New-York tribune., 1909-12-19
SAYSW ATS0NIN SANE
DIR. AKED is SORRY.
DeploreS Poets Condition, as
Described by Brother.

Soon after the arrival Of William Wat
son in New York DR.. Charles F. .Aked said
that the poets The Women with the Ser
pents Tongue" vas the work either OF an
insane man or Of q cad The poets
brother. Robinson Watson. who lives in
Montreal. Immediately went 10 his defence
and addressed letter Of protest 10 DR.
Aked. part OF the clergyInan's reply
was made public yesterday. DR.. Aked
wrote:
had, as you know. II you have seen the
whole interview, and not merely quotations
m from II. suspicious Of the truth. Yet OF
one seemed 70 divine IL Ny additional
contribution 20 your trouble is, after all, a
the sorrow is seen. I agree with you in
your estimates Of your brothers genius.
II was not for nothing that ! described
him as a prophet OF God" and as, after
Gladstone. the one great English voice.
When DR.. Aked was told yesterday that
Robinson Watson had said that his brother
YES suffering at the present time from a
mental nalady OF years standing. he said
he considered the poets misfortune a per
sonal Bereavement and e loss 20 literature
that the entire Engiish-speaking world
should lament
And Yet. il is far better to know that
William watson is insane than 10 think
him sane and master OF himself he con
tinued. His mind may be, for a little
while only, darkened, but his name anl
memory are forever cleared OF reproach.
While he had TO be considered responsible
for his words ana deeds. as the rest of
mankind is responsible. he stood con
denned. and nothing IN the world could
mitigate his offence"
Or. Aked would not allow sympathy for
10 - hE~ Tf.r necfT~ - 1c
Tending the victims Of lis rage. II was
not because OF friendship for the Asquiths,
he said yesterday, that he rushed TO their
defence. because he does not know Mrs.
Asquith or her daughter, and recalls only
one meeting with Mr.. Asquith. Dr. Aksd
said that he was incapable OF standing by
and seeing two English women lampooned
and vilifed in a foreign press.
WOMEN HAD TO BE DEFENDED.
While Watson had to be thought of as
sane" he added, while newspaper men
interviewed him day by day and no hint
escaped from one OF them as TO strange
ness in his snanner, while his wife gave out
interviews with light hand and a light
! heart, the reputation Of these English
ladies called for defence from his assaults.
Now that We know the sad and terrible
fact, there Is no need OF defence on the
one hand and no room for condemnation
on the other We can do no more than
hope that the blessed light Of reason will
quickly dawn like 2 May day breaking"
DR. Aked said that when he wrote the
letter he did not expect that II would be
made public
The Tribune received the following letter
and statement last night:
10. 155 Peel street. Montreal.
December Il, 1900.
Sir: ! inclose herewith full text Of ny
statement for publication
Il will be published for the FIRST time on
Saturday evening in Nfontreal.
] shall be greatly obliged + you will let
II appear in extenso. Yours faithfully.
ROBINSON WATSON.
Il have been reluctant to make any per-
sonal statement Of matters concerning nv
brother. William Watson and enly do so
now under strong constraint, seeing the
necessity Of some pronouncement from me
I'm order 10 countervail the many erroneous
ones, and that he real facts however dis
tressing, may be known.
Near TIM close OF November lss2. my
brother entered on what is perhaps the sad
dest experience that can be endured IN the
life Of any mana mental abe-ra ticn-
WITCH EeNlllue1 10 nOlQ MN IT'S T!CIllQ
through several months. The writer who
was with him from December. 1892, until
the spring Of the following year. has never
in public print made even the remotest al
fusion 10 that dark time until now. II Is
difficult for me 10 write quietly about those
days. but I viii endeaver to state the cir
cuulstances without any ambiguity.
There were Two almost concurrent events
v-hfPF PclaTfyselV a r-,pr
to-day were most momentous TO him then
and which were the copributory causes OF
profound mental excitement, which cul-
minated in mental chaos.
In October, 1892. Lord Alfred Tennyson
died. Immediately on the tidings Of his
death reaching London The Illustrated
London News telegraphed my brother a
request FOR o brief commemorative poem
TO appear in the following Issue Of that
journal Moved by an exalted ambition 10
produce lyrical tribute which should be a
worthy offering 10 the memory OF him
whose death had filed the world with grief
and limited as he was 20 time for his great
effort, William Watson for nifty consecutive
hours, without q break fer either rest or
respite and barely touching food OF anv
kind worked in almost tTcmuious eageruess
ana anxiety, his whole mind vibrating n
painful sympathy with his theme. and. in
stead Of the brief poem that had been re-
cuested. delivered TO The Illustrated Lon
don News his immortal Lachryrnae 1I,,sa
rIul'-a poem Of which NJ Gladstone said
70 her late majesty Queen Victoria that in
his opinion. II was greater than Tenn
sons own ods On the death OF the Duke of
wellington
Early in November, 1892. a letter 0he
original is before me as I v-riteJ was cent
TO my brother from the Premier's official
residence informing him that 1Ir. Glad
stone had been pleased 70 recommend
him for an immediate grant OF 700 from
the royal bounty fund reservinc -be
question of a civil list pension for further
consideration
POET II FINANCIAL DISTRESS.
And nov 7 must disclose the fact thai
up 10 the time of that letter nv brother
had been for years ccntending with ed-
verse pecuniarZ- circumstances, Al times
utterly disheartened by apparent lack of
recognition and dismayed BY the seeming
hopelessness Of The strife. And when the
great news came OF that immediate grant
Of eco from ths royal bounty funa II was
like Variable avalanche OF good fortune
10 him, il was like a sudden recall 70 one
that had been long exileS But IL was
more much more. Coming 10 him as il
did when he was physically feVered and
I ,,ep4aii-r 1ugf~rna bv TIE ~roiopered 49,.