Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-05-03
WTFEIN PIQUE
GOES TO BED
FOR 80 YEARS
Iowa Woman Retired. After
Row With Husband and
Wouldn't Get Up.
Special TO Indiana Daily Times
and Philadelphia Public Ledger.

SpeCiaf to Indiana Daily IlTneS
ard Philadelphia Public Ledger
Upton. Iowa. May 3.-Thirty eight
years ago Mrs. Alexander Wickham Of
linton got mad" and went to bed. 4 N
never. never. never going to get up
again. she declared A little while ago
she changed her mind and attempted to
get out Of bed and walk. But she found
she was paralyzed from her waist down
Mrs. Wickham was 4 young wife when
she went 10 bed. She IS a white-haired
woman now. She is rich. but she gets
little enjoyment from her money Il
keeps her out Of the poorhouse. 1t per
nits her to employ 4 woman to look
afte- her few wants and TO remain In
the room with her. and that's about all
How Mrs Uickham retired TO her bel
TO remain the rest other life is an odd
story. One morning she was cutting
bace for her breakfast. She and her
father-iG-law were au.Creling. Old man
Wickham made some remark she re
scented. She laid down her butcher knife
and started for the door.
Where are you going: her husband
asked
I'm going TO bed. and I'm never,
never. never going TO get up again, an
swered the wife as she walked into her
room and slammed the door.
She stayed in bed all that day. Her
husband. thinking to humor her. brought
her meals. The next morning she re-
fused to get up. Again the husband
brought her meals. The third day was
a repetition OF the first and second So
were the fourth and the fifth and the
sixth.
Shell get over f." said the neighbors
when they heard Of what was going on
over at the Wickham farm
Mrs Wickham spent her time reading
books and writing poetry. After thirty
eight years OF such reading she is IN
dOubtedIy the best read woman in all
Iowa. Also she probably has written
more poetry than any woman in Iowa
Neighbors came TO see her after she
took her TO her bed. But she refused to
see them Gradually these visits ceased
and she was let severely alone.
Her husband called a doctor.
There's nothing the matter with her"
said the physician "She can get up
whenever she wants to- But she didn't
want to.
Specialists from Des Moines were
wrong with the woman.
Get her to say she will get up and
She will be all right" they said But her
husband couldn't get her TO want to
leave her bed.
The village grew into a good sized
town. \ railroad was built through the
place. Mrs. Wickham could hear the
whistle Of the locomotives as they passed
near her house. But she couldn't see
them. Her room was on the opposite
side OF the house, and she refused to
leave her bed and go 10 the window.
NEVER SAW
TELEPHONE.
When the telephone exchange was set
up in Upton the Nickhams had a tele
phone installed. Mrs. Wickham never
saw it. It was in another room.
Styles in clothes did not interest her.
She didn't wear any clothes, except her
lighthouses.
Upton grew until it almost inclosed
the Wickham farm. The farm became
very valuable. When the father-in-law
died, her husband became sole owner Of
the place. But he gave up farming and
went in to raising collie dogs so be could
lie at home all the time and could look
after his wife.
Two years ago the husband, worn ont
with thirty-s six years Of constant waiting
on his wife. died. Mrs. Wickham went
to the funeral But she had to be car
ried. She could not walk.
But she does not express single re-
rret over her wasted life.