TO BE RELEASED

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 August 1924, Page 5

TO BE RELEASED

MAN IN ASYLUM. ALLEGED DELUSIONS. COMMENTS BY JUDGE. (BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, Aug. 18. An application for the determination as to whether or not a certain man, described as X, who had been committed to a mental hospital, was insane, came before Mr. Justice Stringer in the Supreme Court to-day. In evidence a son stated that he was 28 years old, and from childhood he had noticed peculiarities in his father’s manner. As witness grew older and was able to form his own opinions he found that many things his father said were incorrect. Questioned as to X’s delusions, the son said that X could not keep on friendly terms with his neighbours for any length of time. Mr. Justice Stringer: Sometimes it is difficult to do that.” The witness said X seemed to take violent dislikes to people whom he had seen only occasionally, and whom he had no reason to dislike. His Honor: How long ago are you speaking! of F Witness: Approximately six years ago; since we went to the farm in 1906 and extending to about 1918. Continuing, the son said X had never attempted his mother’s life in his presence Witness referred to an instance 18 years ago. His Honor: We cannot go back 18 years. Mr. Newberry (for the son, who opposed the appiication) said he would show that the delusions had gradually increased. His Honor: Many sane men under certain circumstances have offered violence to their wives. The son stated that when living at Tamaki his father accused his mother of unfaithfulness. His father made a trap-door in his bedroom, and at night would go down the trap-door and so get under his mother’s room. His father had holes under his mother’s bed, and would spend most of the night under the house poking sticks backwards and forwards through the holes. His Honor: You know this oi; your own knowledge ? Witness: I know regarding the holes and the trap-door. His Honor: You must not say w'liat your mother told you; The witness said his father belonged to* a religious sect known as the Brethren. Witness described an instance when he interviewed his father on the farm concerning the condition of affairs at home. X became violently angry, ■Roamed at the mouth, and ordered witness off the place. Mr. Inder, who appeared in support of the application, said he could not see the slightest suggestion that could support the idea, of delusions. His Honor: I cannot see anything myself. In evidence the wife of X stated that from the first days of their married life B suffered from delusions over a period covering the past ten years. X had a delusion that the family wanted to rob him. X had threatened her life many and many a time. He said that he would chop her head in two with an axe. He had accused her of trying to poison him, and said her two sisters had attempted to poison their husbands. Two days before he \vas committed he had threatened her life. He had locked the back door on that occasion, and had bailed witness, up in the passage, but she ran out by the front door before he could get his hands on her. He wa,s moody about the house, but made no further attack. On one night she heard taps on the side of the house, and a man’s voice said: “Come out, Mrs. X. I will do you no harm.” She saw her husband and a man talking. It-was moonlight, as bright as day. Afterwards her husband denied that he brought a man to the house, hut she was told later that the man had been given two bottles of gin to 4ry and get her to go out, and had stated that the Brethren were after her for no good purpose. To Mr. Inder the witness said she believed X was not the father of the youngest child. X became aware of that just after the birth.

Under further cross-examination the wile said X had at intervals been one of the best of husbands. He had been good to their daughter, and had not threatened her life that witness was aware of. Witness did not think that X had threatened anybody else. X had accused her of unfaithfulness right from the start of their married life. Two doctors, who signed the order of commitment, gave evidence in Avhic-h they agreed that if the facts placed before them on examination had been those they had heard in court, their view would have been very much modified- If they had known that the alleged delusions were in some cases facts it would have weighed very much with them.

Dr. Beattie, medical superintendent of the Auckland Mental Hospital, gave evidence' that he found in effect that X had not shown any indications of insanity. 'Witness felt that he was not .justified in discharging X, so he wrote to Mr. Inder and asked him to bring case before the Supreme Court. Witness had arrived at the conclusion that X was not a fit subject to be detained.

His Honor said he was quite satisfied that the opinion of Dr. Beattie uas correct. The evidence adduced satisfied his Honor that if it had been before a magistrate he probably would never have made an order His Honor had nothing more to do but to direct that X be immediately discharged by the superintendent.

The condition of affairs was not calculated to make for comfort and a b a PP> married life for the parties and some arrangement should be amde for separation, added his Honor. Mr. Neu berry said he intended to move immediately in that direction. action certainly suggests to me > ’ added his Honor, “that there ought to lie some further investigation into alleged delusions before a” man can- be summarily committed to a mental hospital. It seems to me there ought to be some investigation as to these alleged delusions, because it is now admitted by two medical men who signed the certificate that the alleged delusion was in fact no delusion at all. Probably an investigation might have elicited that and the man not have been committed.”