Anne Dickinson Legal File Correspondence Misc., 1895 -98Law Office -of- James H. Shakespeare, No. 114 South Sixth Street, Rooms 7, 8, 9 and 10 Subscriber to Sloan's Legal and Financial Register and Mem- ber of the Continental Collection Union Philadelphia, Nov 16 1895 Miss Anna E. Dickenson Your favor of yesterday requesting me to send you an affidavit in respect to the medical certificate I sent you has been received. I will make the affidavit with much pleasure, but in order that I may do, it will be necessary for you to send me the Certificate so that I can mark it & attach it to my afffidavit. I have again in accordance with your request carefully examined all of our papers, but have failed to find anything additional excepting some correspondence between Mr Heverin and Mr. Hart. Mr. Heverin did not take any of the papers away from the office atLAW OFFICE -of- JAMES H. SHAKESPEARE, No. 114 South Sixth Street, Rooms 7, 8, 9 and 10. Subscriber to Sloan's Legal and Financial Register and Mem- ber of the Continental Collection Union. Philadelphia, ....... 188 any time— All the papers of the office were always in my care & control. By this mornings mail I received the package of news papers which you mentioned in your letter. I will examine them with care — and will be glad to see you any time you may be in Philada. & give you the benefit of any thought I may have upon the subject. I followed your case at the time of trial with a great-deal of care, & am very familiar with its conduct. It would give me much pleasure to write you an opinion upon the matter of trial of which you wrote, were it not for the fact, that I am now, & have been for many years Counsel for the Times. With continued assurances of my Esteem I remain Yours Respectfully James H ShakespeareNo.405 West 22nd New York City 1.15. 189[6?] To the Superintendent of State Insane Asylum Danville Pa.- By the law of the State of Pennsylvania, on demand, I am entitled to review a copy of the medical certificate on which I was brought to & incarcerated in your asylum, & I hereby demand the same. =If you have no such paper say explicitly in answer to this demand, as, you have already so testified on oath, in Court,- & with this information define in full what was the defect in that paperthat compelled your institution to reject it while at the same time, without it, you hold me. = In spite of your sworn evidence to all this, a number of papers purporting to be copies of this certificate & each differing in trivial particulars from all the others, has been forwarded by your institution to various people. Thusly, by virtue of my legal right demand of you duplicates of all these, & call for them by return mail. Anna E DickinsonTHE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, DANVILLE, PA. HUGH B. MEREDITH, M. D. SUPERINTENDENT. Danville, Pa., Jan 20” 1896 Miss Anna E Dickinson— Dear Madam- Replying to your request, a copy of the certificate desired has been sent to Messrs Howe & Hummel, I am Very Truly Yours HB Meredith— THE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, DANVILLE, PA. HUGH B. MEREDITH, M. D. SUPERINTENDENT. Danville, Pa., Jan 31st 1896 Anna E Dickinson Dear Madam, Replying to your favor, for the papers pertaining to your admission & Discharge— other than the medical certificate a copy of which has been forwarded to Messrs Howe & Hummel— apply to this Committee of Lunacy— 1224 Chestnut St Phil, Pa. with whom the originals were lodged— I am Very Truly Yours HB Meredith HB MeredithNo. 405 West 22 st New York City 3.2.1896. c/of Thomas G. Morton MD. Chairman of State Board of Charities Com on Lunacy Philadelphia Pa Send me at once - if possible by return mail. - certified copies of all cerificates & papers appertaining to my commitment to, retention in, & discharge from the DanvilleState Insane Asylum. If there are any charges I will remit. Anna E. DickinsonDr. Thomas G. Morton, 1421 Chesnut Street, Philadelphia. Dr. Morton sends word to Miss Dickinson, that being no longer a member of the State Board of Charities he would suggest the request for copies of papers to be made to Dr. Wetherill Sec' 1224 Chesnut st, Philada March 4, 1896No. 405 West 22 St New York City 3. 5. 