when Judge
Houser declared the appearance of
Anna Wade on the stand indicates she
is as sane as any other person.
The two women who for nearly ten
hours had nervously listened to the
proceedings burst into tears, and only
the stern warning of the court that the
room would be cleared If any further
demonstration occurred prevented many
of the spectators from gathering about
the Wade sisters to offer their con-
gratulations.
Their troubles, however are not yet
at an end, and this morning will decide
whether they will be compelled to go
before a lunacy commission for exam
ination into their mental condition or
be declared competent by the court to
manage their own affairs, which, ac-
cording to Anna Wade, the younger of
the sisters, means the taking of de-
posit book to bank, drawing from
their funds and spending their money.
Anna Wade was on the stand yester-
day forenoon, and from all appearances
was perfectly rational. She denied she
or her sister had burned money said
to have been placed in their purses for
the purpose of discriminating them.
Neither did they believe that persons
on the street made faces at them.
The statement that she had threat
ened to kill herself, she said, was based
on the fact that she had told Mrs.
Pillsbury, under whose charge the Sis
ters were placed by Holden, that she
and her sister were placed In such a
position that it was enough to make
them commit suicide.
Judge Questions Her
what about a conspiracy against
you? Did you believe a number of per-
sons were trying to kill or rob your"
asked the court.
well, it seemed very strange that
people should be trying to make me
out insane when there was absolutely
no reason for it." declared the woman.
Margaret Wade, the older of the two
women, was not placed on the stand,
the court stating there seemed to be
no evidence that she was incompetent
except for the adjudication.
Mrs. d. d. Morris of Long Beach
said she had called on the Wade sis
ters and given them flowers. Mrs. Nor
ris said she had been a nurse twenty
five years, had attended many insane
persons, but did not know the difference
between a paranoiac and a person
afflicted with circular insanity
What she did know was that the
two women were not insane, and she
made this declaration in a manner that
carried conviction. The two women,
she said, were suffering from nervous
troubles.
Ida Stafford, superintendent at the
Seaside hospital, said she had formed
no opinion concerning the mental con-
dition of the two women, although the
other patients-two in number-had OBJ
jected to the presence of the sisters
She said she had no knowledge of DIR.
Zimmerman, but knew Mrs. thinner
man, which remark-delivered with a
side glance at it's object, who is dis
ciple of steopathy-caused the latter
to smile broadly and aroused some
curiosity regarding the previous meet
ings of the two women,
Doctor on Stand
DR.. J. M. Holden, who was appointed
guardian of the two women in Feb
ruary, said he had made special study
of mental and nervous diseases. He
said he had been called to treat the
sisters on January 8, after they had
jumped from their bed and ran scream
ing to their window, declaring the bed
ters against their happiness. Anna, he
said, told him they had burned $25 or
$50 supposed to be marked for the pur-
pose of involving them in a robbery.
"They believed they had committed
objectionable sins and were going to be
crucified," said the physician. '"They
also believed some person was going to
force them to wear red costumes, ride
through the streets on red horses and
h,,r,, ct fha stalxa when thn iOurnaV was
ended"
Perhaps the strongest evidence of in
sanity was the belief that they could
find nobody who would sell them real
estate. DR.. Holden said both women
are insane, but in varying degrees. He
read a letter which he had written to
d. o. Ward, brother-in-law of the
Wade sisters, in which he stated he had
applied for letters of guardianship.
IF this had not been DONE" the let
ter goes on, "they would have been sent
to the insane asylum. The state asy-
lum is not run on lines that would
make it bearable for these ladies'"
Mrs. Rose Pillsbury, into whose care
the two women were placed by DIR.
Holden on January 2S, said patients at
the hospital were greatly annoyed by
the actions of the sisters, and she was
compelled to remove them to go Elm
street.
Anna thought 1 was a Japanese,
come to execute her." said the witness,
''and later on she believed me to be an
undertaken called in to prepare her and
her sister for burial. One night she was
awake until late hour, worrying be-
cause she would be compelled to travel
over human flesh"
Anna, according to Mrs. Pillsbury's
statement, expected to be crucified at
the end OF the sanguinary journey, She
also thought Mrs. Pillsbury made faces
at her and later believed a plot was
formed to injure them both.
Both Have Same Ideas
s'Does it not occur to you that both
have the same delusions?" asked the
court.
II have known of such cases." said
Mrs. Pillsbury.
Mrs. Pillsbury said she received $50
a week for her care of the two women
until two weeks ago, when she volun-
tarily reduced this to SAT, ''as Maggie
was not so much of care as before.
DR.. Holden, she said, told her what to
charge.
The case was submitted without ar
gument.
IT don't know whether it would be a
good idea to have a commission ap-
pointed to examine these women" said
the court. 'As far as the appearance of
Miss Anna on the stand goes she is as
sane as anyone"
The spectators greeted this statement
with a demonstration of handclapping,
which was silenced by the court, who
said a repetition would mean the clear
ing of the chamber