Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1899 — A Sad Case of Insanity. [ARTICLE]

A Sad Case of Insanity.

A very unfortunate case of insanty, and seemingly a very hopless one, is that of Mrs. Margaret M. Keister, wife of James A. Keister of Jordan tp., and a daughter of Mrs. Timmons, of Remington. The papers in her case have been filed with the county clerk, and application made 'for her reception at Long Cliff Asylum Her examination was conducted by Justices J. A. Burnham and H. Churchill, with Dr. Berkley as examining physician. She is 36 years old has been married 18 years and is the mother of five children. She has attacks of epilepsy every month, and these have recently greatly increased in severity. A possible though remote, source of her affliction, mentioned at her examination, was that she was bitten by a rattlesnake, when 11 or 12 years old. She is melancholio and also strongly suicidal in her tendencies. She has made two separate attempts at taking her own life, the last only about two weeks ago, when she out two large gashes and one stab in her throat. She lost much blood at that*time ahd was unconscious for days, but has now nearly recovered from the effect of her injuries.