1896 To/ Dr. Witherill Sec. of State Board of Charities Com. on Lunacy Philadelphia Pa. Send me at once — if possible by return mails certified copies of all certificates & papers appertaining to my commitment to, retention in, & discharge from the DanvilleState Insane Asylum. If there are any charges I will remit. Anna E DickinsonCOMMITTEE. GEORGE I. M'LEOD, M. D., Philadelphia, Chairman. HENRY M. BOIES, Scranton. J. W. C. O'NEAL, M. D., Gettysburg. WILLIAM B. LAMBERTON, Harrisburg. FRANCIS J. TORRANCE, Pittsburg. HENRY M. WETHERILL, M. D., Philadephia, Secretary Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. COMMITTEE ON LUNACY OF THE Board of Public Charities Office 1224 Chestnut St., PHILADELPHIA, PA. March 7th, 1896 18 Miss Anna E. Dickinson, Dear Madam: - Enclosed please find true copy of each paper filed in this office in the matter of your commitment to and discharge from the State Hospital for the Insane, at Danville, Pa. The Committee has no other papers relative thereto. There are no charges. Yours very respectfully, Henry M. Wetherill, M. D., SecretaryNo. 405- West 22th New York City 3.8.1896 To/ Henry M. Wetherill MD. Sec. of Com. on Lunacy & of Board Public Charities Pennsylvania, There are papers to which I am legally entitled & for which I have made calls through my letter of March 5th 1896 to your Committee that you have not sent me Supply the omissions of your letter- of March 7th & the inclosures& do so by return mail. Anna Dickinson No. 407 West 22 St. New York 7.22.1896 To Henry M. Witherill M.D. Sec. Com. on Lunacy Board of Pub. Charities Pa. On the 8th of March last I wrote you a second request for certified copies of all certificates & papers appertainining to my commitment to retention in & discharge from the Danville Insane Asylum as your reply to my first was incomplete. I ask now for the third time, & desire by return mail a copyof the papers brought to the asylum & rejected by authority of your com- or some representation of it - with information concerning same - a copy of the paper presented in Court by Mr. Everett Warren, identified & sworn to by the Supt of Danville Asylum by which [the] a former Supt had indicated Paranoia as the form of the mental disorder of Anna e Dickerson in the suit of Anna Dickerson against Courtwright et al - write anything you may hold on this complicated business A.E.D.No. 305 West 22nd St. New York City 8.13.1896 To. Hon. Daniel H. Hastings Gov. of the State of Pa. Rule 17 of the Rules & Regulations of the Com. on Lunacy of the Board of Public Charities reads - "The sec. of the Com. on Lunacy shall furnish to any person who shall consider himself or herself to have been unjustly confined in any house or place subject to the Lunacy Law, or to his or her attorney, copies of all the papers filed on his or her reception therein, & at his or her examination by themedical attendant of such hour or place. I have thrice made the demand, by my right, for "copies of all papers" as above, to receive partial & evasive returns, & finally no response to a definite call for a copy of the original certificate with reasons for the rejection, & for a copy of a paper sworn to by the present Supt of Danville Asylum as signed by his predecessor, & presented in Court by Counsel for the defense in the case of Anna Dickinson against Courtwright et.al. I have waited over long ere applying to you for redress, & if thesecretary of the Board H.W. Wetherill M.D. cannot or will not attend to the duties of his office on your ordering, it is within your province to place some one in his stead who will? The case is of sufficient prominence for you, the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Pa, to be aware that in it all law has been violated by the sworn officers of the law, as well as by outside law breakers, but as hitherto, no direct appeal has been made to you in regard to it, you may not know it, nor know that it is your duty & your privilege - as doubtlessyou will regard it, to interfere. I make the appeal now with the confident assurance that you will attend to this just demand at once. I will request the courtesy of an immediate acknowledgement of this letter that there may be neither uncertainty nor needless delay concerning it. Respectfully yours Anna E. DickinsonNo. 405 West 22 St New York City 8. 13. 1896 To/ Hon. Daniel H. Hastings. Gov. of the State of Pa. Rule 17 of the Rules & Regulations of the Com. on Lunacy of the Board of Public Charities reads:— "The Secy of the Com. on Lunacy shall furnish to any person who shall consider himself or herself to have been unjustly confined in any house or place subject to the Lunacy Law, or to his or her attorney copies of all the papers filed on his or her reception therein & at his or her examinationby the medical attendant of such house or place." I have thrice made the demand, by my right, for “copies of all papers,” as above, to receive partial & evasive returns, & finally be refused to a [definite] call for a copy of the original certificate with reasons for its rejection, & for a copy of a paper sworn to be the present Supt. of Danville Asylum as signed by his predecessor, & presented in court by [Mr. [Everett] Warren, struck through] Counsel for the defense in the case of Anna E Dickinson against Courtwright et al. I have waited over long ere applying to you for redress & if the secretary of the board, Wetherill M.D. cannot or will not attend to the duties of his office on your ordering, is it within your province to place some one in his stead who will? The case is of sufficient prominence for you the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Pa. to be aware that in it all law has been violated by the sworn officers of the law as well as by outside law breakers, but as hitherto no direct appeal has been made to you in regard to it. you may not know it, nor know that is it your duty & privilege— as doubtless you will regard it to interfere. I make the appeal now with the confident assurance that you will attend to this just demand at once I will requestthe courtesy of an immediate acknowledgment of this letter that there may be neither uncertainty nor needless delay concerning it. respectfully yours Anna E. DickinsonTHE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, DANVILLE, PA. HUGH B. MEREDITH, M.D. SUPERINTENDENT. Danville, Pa., Aug 19” 1986 Miss A. E. Dickinson, Dear Madam— Enclosed find a copy of the original certificate which I believe you claim, I may share a copy of the same had been sent to a firm in New York presumably your Attorneys, and hearing nothing further thought it satisfactory— His excellency, the Gov. desires me to return the enclosed communication. I am Very Truly Yours H.B. MeredithThis paper must be fully executed and ALL the information called for, accurately given. LUNACY LAW OF 1883 NOTE.--The certificate must be signed by at least two physicians and made within one week of the examination of the patient, and within two weeks of the time of the admission of the patient, and shall be duly sword to or affirmed before a judge or magistrate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and of the county where such person has been examined, who shall certify to the genuineness of the signatures and to the standing and good repute of the signers. And any person falsely certifying as aforesaid shall be guilty of a misdemeaner and also be liable civily to the party aggrieved. MEDICAL CERTIFICATE We, the undersigned, residents of Pennsylvania, hereby certify that we have, within one week prior to the respective dates hereinafter mentioned, at * Danville, Penn. in the county of Montour separately examined Anna E. Dickinson of West Pittston, Montour Co. Penn. and do verily believe that the said Anna E. Dickinson is insane, and that the disease is of a character which, in our opinion, requires that the person shall be placed in a hospital or other establishment where the insane are detained for care and treatment. We further certify that we have been actually in the practice of medicine for at least five years, and that we are not related by blood or marriage to the said Anna E. Dickinson, nor in any way connected as a medical attendant or otherwise with "THE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, at Danville, Pennsylvania," into which it is proposed to place the aforesaid. Signed, James Oglesby, M.D. Residence, Danville, Penn. Dated this 25th day of February one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one, Signed, M.D. Residence, Dated this day of one thousand eight hundred and ninety CERTIFICATE OF A MAGISTRATE OR JUDICIAL OFFICER. (The certificate of a Prothonotary or Notary Public cannot be accepted.) I, William H. Bourn a Justice of the Peace of Montour county, of the State of Pennsylvania, do certify that the foregoing certificate was duly sworn affirmed to before me, by the above named, James Oglesby and on this 26th day of February 1891, that the signatures thereto are genuine, and the signers are physicians of good standing and repute. William H. Bourn, J.P. ORDER FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE ABOVE NAMED PATIENT. , the undersigned, hereby request you receive an insane person, as a patient into "THE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE at Danville, Pennsylvania," believing that such detention is necessary for h benefit. Subjoined is a statement respecting the said Signed, Dated this day of one thousand eight hundred and ninety To the Superintendent of "THE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE at Danville, Pennsylvania." *Insert street and number of the house, if any, or like particulars. Insert residence and profession or occupation, if any. One of these two words is to be crossed out. Give the occupation of the signer or signers, and the degree of relationship or other circumstance of connection with the