pendence Hospital, should have found it necessary to resign his position on account of ill-health, and we regard the loss of his services to the institution as a serious one.

The water supply at the Hospital at Independence has been scanty during most of the biennial period, and we regard the supply from the present sources as only temporary. We think the best policy is to put in pumping works and bring an abundant supply from the river, as the best and most available point.

INVESTIGATIONS DURING THE BIENNIAL PERIOD.

MT. PLEASANT, December 2, 1880.

Visting Committee, S. B. Olney, chairman, T. W. Fawcett, secretary, met at the Iowa Hospital for Insane at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, this second day of December, 1880, to examine into the case of Mrs. Frances E. Thompson, a patient in said Hospital from Des Moines, Polk county, charges having been made by certain persons claiming to be her relatives, residing in and about Panora, Guthrie county, Iowa: said charges being made to Governor Gear, in a communication sent him by S. B. Nichols, of Panora, Iowa, and which were to the effect that the said Mrs. Thompson is not now insane, and should no longer be detained in the Hospital; and the said relatives petition the Governor that the said Mrs. Thompson be discharged from Hospital and sent to them for support. The question for the committee to decide is as to sanity, and whether she is improperly detained in Hospital.

In pursuance of this inquiry the committee have examined into the history of her case, and find that the beginning of her mental derangement was on or about the first of February, 1877, and was puerperal mania, attended with great aversion to her husband, Mr. John B. Thompson. She was kept at his residence in Des Moines until about the first of April of said year, and then went to her sister, Mrs. Lotspiech, of Ottumwa, Iowa, and remained with her until about September 1, 1877; not improving, she was sent to her sister at Hampton, Indiana, where she remained until about the first of August, 1878, when she was taken to Bellevue Place, Batavia, Illinois, in care of R.. J. Patterson, M. D., superintendent of said hospital, by her brother, A. F. Armstrong, now of Irvington, Indiana; and about the twentysecond of the following October, as shown by the records, was removed to Mt. Pleasant Hospital, where she now remains as a patient.

And from the acquaintance the committee has had with the said Mrs. Thompson for the last two years, and a lengthy conversation we have had with her this day, and also from the opinion of Dr. Ranney, Superintendent of the said hospital; and further, from all the information we can gather from the correspondence of her brother and sister; also from her own letters, covering the whole period, as stated above, we come to the conclusion that she is insane, and a proper subject for custody, care and treatment in said Hospital; and further, that from her frequently expressed threats against her husband's life, and reiterated determination, if she gets out, to have possession of her child, right or wrong, it would not be safe or right to release her from custody in the Hospital. And further, that we do not find that her husband does desire to have her detained in Hospital any longer than necessary for her full recovery; and we think the wishes of her hus-band and her nearest relatives should be consulted in the case, instead of distant relatives who really know little or nothing about it. We further find that Mrs. Thompson has many insane delusions, one of which is that an individual whom she designates as "Dr. Scott" is her husband, and that she expects him soon to come and remove her from the Hospital (this individual is not Scott at all); and she has many other delusions, at different times, not necessary to mention.

Taking into account all points in Mrs. Thompson's case, gathered from all the data at our command, we are decidedly of the opinion that Mrs. Frances E. Thompson should be detained in Hospital for further treatment.

MT. PLEASANT, IOWA, July 25, 1881.

S. B. Olney, chairman of the Visiting Committee of the Iowa Hospital for the Insane, having visited Mt. Pleasant for the purpose of investigating certain charges against the Hospital for the Insane at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, published in the Mt. Pleasant Herald, and to investigate any other charges, or alleged abuses, that may appear, a subpœna was duly issued to R. C. Brown, editor of said Herald, for his apperance forthwith. Subpoena returned duly served. Said Brown appeared and asked until 1:30 P. M. to consult counsel.

A communication was received from R. C. Brown, refusing to appear and testify. Said communication was filed as part of the pro

ceedings. A telegram was at once sent to Mrs. L. S. Kincaid, a member of the Visiting Committee, requesting her to at once attend the sitting of the committee at this place. Adjourned till 9 A. M. to-morrow.

JULY 26, 1881-9 A. M.

Mrs. Kincaid not yet having arrived, an adjournment was had until

9 A. M. to-morrow.

JULY 27, 1881-9 A. M.

Visiting Committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at the courtroom in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and directed that subpoena issue to R. C. Brown to appear forthwith. Present: Dr. S. B. Olney, and Mrs. L. S. Kincaid. Mrs. Kincaid was duly elected secretary pro tem. of the committee. Subpoena was duly issued and placed in the hands of J. R. Davidson, sheriff of Henry county, Iowa, for service upon R. C. Brown. Subpoena returned by said sheriff, showing personal service on said Brown, by reading and delivering a copy, at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. After waiting an hour and a half, and said Brown not appearing, as said subpoena commanded, it was by said committee ordered that attachment issue against said Brown; whereupon an attachment was issued and placed in the hauds of the said J. R. Davidson, sheriff of Henry county, for service. At 11:15 A. M., sheriff returned the writ of attachment, duly served, and produced the body of R. C. Brown before the committee. Whereupon said Brown stated to the committee that his delay in obeying the subpoena was wholly owing to the fact that he was engaged with his counsel in preparing a response to the subpoena; that a delay of a few minutes would be required to complete said response, and asked the committee to grant him that time, which they did. At 12 M., L. A. Palmer appeared as counsel for Brown and asked adjournment till half past one, to give time to answer subpoena, which was not yet complete. Subpoena was duly issued, at the suggestion of Dr. Ranney, for J. H. Madison and Clark King.

