Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-08-12
ILLEGALLY COMMITTED
Waterbury Woman Released
 From MiddIei0WD To-day.

daughter of Calvin D. Pinney, who ran a. livery stable on Scovill street, was released from the insane hos pital in Middletown to-day on an order issued by Judge F. M. Peasley in the district court this afternoon. Three years ago Miss Pinney mar ried Harry Stevens of New Haven, and child was born to them recent ly. Mrs Stevens became very nerv- ous and delusional and her condition became such that it was considered advisable to have her committed to some institution. She was examined by Dr Gustave Eliot of Orange and ! the papers in the matter say that he found her sitting up in bed looking straight ahead, he asked her to shake hands and she gave no indica- i tion of having heard him. Re- luctantly she obeyed him in one or two requests such as putting out her tongue. The most serious indication i in her condition was that she had delusionS and one of them was that she had a constant dread of being cut to pieces.
 The selectmen of Orange were asked to petition the probate court to have her committed as an in digent person on an order from Judge Studley of the probate court in New Haven in June, the papers showing that her husbands residence was in that city.
 On July 2S Mrs Pinney went to the hospital to see her daughter and asked permission to walk with her about the grounds. Her request was granted and it seems Mrs Stevens asked her mother to take her away and Mrs Pinney in a delightful ignorance of things, brought her home to Leavenworth street. The Pinneys then moved to Park avenue, taking their daughter along with them.
 When the authorities at the in sane hospital found Mrs Stevens gone they informed the localS police and after some searching for he- Officer Donahue located her on Park avenue. She was accordingly re- turned to the hospital after being three days absent. Then her folks made inquiries as to the manner of her commitment to the hospital, aHd on finding that she was under the ban ''indigent person" and that she was recovering her health they in- voked the law and brought an action of habeas corpus to have her re- stored to them. Dr Fisher under whose care she was, brought her to town this morning and at 10:S0 o'clock the hearing took place, Mrs Stevens's counsel claimed the con- mittment was illegal on two grounds; that she was not an in digent person, and that the papers were wrong as they showed she was a resident of Orange whereas she was resident of New Haven.
 Dr Fisher stated that the word indigent is interpreted very literally and that there are inmates of the hospital confined there under that name while their people have prop erty worth s16,000. Mrs Stevens's counsel, Attorney Root. said this was all wrong and Dr Fisher said he hoped MT Root would bring the mat ter to the attention of the attorney general for the state. >s
 After some discussion about the cost of board of patients and how the hospital for the insane is main- tained Dr Fisher stated that Mrs Stevens is rapidly recovering her normal health and he believed that with proper care she will be fully restored in about six weeks.
 Judge Peasley then found that the commitment of the young woman was illegal and ordered her release from the hospital.