patient.This paper must be fully executed and ALL information called for, accurately given. LUNACY LAW OF 1883 NOTE - The certificate must be signed by at least two physicians and made within one week of the examination of the patient, and within two weeks of the time of the admission of the patient, and shall be duly sworn to or affirmed before a judge or magistrate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and of the county where such person has been examined, who shall certify to the genuineness of the signatures and to the standing and good repute of the signers. And any person falsely certifying as aforesaid shall be guilty of a misdemeaner and also be liable civily to the party aggrieved. MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. We, the undersigned, residents of Pennsylvania, hereby certify that we have, within one week prior to the respective dates hereinafter mentioned, at * Danville, Penn. in the county of Montour separately examined Anna E. Dickinson of West Pittston, Montour Co. Penn. and do verily believe that the said Anna E. Dickinson is insane, and that the disease is of a character which, in our opinion, requires that the person shall be placed in a hospital or other establishment where the insane are detained for care and treatment. We further certify that we have been actually in the practice of medicine for at least five years, and that we are not related by blood or marriage to the said Anna E. Dickinson, nor in any way connected as a medical attendant or otherwise with "THE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, at Danville, Pennsylvania" into which it is proposed to place the aforesaid. Signed, James Oglesby M.D. Residence, Danville, Penn. Dated this 25th day of February one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one Signed, ........ Residence ......... Dated this .....day of ........one thousand eight hundred and ninety CERTIFICATE OF A MAGISTRATE OR JUDICIAL OFFICER. (The certificate of a Prothonotary or Notary Public cannot be accepted) I, William, H. Bourn a Justice of the Peace of Montour county, of the State of Pennsylvania, do certify that the foregoing certificate was duly sworn affirmed to before me, by the above named James Oglesby and . ...... on this 26th day of February 1891, that the signatures thereto are genuine, and that the signers are physicians of good standing and repute. William H. Bourn , J.P. ORDER FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE ABOVE NAMED PATIENT. ........., the undersigned, hereby request you to receive ........ an insane person as a patient into "THE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, at Danville, Pennsylvania" believing that such detention is necessary for h........ benefit. Subjoined is a statement requesting the said ........... Signed, ............. ................... ................... Dated this ............day of............one thousand eight hundred and ninety ......... To the Superintendent of "THE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, at Danville, Pennsylvania." *Insert street and number of the house, if any, or like particulars. Insert residence and profession or occupation, if any. One of these two words is to be crossed out. Give the occupation of the signer or signers, and the degree of relationship or other circumstance of connection with the patient.LUNACY LAW OF 1883. NOTE.--The certificate must be signed by at least two physicians and made within one week of the examination of the patient, and within two weeks of the time of the admission of the patient, and shall be duly sworn to or affirmed before a judge or magistrate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and of the county where such person has been examined, who shall certify to the genuineness of the signatures and to the standing and good repute of the signers. And any person falsely certifying as aforesaid shall be guilty of a misdemeaner and also be liable civily to the party aggrieved. MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. We, the undersigned, residents of Pennsylvania, hereby certify that we have, within one week prior to the respective dates hereinafter mentioned, at* West Pittston, in the county of Luzerne separately examined Anna Elizabeth Dickinson of West Pittston, Lecturer & Actress, and do verily believe that the said Anna Elizabeth Dickinson is insane, and that the disease is of a character which, in our opinion, require that the person shall be placed in a hospital or other establishment where the insane are detained for care and treatment. We further certify that we have actually in the practice of medicine for at least five years, and that we are not