The Washington times., 1927-03-07

will appropriating the money for
Gawler's was in Mr.. Jennings pos
session when Mrs. Cook was seized
by the police just outside Of Mr..
Jennings office. How the police
knew she was there, or at whose
request she was seized Is not
specifically set forth by the records.
The hospital authorities refused
to let Mr.. or Mrs. Rice commune
cate with Mrs. Cook, the affidavit
AYERS.
Mr.. fleming Quit
Somewhere in the latter part of
1926, or the early part of 1926.
Mr.. Fenning, for reasons set forth
in the record, relinquished his
son and estate, and Walter M.
Bastian was appointed in his place.
After q good many starts and
failures. Mr.. Rice, on February II,
1927, got q petition before the court
for Mrs. Cooks release on bond.
The law provides that a lunatic
may be released from confinement
IL surety be given for proper care
and certain other conditions be
complied with, all of which Mr..
Rice stood ready to do.
The court acted on the petition
by appointing guardian ad Item,
in addition to the guardianship
already held by Mr.. Bastan.
Speaks As Ward
Under the law, a guardian ad
Item speaks for the ward, as
though he were the ward himself.
All business transacted between the
ward and the court Is transacted by
the guardian ad Item, but he, not
the ward. says what the business
shall be.
So we quote from the records as
follows:
Now comes Hannah X. Cook, the
lunatic herein, and moves this hon.
Orable court to dismiss the petition
filed in this cause on the 18th Of
February, 1927, by James r. Rice.
HANNAH X. COOK.
BY Pearl Pillman Klein, guardian
ad Item.
Mrs. Klein informs the court that
she has visited and conferred with
Mr.. and Mrs. Rice at their house;
the hospital doctors and nurses;
Mrs. Cook; Mr.. Bastian, the present
guardian; Mr.. Fenning, the former
guardian, and others, and she Is of
the opinion that 1t would not be to
the best interest of the said Han
nah K. Cook to grant the petition,
and moves that it be dismissed.
The case was argued in District
Supreme Court last Friday. and
everyone but Mrs. Cook had some
thing to say about whether she
should be released or not. The
hearing was continued for two
weeks. All Mrs. Cook can do is
pray to High Heaven that she be
set free. She can't pray to the
court--a guardian ad Item is a
necessary intermediary there.
Not Crazy Is Belief
Many persons concerned in the
case, give it as their unqualified
opinion that Mrs. Cook is of sound
mind--no more eccentric, even. than
the ordinary person of 80 years
which is Mrs. Cooks age.
: She doesn't like the idea of dying
in the lunatic asylum.
But the guardian ad Item ar
rangement compels her to come into
court, by proxy, and pray that she
be kept locked up. That Is done,
they claim, to conserve her estate.
In the case Of William ]. O'Brien,
referred to recently, appointment
Of a guardian ad Item was the
answer to his habeas corpus petit
ton. On March IL the guardian ad
item, friend and defender Of the
hospital, and former assistant in
the District Attorneys office, will
come into court and say whether
Bill wants to get out or not. The
court can't take Bills. word for it.
For inmates Of the asylum, then,
part Of the constitution.
That's rough on the sane ones
in the hospital.