Adjournment to 1:30 P. M. of this day.

1:30 P. M.

Committee resumed sitting. At this hour communication was received from said Brown, making statements, the contents of which were read to the committee, said Brown being present in person, and by his counsel, L. G. and L. A. Palmer. Said counsel declined to appear on behalf of their client, except by the above communication,

and protested against the jurisdiction of said committee over the client, and against the legality of this committee and its process. Dr. Ranney's counsel requested the committee to require Brown to be sworn to testify as a witness; whereupon the committee called on said Brown to take oath as a witness, which he refused to do. Dr. Ranney's counsel then asked that a mittimus issue for said Brown's custody by the sheriff as a recusant witness. Ordered by the committee that a mittimus issue to the sheriff to take said Brown into the said sheriff's custody, and to produce him before the committee upon to-morrow morning, July 28, at 9 A. M., to which hour the committee would now adjourn. Mittimus duly issued to the sheriff in accordance with said order.

Adjourned till July 28, 1881, at 9 A. M.

JULY 28, 1881-9 A. M. Committee met pursuant to adjournment. J. H. Madison was sworn as a witness and placed on the stand. While he was testifying, the proceedings were interrupted by the entrance into the room of Clark King, who insisted, in spite of the protests of Dr. Ranney's counsel, and the order of the committee, in talking with said Madison while. he was on the stand as a witness. On motion of Dr. Ranney's counsel it was ordered that said King be sworn as a witness, and be put under the rule as witness. Said King declined to be sworn. Whereupon, on motion of Dr. Ranney's counsel, it was ordered that a mittimus do issue to the sheriff of said county, directing him to take said King into custody, as a recusant witness, and permit no one to have intercourse with him except his own counsel, until the further order of the committee; and that said King be brought before the committee as soon as he showed his willingness to testify.

Said King was brought before the committee, and, having avowed his readiness to be sworn as a witness, put under rule as such and released from custody of sheriff. The examination on behalf of committee, and cross-examination on behalf of Dr. Ranney, of witness J. H. Madison, having concluded, Clark King was next examined as a witnees on behalf of committee, and cross-examined by Dr. Ranney's counsel. George Harkness was also examined, when the committee adjourned to 9 A. M., July 29.

JULY 29, 1881-9 A. M.

Committee resumed sitting. L. A. Palmer, Esq., a practicing attorney of the Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, bar, here appeared at the request of the committee, and assisted the latter in the investigation until the proceedings were closed. At the request of Dr. Ranney's counsel, the fact was ordered to be entered on the record of the proceedings, that R. C. Brown, editor of the Mt. Pleasant Herald, was present, sitting by the side of Mr. Palmer, advising and conferring with, and assisting said counsel for the committee in the examination and in his conducting the case. The following witnesses were examined to-day on the part of the committee, and cross-examined on the part of Dr. Ranney: D. J. Nicholson, R. H. Tyler, Frank H. Braderick, C. H. Lyons, Jacob McCoy, Joseph Suiton, Hugh Ballentine, O. J. Lawrence, Henry Plumer and J. A. Thomas.

At this point it was suggested that Mrs. Kincaid felt obliged to be absent for a few days, and by consent of L. A. Palmer, counsel for the committee, and of Dr. Ranney and his counsel, and of R. C. Brown, all of whom were present in person, it was agreed that the examination of further witnesses might proceed before the chairman, sitting alone, the testimony to be written out in full for the consideration of the committee in joint session.

Adjourned to July 30, at 9 A. M.

JULY 30, 1881-9 A. M.

Committee resumed sitting. The following named witnesses were examined: Mary Coddington, Meno Trope, Swan J. Nelson, Lewis Clouse, Oliver Dotson and Hoke Rouse (last named called by request of R. C. Brown).

Adjourned to August 1, 1881, at 9 A. M.

AUGUST, 1, 1881-9 A. M.

Committee resumed sitting. The following named witnesses were sworn and examined at the instance of R. C. Brown; viz., Dr. W. S. Marsh, B. C. Walters, Peter Cranz, W. J. Nash, John Courtney, Mrs. Hannah Nash, J. J. Fenton, George Harkness (recalled), John Durk, John Hart, John Maroney and Joseph Thompson.

Adjourned to August 2, at 9 a. M.

AUGUST 2, 1881-9 A. M.

Committee resumed sitting. The following named persons were examined as witnesses, by request of R. C. Brown: viz., Eliza Alston,