related by blood or marriage to the said Anna Elizabeth Dickinson, nor in any way connected as a medical attendant or otherwise with "THE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, at Danville, Pennsylvania," into which it is proposed to place the aforesaid. Signed, G. Underwood, M.D. Residence, Pittston Dated this 25 day of february one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one Signed, M.D. Residence, Dated this day of one thousand eight hundred and ninety CERTIFICATE OF A MAGISTRATE OR JUDICIAL OFFICER. I, James Mantanyo a Justice of the Peace of Luzerne county, of the State of Pennsylvania, do certify that the foregoing certificate was duly sworn affirmed to before me, by the above named G. Underwood and on this Second day of March 1891, that the signature thereto are genuine, and that the signers are physicians of good standing and repute. James Mantanyo, J.P. [L.S., seal] ORDER FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE ABOVE NAMED PATIENT. We, the undersigned, hereby request you to receive Anna Elizabeth Dickinson an insane person, as a patient into "THE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE at Danville, Pennsylvania," believing that such detention is necessary for her benefit. Subjoined is a statement respecting the said Ann Elizabeth Dickinson Signed, J. L. Courtwright J. S. Hileman, M.D. Dated this Second day of March one thousand eight hundred and ninety-one. To the Superintendent of "THE STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, at Danville, Pennsylvania." *Insert street and number of the house, if any, or like particulars. †Insert residence and profession or occupation, if any. One of these two words is to be crossed out. §Give the occupation of the signer or signers, and the degree of relationship or other circumstance of connection with the patient.STATEMENT. (If any of the particulars called for here are not known, the fact is to be so stated.) 1. Name of patient, with ohristian name at length... Anna Elizabeth Dickinson 2. Sex and Age... Female, 40 yrs. 3. Residence for the past year, or so much thereof as is known, West Pittston, Penn. 4. Occupation, Trade or Employment... Lecturer & Actress. 5. Parents, if living, if not, state the fact, Father, Dead Mother, Dead 6. Husband or Wife (Give names, not simply numbers.),... Single 7. Children (Names, not simply numbers, are to be given.)... X 8. Brothers and Sisters (Names are desired, not numbers alone.) Name in Full John Dickinson, Post Office Los Angeles, County, State, Cal. Name in Full Susan E. Dickinson, Post Office Pittston, County Luzerne, State, Pa. 9. If not more than one of these classes is known, the names and residence of such of the next degree of relations as are known,... STATEMENT.-CONTINUED 10. A statement of the time during which the insanity is supposed to have existed,... From February 19, 1891 11. Name and address of all medical attendants of the patient during the last two years, Name Theo. M. Johnson, Post Office Pittston, County Luzerne, State Pa Name S.E. Ayer, Post Office 720 Broad St. Phila. County, State, Pa Name J.S. Hileman, Post Office Pittston, County Luzerne, State " (Signed.) J. S. Hileman (When the person signing the statement is not the person who signs the order, the following particulars concerning the person signing the statement are to be added, viz:) Occupation, if any,... Physician Residence,... Pittston, Penn. Degree of relationship, if any, or other circumstances of connection with the patient, None.STATE HOSPITAL FOR INSANE, DANVILLE, PA. MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, STATEMENT, Etc., FOR Admitted 189 Register No.No, 405 West 22 St New York City 8. 20. 1896 To/ Hon. Daniel H. Hastings Gov. of the State of Pa. Under date of Danville Pa. Aug. 19. 1896. I have received a letter from H. B. Meredith MD. Supt. Of the State Insane Asylum, concluding with this sentence: “His excellency the Gov. desires me to return the enclosed communication.” —Probably by some mental confusion.—which under the circumstances was natural instead of returning the “inclosed communication” to you its owner, he has forwarded it to me its author. This at least is a reasonable explanation, since one is needed, as the letter is your property, was written for a purpose, & has not yet been by you acknowledged or answered I hasten to restore it to you. Write the re-iterated request that it receive your immediate & personal attention. It is possible a subordinate has used your authority both to read & so to interfere with your riply, If not, that you have taken by interpretation of your clerk, or by cursory reading, & so failed to understand what it is I have demanded, by:— Certified [papers, struck through] copies of all papers filed on my reception at the Danville Insane asylum, on the afternoon of Feb. 25. 