The Washington times., 1922-11-14
To
ASYL UM
ALTHOUGH
RATIONAL
lardian Confesses Mind Be-
came Unbalanced After
Her Incarceration.
BY DAMON RUNYON,
ni,rrssI service staff Correspondent.

'opyright. 1929. by Universal Service
BOSTON, Nov. l4.-"You
have said that Dorothy Gordon
was sane when you took her to
the asylum. You saw her insane,
tied to her bed, two months after
you took her there?"
The voice OF Attorney John +.
Sheehan fairly lashed the words
at William r. Jardine, slumped
down fatty in his chair, his jowls
tapping over the edges Of his
collar.
Courtroom Is Still.
The room was still after Sheehan's
voice ceased. Jardine wet his hips.
His lower lip protrudes slightly and
when he speaks. his words seem TO
slide out over that lip. 'ftis vice
urper lip does not move.
Yes" he said, his voice not very
firm, but bit defiant as he blinked
his eyes behind his spectacles.
Somehow, and perhaps for no
reason. we found ourself thinking OF
one of those old fairy tales OF the
wicked ogre who held the poor little
princess who awaited the coming OF
Prince Charming.
1t was preposterous thought for
a dry.looking courtroom. An ogre
would scarcely take the form OF fat,
prosperous. s.looking business man.
with much expanse of face, obvious
" intended by nature as play
ground for Grins, rather than deeply
serious expression.
Prince Charming could, by no
flight of the imagination. he slight.
ly corpulent. fox.gray man of legal
aspect and language.
Perhaps the thought had been in.
duced by the fact that Attorney
Sheehan had just been asking
Jardine about the pathetic little heart
secrets of Dorothy Gordon, ward OF
Jardine. heiress to s400 900, and now
in an asylum. as Sheehan is fighting
to get her out.
Was IL true that Jardine had per.
suaded her not to marry a young
man who attracted her fancy?
And was it true that she had
later confided to William +. Jar.
dine that Willard Newell. anothcr
young man. was the type Of man
she wanted to marry1
Yes. that was true.
And then later poor Dorothy Cor
don was whisked away in a cab TO
the insane asylum by William Jar.
dine and his wife. at her own re-
quest. he said. though strangely
enough she protested and fought
against going. according to Jar.
dimes own story.
Again we thought Of the poor
little princess. her face pressed
against the bars Of the great tower
while the wicked ogre chuckled In
the hall below. truly an unaccount.
able thought for such a time and
place.
Merciless Examination.
The voice of Prince-no, il was
the stern looking John +. Sheehan
-thrashed the air, a tinge of in.
dlgnation In it,
There was no polite preliminary
mister. He asked.
"Jardlne, didn't you know that
II q sane person were put In an
asylum and tied to bed, they
would go insane?"
There was no answer.
Did you want to marry Dorothy
Gordon yourself?" demanded Shee.
han. earlier In the examination of
the man who In charged by rela.
tives of Dorothy Gordon with
profiting from the estate left the
girl by her mother, while she is In
the asylum,
The question came unexpectedly.
Even Gilbert A. Pevy, before
whom In held the hearing to deter.
mine whether Jardine shall be
ousted hs Dorothy's guardian, In.
clined his snow white head,
NO" said Jardine, in a pliabie
voice.
The question did not seem 10
stir him to excitement, His nat.
urally florld face turned n slightly
deeper red, he pursed his mouth,
which In the mouth of an orator,
resembling that Of William J. Bryan,
hut he was not angry
did you have an understa nding
that YOU were TO divorce your wife
TO marry Dorothy"
No"
did yeu have an agreement with
your wife to that effect?"
mo" again came from the Wit
ness stirring a bit In his chair,
He is % fat that he fills the chair