The Miner and Workman's Advocate. — 1865-03-11 (London, England)

THE ABDUCTION OF THE NUN NARY  RYAN.  A parliamentary return containing the correspondence with Her Majesty Government relative to the supposed. abduction of the nun Mary Ann Ryan was published on Saturday. The leading particulars are already well known, but the following official report of Mr. Wilkes, one of the medical commissioners in lenacy, who proceeded to Bruges at the desire of Sir George Grey, for the purpose of inquiring into the case, is interesting ; Febuary 22nd, 1865.—1 n compliance with the request of Secretary Sir George Grey! I this day visited Mary Ryan, an inmate of the Maison de Santd of St. Julien, at Bruges, for the purpose of ascertaining her present mental condition. M. Le Chanoine Mites, the director of the institution, was absent in England, and there is no resident physician in our establishment. I proceeded to the corridor which Mary Ryan is stated to have occupied since her admission, and I found her in the sitting-room, which is also used by six other patients. She was standing in a listless vacant state, and conversed with evident reluctance, and at times would not reply to any questions at all, especially when the two sisters who were with me left the room; indeed she opposed my suggestion that the interview should be private. She replied, at first, coherently to my questions, but after a time she became more agitated, and frequently burst into tears. When I referred to the period of her illness in London, and her subsequent removal to Bruges, her memory was on many points clear' but the false impression she then had, to a great extent, still remains. She said that something came over her' when in the convent in the Commercial-road, and that she was told there were evil spirits in it; though she recollected the circumstances of her removal, she said that she did not leave the railway carriage, although she knew that ,she was on the sea for some hours, and that her screams and resistance were caused by an impression she had that she was going to be drowned or injured in some way. That she was labouring under a very acute attack of mania at this time there can be no doubt, and after her arrival at Julien she was in so exhausted a state from refusing to take food, that at one time her life was considered to be in .danger. The more acute symptoms seem after a few weeks to have subsided, and to have been followed by a state of great depression, which has continued, with little variation, up to the present time. She stated to me that nothing could again make her happy; that the enemy had taken possession of her, and wanted to overthrow the peace of the church ; that life was a misery to her, and that she would destroy herself If she had the opportunity. She even now at times refuses to eat, and she is considered to be so decidedly suicidal, that a sister has always slept in the same room with her. She occasionally employs herself in sewing, but there is much difficulty is arousing her out of her apathetic state. Her general health is stated to be much improved, and she appears to be well nourished, and not to suffer from bodily disease. I endeavoured to ascertain whether she was comfortable in her present position, or had any complaint to make as to her diet or treatment, but I could not elicit any from her. When I asked her whether she wished to return to England, she replied that she would like to do so, if any one she knew tame forher ; she is, however, suspicious and distrustful one. comfortable, I e xam eadn hd e rs hbee darpopoema r, s w toh i cbhe It' rfeoaut dd lfe aenv e andry with great kindness and consideration by the sisters. The sum paid for her maintenance is very small, not being, as far as I could ascertain, more than £l6 a year. In my opinion, Mary Ryan is still of unsound mind, iabouring under a very common form of melancholia, with a suicidal tendency. I also think that she is not in t state to be safely taken care of out of an asylum."  We understand that the appointment to the vacant seat at the Board of Admiralty has been offered to Admiral Fanshawe, and accepted by him.—Army and Navy Gazette.  Earl Granville was honoured by the presence of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales at a dinner on Friday evening, at his residence in Bruton street.