Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 81, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 June 1903 — Chase Is Insane. [ARTICLE]

Chase Is Insane.

And Frederick S. Chase Appointed Guardian. Must Give Bond' in the Sum of $300,000. Lafayette Call. This was an exicting day in the 'Benton Circuit court, where Judge Babb and a jury have for ten days been engaged in hearing the testimony of witnesses and argument of oounsel opon the petition of Frederick 8. Chase for the appointment of a guardian the ’ person and property of his son, Moses Fowler Chase, a person of unsound mind. Immediately after court convened this morning at 8:30 o’clock, j Dan W. Simms of Lafayette, one of the attorneys for the petitioner, began hie argument, which occupied two hours and ten'minutes. He reviewed the oaee briefly and talked earnestly, growing eloquent toward the end of the argument. It was one of the best speeohes 'that has ever been delivered in Benton county, and left a notice* able impression upon the jury and others assembled in the court room. Several persons were visibly moved. After he had oonoluded, the attorneys for the respondent, Moses Fowler Chase, held a consultation and finally announced that they waive argument. Judge Eabb then read bis instructions to the jury. The in--1 etruotions showed oareful preparation. One of the imporant in- 1 etruotions was as follows: That, if respondent was taken to Paris and left in a private insane asylum without the proper care or treatment, the father, being the natural guardian, had perfect right to bring him back to Tippecanoe oounty, and that if the jury found that Moses Fowler Chase was brought back to Tippecanoe oounty in good faith and that he was of unsound mind at the commencement of these proceedings, the jury should find that he was an inhabitant of Tippeoanoe oounty within the meaning of the /law.

The jury retired and wae out just 17 minutes, when a verdict was returned. The verdict of the jury was that Moses Fowler Ohaae, at the time of the oommenoement of the proceedings, was and is now a person of unsound*mind and a resident of Tippeoanoe county. anaAfter the reading of the verdiot the court announced that he would dispense with the services of the .attorneys appointed by the Tippeoanoe and Benton county courts to assist the prosecuting attorney attorney in the defense of the youth, for the reason that in his opinion, the only man who had authority to make a motion for a new trial or take an appeal was the proeeouting attorney. Om er B. Batoliffe, prosecutor of the Cirouit, refused to ask further proceedings, stating that the case had already oost thousands of dollars and that he did not believe he would be justified in oausing the expenditure of any more money in trying the issues. , This afternoon at 2 o’clock, upon petition filed by attorneys for Frederick S. Chase, the father was appointed guardian of Moses Fowler Chase and was ordered to file bond in the sum of $300,000. Moses Fowler Chase is more oarefully guarded this afternoon than ever. He will be taken Jo Dr. Sterne's sanatorium in Indianapolis this afternoon or tonight. The only attorney for the petitioner present at the time of the appointment of Hr. Chase as guardian of his sod was Dan W. Simms of Lafayette.