RELEASE ORDERED.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 August 1924, Page 4

RELEASE ORDERED.

.MENTAL JIOSITI'AL INMATE. I'ELTUAK (ASK AT AI'CKI.AND. AITKI.ANI), August. 13. An npplimtion fin determination v. hether or not a certain man described as “X ’. who liail been committed to iin*iit;il linsjjitsil. "ns iiisan*? ci\inc . jlcrc .Mr Jlattice Stringer in tlio Supreme Court. In 11.0 evidence a sin stated lm was twenty-eight years old, Emm childhood lie had limited | *■< u 1 iari tif.s in his lather's manner. As w itnevs grew , Ider ami was able to form his own ■ i,lints he lotliul that many iliiues hi- lather .-aid "(■ e imorre-.r. (,lu.“-tioned as to “X’’*" delusinits the ■ m said that “X” eotlld not keep oil tii .idle 'eras with his neighbours for any length of time. .Mr .Instil e Stringer: Si.metimes it i , ciiflit n't to do that. Witness -aid that l 'X" seemed to take a violent di-nke to people whom ha 1 s. eit (.:i!y occasionally aed v horn lie lmd no reason to dislike. His 111 ’: Ilo.v long ago are .ton s; 'eaking of ! Wit nests: A| prcximately six years ago. sip.ee we went to l!:e farm in IHOI’i and extending to 1!>I8. C'otitinuing the si n said that ”X'' had filtempted his mother's life in his presence. Witness referred to an institute of eighteen yea’s ago. 11 is Honor: We lammt go land; eighteen years. > Air Xewherry, lor the son. wlt i opposed tile apj.ii: alien, said lie w ould like to show that delusions had gradually iitcroaM.’d. 11 is Honor: Many sane men under cel tain i iretni'sfanct s have ellered vio-

lence to their wives. The soil staled that when living at Tiimaki Ids ftalier aecesed his mother of unfaithfulness. His father made a t: a; door in his l:e Iroom and at night would go down the trapdeor to get under his mother’s rm in. Ills father lmd holes under Ids mot berks bed and would spend niest of the night under the house poking sticks Inn 1-wards and forwards through the holes. His Honor: Von know this nf your own knowletlgo Witness: I. knew regarding the holes and tiap-door. His Honour: You mut not say that your mother told you. Witness said his father belonged to a religious sect known as the I’rethrnn, AVitness dosprihed an instance when lie interviewed his father on tie farm com tuning the eonditiim of a‘fairs ai home. '‘X” liccnme violently angry, foamed at the mouth and ■ tiered witness i.ff the plate. Air I tiller, who appeared in Mippoii ot the application, said he could not see the slightest suggestion that eount support the idea of delusions.

The wife of l 'X" said from the first days of her married life "X" siilfered I rum delusions. Over a | cried covering the past ten years “X" laid a tlclusion that the tamily wanted to nil* him. "X" had thicatened her 1i to

“many and many a time." lie had Si id he would chop lit r heatl in two with tin axe. lie luttl accused her of trying to poison him. and saitl the c.\o sisters hail attempted to poison their hit-hands. Two days hefore lie was tommitted lie had threatened her life, die had locked the hark tltmr on that i:c::ision anti hail 'hailed up witness in the pas-age. Inti she v.ent out of the sfi.iii tl.ittr before he could get his Intuits on lift’. lie was moody about, the ho'. se. hm matle no fin tin. r o.ttaek. ()n one night she heard to].- ill the -'id,.' of the house and n man'.'. voi;e mid. “Come out Alls | will tlo yon i.o harm.” She saw ler husI'l.inl am.! a man talking. Ii we.t

moonlight, as bright a« day. Allewiir’s her husband denied that he I'litj brought a man to the house, bit: was told later that the man had been given two bottles of gin to t line t’» go oni. '\ ’ had - tail'd I lie Ui'ethren weii; all.’f her for n good purpose. To Air Intler: Witness l.elievrd ilia! “X ' was not the father t I her youngest child. “X" he.all.e aware of that jest aft o' the 1 i' th. ITidr t : os— e.xamii ati.m the wife said that “X" lmd at intervals It cii tlm best ( f hushamls. lie hail been too g. o | in her daughter and hail not threatened her life that witness v.as aware nf. Witness ilid not think that "X" had threatened anybody else. “X" had a’ eased her of unfaithfulness right from the start of her married life.

*1 he two doctors who signed the ortler of tommitWiuoit gave evidence, in which they agreed that if the lads placed In'ore them on exaliiinati) It had lietoi ihtise they hail heard in court their view would have heen very ninth modified. Il they bad known that the alleged tlelusinu.s were in some cases facts it would have weighed very much with them. l!r. Ih attie medical Sti| toiiitioahoil ol the Aiekhintl .Mental I Ins; ital. gave evitho: .• that lie found in effect that •‘X’’ hail not shewn any indications of insanity. Witness felt that he was not just Hied in discharging ‘ X." so he wrote to Air hitler ami asked him to hring the ease before the Supreme Court. Witness had artivetl at the etni'liisitm that “X" was not a fit .subject to he detained.

His Honor saitl that lie was quite satisfied that the opinion of Hr. .Health.- wa- i orrcct. The evidence atlihi 'eil -ati-fietl his Honor that if it hud heen il.efio'e a Alagistrate lie probably would never have made an ortho-. Ilis lienor hud nothing mere to do than . > din’d that "X" he immediately 1 1i.--charged bv the Mir.priutcudctit. The condition of till'airs was not ealctdat"d to make for comfort and a happy married life for the parties, and Mime urraii'ten’ent should be made for a se| nrulit.u.

Air Newberry said he intended to move immediately in that direction. 11l commenting on the ease hi.s Honor sail I : “This action (ertainly suggests to tile that there ought to be .some further investigation into alleged delusions before any man tan lie committed to a mental hospital. It seems to me there ought to lie seme investigation it' to these alleged (Illusions. • ceaii-.c it is now admitt 'd by the two medical men who signed the certificate that the alleged delusion was in inti no delusion at all. Probably investigation might have elicited that and the man would not have boon t otnmitted.'*