Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-14
CRANKS IN WASHINGTON
NATIONAL CAPITAL LOADSToNE
FOR THE INSANE.
George S. Wilson's Address at the
Conference of Charities and Cor
rections at Richmond, Va.

| RICHMOND Va. May IA feature
of the closing day of the national confer
ence of charities and correction here yes
terday was the address of George S. Will
son. secretary of the board of charities of
the District of Columbia. Mr.. Wilson
subject was Interstate Comfy and CO.
operation"
That the National capital is a loadStone
which attracts many insane persons is
the opinion of Mr.. Wilson. He Classics
as insane many of the persons who visit
Washington every year with burning
desire to see the President or some other
important federal official about some wild
scheme or other. and who are usually
DESIGNATED by the term "cranks." Mr..
Wilson saws the question of the migra-
ton of such persons. as we'll as paupers
of other types, is question or unusual
Importance in the District of Columbia
and a matter for serious consideration by
all the states.
The board of charities of the District
of Columbia returns to their homes about
seventy-f1ve nonresident insane persons
who visit Washington for one reason or
another The District also sends away
several hundred dependent persons every
year who are not insane. but the officers
there experience their greatest difhculty
with the insane, because such persons
cannot be given railroad ticket and put
on the train and left to look out for
themselves as can other people.
Need of Definite Laws.
1t is necessary that these persons be
taken in charge by some competent per-
son and that they shall be turned over
to some responsible person at their des-
tination. Here is where the difficulty
arises. without definite laws as to legal
residence and settlement in the various
states and no central authority to settle
disputes.
In some states the public authorities
are prompt to accept their responsibility
for the care of residents having legal
claim. Some states bear the cost of re-
turning to their homes insane persons
who escape to other communities. but. un-
fortunately many public Oficers-county
and town authorities-are so anxlouss TO
get rid of an undesirable member of the
community that they are very SLOW 10
accept the responsibility for the care OF
dependent persons. In many instances
where such responsibility is perfectly
clear.
The board of charities of the District
of Columbia has several instances where
the public authorities deliberately sent
dependent persons sometimes demented
persons. from their homes to the city OF
Washington with a view to dumping
them as dependents upon the District of
Columbia.
Burden on the Community.
Many instances arise both in the Dis
trict and in the states where dependents
have been wandering about the country
for SO long that they cannot be located
in any definite place. and they naturally
fall burden on the community In which
they are found. In very many instances
there are disputes between authorities OF
different places as to where the legal
residence of the dependent person really
is, and there seems be no authority
that can determine this question.
1t has never been presented to any
federal court and it is doubtful whether
there is any authority under the Consti-
tuition to decide such a question. 1t is
an exceedingly interesting one. and 1t is
becoming more important by virtue Of the
fact that dependent people migrate from
state to state more and more than was
formerly the case because of the greater
facilities for transportation. The matter
is becoming of such grave Importance
that il should be settled by judicial pro-
cedure or legislative enactment.