1891. If there are no such papers, an officialstatement of that fact coupled with any legal reasons that can be assigned for their absence. & comprehensive showing of the legal authority by which I was incarcerated in a State Insane Asylum at that date? Also, certified copies of all the papers filed at my alleged examination by the Medical attendant at such place.” If among these there is one signed by S. S. Schultz M.D. Supt of D. P. H. defining “Paranoia” as the form of mental disease from which it is stated Anna E Dickinson was suffering I demand this with all others. If there is no such paper I demand an official statement of that fact, & with it an explanation of how such a paper—signed identified, & sworn to by officers of the state was presented in Court by Mr. Everett Warren.Counsel for the defense in the suit of Anna E. Dickinson against Courtwright et al. If an underling has tampered with the course of justice as legitimately Called for by me from you I doubt not he will be disciplined by you; but if you yourself have by a misapprehension that you could do so, attempted to transfer your responsibility to the Supt of the Danville Asylum you will readily see, by re-reading Rule 17. that this is impossible, the Supt does not hold the papers of record, nor can he command others to furnish them. The Com. on Lunacy holds them. & “its Sec shall furnish them on demand.” = By a little further re-reading you will find the Sec is H. M. Wetherill M.D. of Phila, & it is your authority I haveinvoked to compel him to fulfill the pledge of the law persistently evaded by him for fears. — With the hope that this will reach your hand immediately & that you. without further delay will exercise to the full your prerogative in behalf of violated justice & law. I am respectfully yours Anna E Dickinson Copy/ No. 405 West 22 St New York City 8. 20. 1896 To/ Hon. Daniel H. Hastings Gov. Of the State of Pa. Under date of Danville Pa ^Aug. 19. 1896 I have received a letter from H. B. Meredith M.D. Supt of the State Insane Asylum, concluding with this sentence:— “His excellency the Gov. desires me to return the enclosed communication.” Probably by some mental confusion,— which under the circumstances wasnatural— instead of returning the “inclosed communication” to you it’s owner, he has forwarded it to me it’s author. This at least is a reasonable explanation, since one is needed, as the letter is your property, was written for a purpose, & has not yet been ^by you acknowledged or answered. I hasten to restore it to you with the re-iterated request that it receive your immediate & personal attention. It is possible a subordinate has used your authority both to read & so to interfere with your reply. If not, that you have taken by interpretation of your clerk, or by cursory reading. & so failed to understand what it is I have demanded. by:— Certified copies of all papers filed on my reception at the Danville Insane Asylum on the afternoon of Feb. 25, 1891. If there are no such papers, an official Statement of that fact coupled with any legal reasons that can be assigned for their absence & a comprehensive showing of his legal authority bywhich I was incarcerated in a State Insane Asylum at that date? Also certified copies of all the papers filed at my alleged "examination by the medical attendant of such place." If among them there is one signed by S.S. Schultz MD Supt of D. S. H. defining "Paranoia" as the form of mental disease from which it is stated Anna E Dickinson was suffering, I demand this with all others. If there is no such paper I demand an official statement of that fact & with it an explanation of how such a paper signed, identified & sworn to by officers of the State was presented in Court by Mr. Everett Warren, Counsel for the defense in the suit of Anna E Dickinson against Courtwright et.al. If any underling has tampered with the course of justice as legitimately called for by me from you I doubt not he will be disciplined by you; but if you yourself have by a misapprehension that you could do so, attempted to transferyour responsibility to the Supt of the Danville Asylum you will readily see by re-reading Rule 17. that this is impossible. The Supt does not hold the papers of record nor can he command others to furnish them. The Com. on Lunacy holds them & "its Sec shall furnish them on demand." By a little further re-reading you will find the Sec. is H. M. Wetherill MD. Of Phila & it is your authority I have invoked to compel him to fulfil the pledge of the law persistently evaded by him for years. With the hope that this will reach your hand immediately & that you without further delay will exercise to the full your prerogative in behalf of violated justice & law, I am respectfully yours, Anna E DickinsonCOMMITTEE. ——- GEORGE I. M’ LEOD, M.D., Philadelphia, Chairman. HENRY M. BOIES, Scranton. J. W. C. O’NEAL, M.D., Gettysburg. WILLIAM B. LAMBERTON, Harrisburg. FRANCIS J. TORRANCE, Pittsburg. HENRY M. WETHERILL, M.D., Philadelphia. Secretary. