Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-03
AN AGED MOTHERS LAMENT

n old lady seventy-fve years old read In
~ the Country Home Column of The Tri-
Weekly Journal what [ wrote about the
Georgia Insane Asylum, and she has written
me long letter and gives me permission to
publish 1T, if | SO desire. Her story is tragic
| think it should be made known to the Coun-
try Home readers. If she is crazy she needs
friend. 1 was not given her name in the let
ter as 1T was her own children who gave her
so much trouble. She writes fine hand; evil
IDENTIFY she has been we'll educated. [ have
heard of so many old persons who have been
ratlroaded into the insane asylums of this
country and foreign countries because they
were burden to their own people, that l am
going to do what she has asked me to do, and
leave the subject with you:
my Dear Mrs. FELTON,: My son takes The
Atlanta Journal. / saw your piece about the
insane asylum at Mlledgeville. l could not
resist the temptation to tell you of some of
my experiences while there two years ago.
IL was living in - three years ago This
summer l was obliged to come back to Geor-
gia to see about renting out my farm. My
folks did not want me to come, so they de-
cided that the way to keep was to take me
to the courthouse and prove l was crazy. So
they got lawyer, jury, doctor and
judge.
81 had not soul but God but I went to
Him. | asked Him to stand by me, if l was
His child. l got up the next morning and
asked them If they were going to take me back
condemn me the first time, so they did go
back with me,
"It showed so plain what they wanted, the
lawyer put his hand on my shoulder and said,
GO get your money. You are not crazy"
Il then came back to Georgia, rented the
place. My daughter wrote me sweet letters
telling me that she wanted me to live with
her, as she wanted to take care of me the bal
ance of my days, etc She did not tell her
husband what she had written. The day after
[ got back he got after her. [ heard her say
1 am not going to do ma as you say CThen
the poor woman told of her trials how she
had kept them up years ago, then four chill
dren and the\mother in the hospital But he
had his way, and made life very unpleasant.
Il decided to go back where L was born
and if they drove me off the people should GER
tainly know about it. They locked the DOORS
until he came, then held my wrists and kept
me locked up from until 5 in the afternoon
He ordered her to get rope and tie me- but
she would not. Then he locked me up in the
closet. They got the sheriff, but | did not
hear what was said. They took me to the in
sane asylum, but said I would not stay there
long. When l was examined was told there
was nothing to keep me there, that I could go
as soon as my children would take me out. l
finally told the doctor l preferred to remain
there rather than live with them. This worry
made me sick Two of the inmates were told
to wait on me, and one of them died and the
other one made her ready for the grave. This
woman told me she combed handful of lice
from her head at that time
Zone of my sons wrote to my son-in-law
that il he did not take me out of that place he
would do so. My daughter then told me she
held the rens over me and she was going to
keep them drawn tight.
This is only a beginning of what I have
gone through with. | was taken before the
board five times. When | was pronounced
insane [ was not in the room. They have used
up so much of my property they wanted me
out, because it cost so much and also said
there was nothing the matter with my mind.
[ am now in my seventy fifth year."
Much of her letter I have omitted because
of lack of space, but anybody and everybody
can see that this aged mother has Jared badly