The evening world., 1911-01-17
ONCE n ASYLUM
NOW FIGHTING TO
1 HAVE GIRL FREED
ees Says Orphan Who Never
! Committed Crime Is De-
~ nined in Matteawan.
TXES OUT A WRIT.
Only Object Is to Re-
move Dora Schwam From
Unfit Surroundings.
OUT A WRIT.
Especial TO The Evening WORLDLY

~ bte W ~ fhi Oilis
III POUGHKEEPSIE, n. Y, Jan. Ito
6rse q girl OF seventeen years from con-
iinement In the Mattcawan State Hos
patal for the Criminal Insane, Norman A.
Lees Of Brooklyn. himself a discharged
pa0ent or Matteawan, has obtained a
wtt OF habeas corpus, which Is return
able before Judge Morschauser In the
Supreme Court. White Plains, on Mon
day.
Lees got the writ yesterday and i'm
mediately served II on DR.. Robert w.
Lamb. superintendent of the asylum,
and on District-Attorney Mack Of
Duchess County.
The girl. in whose behalf Lees Is act
ing. without. as he says. hope of fee or
reward other than the satisfaction Of
knowing that he has performed a hu-
Nane act in behalf Of one whom he
. ?Aieves to be wrongfully confined In
RNn improper place. is Dora Schwam. an
phan. whose uncle. John Bercowitz, a
nrneyman Jeweller, lives at No. 1896
Scihc street. Brooklyn. is named
petitioner In the writ of habeas
fpus.
saw this girl a number OF times
QDfe I was detained at Matteawan,"
ID Lees to-day. land I thought II out
5eous that ore OF her youth, agains,
pm there was no charge of ever
ing committed a crime, should be
u In such an institution under con-
pms hat are absolutely vicious and
to make her a criminal and i'm
l0fNl character. She IL forced to daily
nrtA vtsh " " -.. -
We'd women in the State
An E%nslishman.
ees Is about thirty years Of age. of
)lish birth. married. and lives at No.
Douglas street, Brooklyn. He Is
son Of an English literary man. ana
acted as correspondent In this coun-
for London newspapers.
was sent to Mat:eawan last April.
prolonged drinking. and was dis
Marged in August by Supreme Court
Justice Asphalt in Brooklyn on ha-
beas corpus proceedings. instituted by
my wife. AS soon as possible after pro-
curing my own liberty, / set about ar
ranging to act In behalf of the Schwam
girl, who, ] believe, can be proved to
the satisfaction OF the Court, is wrong
fully kept In Matteawan.
she was but thirteen years old. her
mother having been dead but a short
while, when In 1906 she was committed
from New York to the Training School
for Girls at Hudson. N. Y. Mind you.
this child of thirteen was not accused
OF any crime; Il , papers showed that
she had no guardianship nor home. and
was about to become dependent upon
the city.
=, 'Dora became Wild and incorrigiblc.
!, She appeared to have broker about
~ rule OF the Hudson institution
in February, 1910. she was trans
red to Matteawan, despite the fact
{ she had done nothing criminal,
was seventeen years old last
5tober.
To Give Her Home.
IsT7sr uncle. DIR. Berkowltz, in TIE fall
Dcided to give the girl a home. He
avrote to the hospital authorities ex-
messing a willingness to become GUS
y odian Of his niece. A letter sent him
reply by the superintendent said that
4he girl could not be released. The fol-
Rowing quotation from that letter rs the
i 6niy explanation In 1t Of why the girl
was being detained:
t "TIere she shows herself to be very
nervous. She becomes disturbed over
tribes and is untrutkful regardin1 her
condition
" II have secured a New York attorney
n to conduct this trial, but do not wish
his name disclosed until the case comes
in court on Monday. | am going to
Hudson to-day to investigate certain
meters connected with the girls stay
in the training school there. Then !
shall go on to Albany with a view to
ultimately placing before the Governor
certain information which ] have con-
corning the conduct Of affairs at Mat
teawan."
DIR. Baker. Assistant Superintendent,
Of the Matteawan Institution, admitted
that the writ had been served, but
said that he knew nothing of Lees
plan of action. The doctor declared
that the Schwam girl is being held be-
a. s..a ta.