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. ———-— COMMITTEE ON LUNACY OF THE Board of Public Charities. OFFICE 1224 CHESTNUT ST., PHILADELPHIA , PA. August 24th, 1896. Miss Anna E. Dickinson, No. 405 West 22nd Street, New York City. Dear Madam:- Absence from my office upon the business of the Committee has prevented earlier reply to your favor of July 22nd, 1896, in which you state that you now write to the Committee of Lunacy, for the third time, to forward you certified copies of all papers filed in our office relating to your commitment to, retention in and discharge from the State Hospital for the Insane, at Danville, Pennsylvania. In reply, I would state that your _first_ communication to the Committee on Lunacy, on March 5th, 1896, was promptly answered by me, upon March 7th, enclosing all the papers relating to the subject above mentioned, which were on file in our office. I stated then that the Committee had no other papers relative thereto: The following day, March 8th, you wrote me that there were _other_ papers to which you were legally entitled, and for which you had made call through your letter to me of March 5th, which I had not sent you and commanded me to send them to you, by return mail. As the statement in our reply of March 7th was literally true, no further action on our part was possible.COMMITTEE GEORGE I. M' LEOD, M.D., Philadelphia, Chairman HENRY M. BOIES, Scranton. J.W.C. O'NEAL, M.D., Gettysburg. WILLIAM B. LAMBERTON, Harrisburg. FRANCIS J. TORRANCE, Pittsburg. HENRY M. WETHERHILL, M.D., Philadelphia, Secretary Commonwealth of Pennsylvania COMMITTEE ON LUNACY OF THE Board of Public Charities OFFICE 1224 CHESTNUT ST., PHILADELPHIA, PA. ...................18 Miss A.E.D. 2 You already have certified copies of everything on file with us relative to your commitment to, retention in and discharge from the State Hospital for the Insane, at Danville. Section 17 of the Rules and regulations of the Committee on Lunacy, of Pennsylvania, reads as follows: "The Secretary of the Committee on Lunacy shall furnish, to any person who shall consider himself or herself to have been unjustly confined in any house, or place, subject to the provisions of the Lunacy Law, or to his or her attorney, copies of all the papers filed on his or her reception therein, and at his or her examination by the medical attendant of such house or place." I had not only complied fully with this regulation; but, in the desire to assist you, had sent you in excess of this requirement. In your letter of July 22nd, 1896, you ask for a copy of a paper "brought to the Asylum and rejected by authority of your Committee, or some representative of it;" also for "a copy of the paper presented in Court by Mr. Everett Warren, identified and sworn to by the Supt. of the Danville Asylum--and by which a former COMMITTEE GEORGE I. M' LEOD, M.D., Philadelphia, Chairman HENRY M. BOIES, Scranton. J.W.C. O'NEAL, M.D., Gettysburg. WILLIAM B. LAMBERTON, Harrisburg. FRANCIS J. TORRANCE, Pittsburg. HENRY M. WETHERHILL, M.D., Philadelphia, Secretary Commonwealth of Pennsylvania COMMITTEE ON LUNACY OF THE Board of Public Charities OFFICE 1224 CHESTNUT ST., PHILADELPHIA, PA. ...................18 Miss A.E.D. 3 Supt. had indicated Paranoia as the form of mental disease of Anna E. Dickinson." I would state that I have never seen these two papers; that neither they, nor copies of them are on file in our office, nor have they ever been. It is therefor impossible for me to comply more fully that I have already done, with your request. Yours very respectfully, Henry M. Wetherhill, M.D. Secretary.No. 405 W 22 St New York 8. 28 1896 To/ Hon. Daniel H. Hastings Gov. of the State of Pa. I have received a letter from Henry M. Wetherill M.D. of Phila, by which he answers the major part of the questions he has to long ignored, & I thank you for the use of the rod that has so effectually [moved] his inertia, for I am well assured that to you the thanks are due. I by you willnot deem it an impertinence that gratitude is offered you for demanding duty from a subordinate, but so much of law has been defied for the purpose of destroying me, in the State that is both yours & mine, that I must needs pay my homage of respect to you for using the power of your great office to rectify wrong, - on first appeal & without hesitation or uncertainty. respectfully yours Anna E DickinsonNo. 