The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-03-31
Ashabel G. Brown, Of
South Orange, Sent
to Morris Plains.
HOME MYSTERIOUSLY
CONSUMED BY FIRE
Spouse Declares He SIS Violent
and ExcitabIe at
Times"
FORTUNE ESTIMATED
AT ABOUT 100000
Taken to Institution in an Auto-
mobile Through a
Ruse.

Ashabel G. Brown, of South Orange,
aged ana wealthy, was taken from
home yesterday afternoon ana whisked
away in an automobiie to the Morris
Plains Asylum upon the representa-
tion of his wife. Mrs. Lucy A. Brown.
that he was "vtoIent and excitable at
tfmes.r
Dr. William j. Chandler. Of South
Orange, and DR. Thomas Trout, OF Sum-
NIT, had previously declared. In an
affidavit. their belief that he was men,
tally unsound.
Mr. Brown is now under observation
at the asylum and will not be released
until the courts have passed upon his
sanity.
auaintance shortly before he was taken
uway that there was plan On foot
10 deprive him of his fortune. which ts
estimated Mt 100000.
Mr.. Brown lives in the Heights sec
tion of South Orange township the most
sristocratic and fashionable neighbor-
hood OF the municipality He had been
residing for several weeks at 4ss Summit
avenue having moved when his fine
home at Parker and Summit avenues
Mysterious Blaze.
The mystery of the midnight blaze,
which consumed his home, has never
been explained 1.-The fireinen and police
Investigated the matter fully and at the
end of their examination the announce
ment was made that the fire had been
caused by mice gnawing at matches.
The fire was discovered shortly after
midnight and spread so rapidly that the
building was almost total loss.
For some time past it was learned,
Mrs. Brown has considered taking the
step which eliminated in the seizure
OF her husband yesterday. A petition
for a. lunacy commission to pass upoa'
the aged mans sanity had been pre-
pared by her lawyer. for presentation
to the court After this had been COM
pleted the two physicians named in the
commitment papers quietly examined
Mr.. Brown.
Examined by Ruse.
He had been led to believe that he
was being examined for heart trouble.
and in speaking of the incident to a
friend yesterday remarked that al
though the doctors asked q lot of
questions, there was nothing the mat
ter"
An automobile containing two men
drew -up in front of the Brown home
yesterday afternoon at the hour when
there were likely to be few pedestrians
passing They left the machine, and,
going direct to the barn, where Mr..
Brown could be seen from the street,
asked him to go for a ride. He went
with them.
1t reached the asylum shortly after
o'clock, having made the trip in
about two hours Attendants were
waiting to receive the party. Mr.
Brown appeared to be nervous, but not
unduly excited. He was taken into
the asylum and placed under observa-
ton, and the automobile drove away.
Mrs. Brown Silent.
The authorities at the asylum de-
clared today that Mr.. Brown would
be kept under observation and would
not leave the Institutions without a
judicial order.
Refusing to deny or sfiirm the rumor
that her husband had been taken to
nm asylum today, Mrs. brown saids
"My husband has gone away for his
health. ! viii mot say where he Is or
when be Will return.''
Mr.. Brown IS well known in South
Orange. He amassed competence in
the milk and dairy business and lived In
aff1uence. He-was regarded recently as
being eccentric, but his commitment
came as surprise to his friends. He
was member of the First Presbyter-
ian Church.
Beyond the allegation that Mr.. Brown
was violent and excitable at times"
the application of his wife contains no
details to explain why the action was
taken Tha affidavits of the two physi-
clans accompanied the application
which was made yesterday. They were
acknowledged by Mrs. Browns lawyer,
who is a notary