EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF A FEMALE SERVANT IN BALLARAT.

Southland Times, Issue 966, 10 June 1868, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF A FEMALE SERVANT IN BALLARAT.

The following extraordinary story is narrated by the " Beaufort Chronicle" : — What may happen to a person in Victoria received a very singular exemplification a short time since, and to lovers of the sensational the recital of this strange story will possess peculiar interest ; in fact," so peculiarly incredible did some of the statements therein contained appear, that until perfectly satisfied of their authenticity we hesitated to publish it. The facts are simply these : — Some time since a friend of ours, anxious to leave Ballarat for Ararat without delay, called at Cobb's Office, and was informed no coach left that day except one conveying lunatics to the Ararat Asylum, but as the gentleman's business was urgent, and he was by no means fearful of travelling in such queer company, at his earnest solicitation he was permitted to ride with the lunatics. Of course the unfortunates in ! the coach were laboring under all phases I of insanity, but our friend noticed one j who by her coherent remarks and general appearance specially interested him, and after some conversation he persuaded her to tell her story. This was to this effect, that she was a general servant, and was in the habit of engaging about Ballarat from Mrs 's registry office. That on the Monday previously, haviDg lext her situation, she went as usual to the office to engage again, having with her a bundle containing her wearing apparel and other effects, During the evening she met with a female acquaintance, who invited her to take tea, and eventually persuaded her to stop with her all night, which she did, the bundle remaining at the registry office. The next morning she went again to the office, and at once discovered that the bundle had been opened, and on inspection it appeared that sundry dresses, made and unmade, and other articles, had disappeared. On speaking to Mrs about it, that lady said no one but herself and assistant had access to the bundle left on the previous eveuing ; whereupon the loser of the property (an Irish girl of every excitable temperament), furious at the loss, declared at once, in a manner more forcible than polite, that either Mrs or her assistant had taken the things. The assistant being about to go out, the woman, in a very violent manner, vowed that no one should leave the place till a policeman was sent for, and the place should be searched, or she would give them in charge. A man passing at the time was desired to send a policeman, and in the meantime the excited woman mounted guard over her two prisoners till the officer arrived. On his arrival, Mrs beckoned him and whispered to him for some time, and he then, after hearing the woman's story, said " Yes ; come with * me to the office and sign the information, and then I will arrest them." The woman, still very excited, left with the policeman, who took her to a "large stone building," and after speaking in a tone she could not hear, to a female attendant, she was asked to walk in, and the attendant said, " I have a nice little room ready for you my dear, and you will be very comfortable, my dear ;" to which she replied she did not come for a Toom, and wanted to go out ; but with the same sauvity of manner, she was told she must stop ; and on becoming very violent, six other women were called, and in spite of her cries and struggles a straight-jasket was put on her and she was taken to a room, where she was searched and everything taken from her. In the morning she was released from her bonds, and a "man" (the doctor) came into her room and, with a patronising familiarity, observed, " Well, my dear, how do you feel this morning ?" and wanted to take her hand. She at once ordered him out of the room, and again got very excited. After some other conversation "the man" left the room. During the day she underwent an examination before a magistrate, and then for the first time she understood she was supposed to be a lunatic. In vain she protested her sanity ; the doctor deposed that he had examined her and that she was of unsound mind, and the result was she was in the coach bound for a lunatic asylum. She said she could easily understand how the women supposed her to be insane, for when they wanted to put the straight-jacket on her she kicked, scratched, and roared like " ten mad people ;" but the only information she could obtain before the examination was that she was in an hospital, and that "it was all right." This remarkable story was corroborated by the police in the coach, who stated that to the best of their knowledge the case was as she had stated it. Our friend advised her, aa the best way of getting out of her dilemma, to take the matter quietly and she would not be long detained in the asylum. The unfortunate Irishwoman acted on this advice, and obtained her discharge "cured," about ten days ago, after a fortnight's detention. On her return, in passing through Beaufort, we saw her ourselves, and if we had been a perfect stranger to her case, a doubt of her sanity would have been the last thought to enter our mind ; her greatest grief being that her supposed madness might get abroad, and would militate against her as a servant, for if known no mistress would engage her, and for that reason we refrain from giving publicity to her name. Such is the latest dodge to avoid an unpleasant charge. To entertain a serious doubt of the woman's sanity is simply an absurdity ; she considered herself ill-used, and behaved in an excited manner, and to avoid an ugly expose, the Machiavellian genius of Mrs rises to the emergency, and she invents a charge of insanity which the woman's subsequent conduct fosters. How many would not act, under similar circumstances, in a similar manner, and by so doing lisk all the unpleasant probabilities of a lunatico inquirendo, and a future home in a lunatic asylum.