405 W 22 St New York City 8. 28. 1896 To/ Hon. Daniel H. Hastings Gov. of the State of Pa.:- I have received a letter from Henry M. Wetherill MD. Of Phlia. by which he answers the major part of the questions he had so long iqnored, & I thank you for the use of the rod that has so effectually moved his inertia— for I amwell assured that to you thanksare due. I beg you will not deem it an impertinence that gratitude is offered you for demanding duty from a subordinate,— but so much of law have been defied for the purpose of destroying me,— in the State is both yours & mine,- that I must needs pay my homage of respect to you for using the power of your great office to rectify wrong,- on first appeal, & without hesitation or uncertainty. respectfully yours Anna E DickinsonTHE WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH COMPANY. -INCORPORATED- 21,000 OFFICES IN AMERICA. CABLE SERVICE TO ALL THE WORLD. THOS.T.ECKERT, President and General Manager Reciever's No. | Time Filed | Check SEND the following message subject to the terms on back herof, which are hereby agreed to [hew Luk.] 1. 27 1890 To Governor Daniel H. Hastings Harrisburg Pennsylvania must beg your immediate attention to my letter of January fourteenth acknowledged by your Secretary. Will you please hasten anon [resuts?] at Philadelphia & Danville. Anna E DickinsonALL MESSAGES TAKEN BY THIS COMPANY ARE SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS: To guard against mistakes or delays, the sender of a message should order it REPEATED; that is, telegraphed back to the originating office for comparison. For this, one-half the regular rate is charged in addition. It is agreed between the sender of the following message and this Company, that said Company shall not be liable for mistakes or delays in the transmission or delivery, or for non-delivery of any UNREPEATED message, beyond the amount received for sending the same; nor for mistakes or delays in the transmission or delivery, or for non-delivery of any REPEATED message, beyond fifty times the sum received for sending the same, unless specially insured, nor in any case for delays arising from unavoidable interruption in the working of its lines, or for errors in cipher or obscure messages. And this Company is hereby made the agent of the sender, without liability, to forward any message over the lines of any other Company when necessary to reach its destination. Correctness in the transmission of a message to any point on the lines of this Company can be INSURED by contract in writing, stating agreed amount of risk, and payment of premium thereon, at the following rates, in addition to the usual charge for repeated messages, viz, one per cent. for any distance not exceeding 1,000 miles, and two per cent. for any greater distance. No employee of the Company is authorized to vary the foregoing. No responsibility regarding messages attaches to this Company until the same are presented and accepted at one of its transmitting offices; and if a message is sent to such office by one of the Company's messengers, he acts for that purpose as the agent of the sender. Messages will be delivered free within the established free delivery limits of the terminal office. For delivery at a greater distance, a special charge will be made to cover the cost of such delivery. The Company will not be liable for damages or statutory penalties in any case where the claim is not presented in writing within sixty days after the message is filed with the Company for transmission. THOS. T. ECKERT, President and General Manager.No. 135 West 98th St. New York 2.11.1898 To/ Hon. Daniel H. Hastings Gov. of the State of Pa. = I take for granted that my letter to you of January 14th, acknowledged by your Sec. January 18th, & my telegram to you of January 27th have reached your hand. = I also take for granted you have given some orders that I write to tell you have not been obeyed. = I know I am within my rightsin my request to you, & am equally sure you are not the man to neglect your duties nor to tolerate violation of duty in your subordinates. = You have doubtless thought your commands had been executed & have no means of knowing to the contrary without this letter. Will you see what those people send me the papers for which I have written immediately. I know you are a very busy man with a multitudeof calls & cares but this needs attention at once, & so, with confidence I claim it. Respectfully yours, Anna E. Dickinson Private & Personal To: Hon. Daniel H. Hastings Harrisburg Pennsylvania