Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1880 — LUNACY. [ARTICLE]

LUNACY.

Tke Truth ■j tts£fi © ill *9 laniMf« Wklck la rail! Established by the EvMo’M^e^rFrfeuds Hr. Littlefield a Much Abased Citizen. Insanity a Family Complaint. Rkhihgtoh, I hd., March 2,1880. SdUor JUutmhm- JhysMfaw— D*tr Sir : My wife, Ellen R. L. Littlefield, has been insane for ten years, by spells, but not very dangerous till about three weeks before she was sent to the asylum. She comes by it honestly. Her grandfather on her father’s side was crSzy years before he died and tried to kill her father with an ax. Her grandmoth* er on her mother’s aide waa insane and attempted to hang herself. Her mother died craxy. She has a sister who has been in the asylum twO different times, and she has a consin who is ibsane. My wife went to Lewis’s, as stated in your last issue, on the 6th of October last, with my sister and her husband, from Illinois, who w ere here on a visit. That day Mr. L. killed a hog and my wife declared it was a man. That night she ran away and screamed “murder! murder! Je--B.Us save me!” My brother-in-law and wife ran after her and had to bring her back by main strength. .Next day my two brothers-in-law went to the funeral of Mr. Fingerrayre’s daughter at Rensselaer. My sister stepped into the kitchen to grind some coffee and hiy wife run out the front door into a cornfield. She hm one-half mile east to Mr. Kellener’s. She asked the little boy where the folks were, and he told her they had gone to the funeral. She then .hit the smallest boy on the bead, and knocked him down. She then ran off and the largest boy Ret the dog on her, which perhaps would have tore her badly if it had not been called off by old Mr. Kellener who happened to be present. My sister got all the neighbors who were near to go and hunt her. A young man named Fred Hartman caught her after running her nearly a mile. She said the Lord told her she was to meet a woman. She had to bo bought back against her will. The next day she was taken home to me. Then she took some bread aud tea and held communion. She went through the services with all seriousness, calling Lewis the Judas. She Wanted to burn up her chotliing, papers, deeds, house and everything. She said she wanted to cleanse the laud. She thought the Lord had come, and-one night she jumped out of the window to meet him. She started for Jerusalem another time, with bread, two Bibles and a hymn-book. She spent mjst of her time preaching, read ing the Bible aud singing.

She has accused the neighbors for years of stealing, and trying to poison and kill her, and because 1 would not believe her stuff she said I was “in liegue with them devils.” We have never had any trouble, for I would, not pay any attention to her crazy talk. She w ould imagine anything. Mary Ladd is an old maid, the oldest of the family, and has been trying to make trouble between my wife and myself which would result in our separation; writing letters to be delivered to my wife only, which my wife would throw in the fire without reading. I am willing to take my wife back whenever Bhe wants to come, although her deranged state of mind is likely t# give me great trouble. As to the writ of habeas corpus all I have heard of it was by way of anonymous telegram, signed by her friends,- not officially, telling me it had been issued and would be heard on same.day I received the dispatch. By advice of friends I inclosed a copy of this information to the Superintendent of the asylum, asking for an explanation. I never received any other notice, and am not aware of incurring contempt of any court in connection with their trouble. .

As to any attempt to use any unfare means to get my wife in the asylum I offer the following statement of facts connected therewith. Hkmincton, Ind., Jan. 16. isso. This is to certify that wo have known Mrs. Ellen It. L. Littlefield forbears, and that as a fact she was at times deranged mentally, and more recently dangerously so. And we further certify from actual knowledge that the steps taken by her husband, Mr. Alexander Littlefield, in placing her in the custody of the Insane Asylum, at Indianapolis, was fully warranted, and that he could not have been actuated by other than the most kind and considerate motives. Ida F. Allman, Hannibal Lnndon.M.D Mrs. David Nelson, S. C. Maxwell, M. D., Agnes Nelson, B. B. Jeffries, J. P., J. O. B. McDonglc, David Nelson, Sarah Connell, J. H. Aliuon, Moses Connell, S. A. Morgan, Hattie E. Zea, John F. Green, Kobt. Parker, Mary C. Allman, J. H. Tribby, AUie A. Allman. James Spencer, J. P., r These persons who have signed their names to this paper are Mrs. Littlefield’s particular friends in town, whom she had confidence in as ehristians. They are all church members but one. It is simply preposterous to snpposo these citizens, friends and intimate acquaintances of both parties coaid be guilty of incarcerating an innocent woman. Messrs. Maxwell, Spencer and Jeffries were the family physicians and justice of the peace who met at my residence and passed officially on my wife’s case as to her tyI am not aware that my wife has o*. could have, under her circumstances, a personal enemy. Everybody sympathizes and is sorry for her afflicted condition. I trust enough has been said to show yon the animus of the communication of Mary Ladd. Yours Truly,

ALEX. LITTLEFIELD.